On 19 March 1946, Defence Counsel Otto Stahmer summoned Hermann Göring's personal friend, Swedish businessman Birger Dahlerus as a witness for the defence. The Swede was supposed to prove that Göring opposed the outbreak of war in Europe.
Their friendship started as the result of a love affair: in 1921, Hermann Göring had a relationship with a married Swedish woman, Carin von Kantzow. She left her husband and married Göring. Subsequently, her son Thomas by her first husband got a job at Dahlerus’ firm. The smart businessman was not going to miss the opportunity to meet the second most important person in Nazi Germany – the stepfather of his employee.
Historians describe Dahlerus as an amateur diplomat. He was indeed afraid of war as were many other representatives of the business community, and in 1939 tried to establish peace negotiations between London and Berlin: he met Hitler, British leaders and diplomats, and British and Polish ambassadors in Berlin. His “search for peace” was backed up by the transmission of allegedly secret information and documents, and oral proposals.
However, there is a theory that Birger Dahlerus was Hermann Göring’s personal agent and acted at his request.
Dahlerus’ diplomatic mission failed: after Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain immediately joined the war.
Stahmer summoned him, hoping to whitewash his client. However, Dahlerus' involvement was not successful.
Dr Stahmer: Did anyone state that Göring was the only man on the German side who could prevent war?
Dahlerus: Well, I personally had the impression that Göring was the member of the German Government who was most probably working for peace.
(…)
Sir David Maxwell Fyfe (Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the UK):
(...) Göring never told you that, at the time you were being sent to London, all that was wanted was to eliminate British intervention?
Dahlerus: Not at all.
(…)
Sir David Maxwell Fyfe: Did you say “I then realised that it was on 26 September, that [Göring's] aim had been to split Poland and Great Britain and to occupy Poland with the consent of Great Britain?”
Dahlerus: Yes, it is correct, but I should like to say it was the German Government, including Göring.
In the end, Dahlerus’ testimony buried “Nazi No 2” even deeper. During the interrogation, it was revealed that Göring’s intention was not to prevent the war but to make Britain stay out of the conflict between Germany and Poland.
Source:
Sergei Miroshnichenko, “Transcript of the Nuremberg Trials”, Volume VIII
