Mr.Devitt 🌻🇺🇦

What is the point of history if not to help us understand today? 80 years ago, in the early hours of this morning in Europe, ten of Herman Goring's fellow senior Nazis were executed at Nuremberg. Goring committed suicide, escaping the hangman's noose. The Nuremberg executions set an important precedent that has not been universally upheld: state officials and military leaders can be convicted and executed for war crimes. Waging aggressive war, invading another country, is illegal under international law - a "crime against peace." Why did Hitler and the Nazis come to power? What lessons can we learn for today? Here are Goring's own reasons for the rise of Nazism and Hitler, with lessons for today. 1. Fear and Patriotism Silence Opposition Göring’s view: Leaders can always make people do their bidding by telling them they are under attack. The lesson today: Beware of leaders who use fear, foreign threats, or manufactured crises to force unity and silence critics. 2. Desperation Destroys Democracies Göring’s view: Germany’s post-WWI economic collapse and humiliation made the public crave a radical savior. The lesson today: Extreme economic hardship and social chaos make societies highly vulnerable to authoritarian promises. 3. Mainstream Enablers Provide Legitimacy Göring’s view: As an aristocrat, Göring personally introduced Hitler to wealthy elites and military leaders who funded and legitimized the Nazi movement. The lesson today: Radical movements succeed when mainstream political and financial elites tolerate or partner with them for short-term gain. 4. Institutions Can Be Weaponized from Within Göring’s view: Once inside the government, Göring rapidly took over the police forces, created the Gestapo, and legally dismantled democracy. The lesson today: Democratic systems are fragile and can easily be destroyed by leaders who use the law to crush political rivals.