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 

On Trial

“As Reichsmarschall of the Greater German Reich, I assume po-
litical responsibility for my own acts.” Thus Göring began the
written declaration that he had planned to read out as the trial
began on November , . “Although answerable for these
acts only to the German people and to the German courts,” the
statement continued, “I am nevertheless willing, without recog-
nizing the jurisdiction of this Tribunal, to provide it with any
explanations that are desired and to speak the whole truth. I do
however... refuse to accept responsibility for acts committed by
others  acts of which I was unaware and which I would not
have approved of or been able to prevent had I known of them.
Hermann Göring.”
Justice Robert H. Jackson, the U.S. chief prosecutor, had
always regarded Göring as his principal adversary in the coming
trial. They came from different worlds  the “Renaissance”
figure from the bomb-devastated land of political assassins and