Göring. A Biography

(Michael S) #1
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The Winter Ball


Hitler had laid down the new pecking order in the Reich at his
first diplomatic reception after the Blomberg-Fritsch scandal, on
February , . “First comes Generalfeldmarschall Göring,” he
ruled, “then Ribbentrop, and only then Hess and Neurath.” To
Göring the new rank sounded like a real mouthful. “Tell the
troops,” he instructed his valet, “to say just Feldmarschall.” Even
that took some getting used to, and when Robert wakened him
next morning Göring heard the words, “Good morning, Herr
Feldwebel.” That was a corporal.
Ribbentrop’s appointment as foreign minister nettled
Göring more than he allowed people to see. He had hoped he
might get that post too, and he continued for a year to act as
though he, rather than Ribbentrop, had been appointed. He
was generous enough, however, to advise Sir Nevile Henderson
not to assume that Ribbentrop was anti-British  “Not that it
really matters what he thinks,” he added. “There is only one

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