Mini Cold War Over Nazi Hess

After Deputy Fuehrer Rudolf Hess flew to Britain on May 10, 1941 to negotiate an apparently unbacked peace with Britain, he was captured and held in prison as a POW. Sentenced to life imprisonment at the Nuremberg Trials, Hess spent the rest of his life in Spandau prison. From 1966 to his supposed suicide at age 93 in 1987, Hess was the only prisoner of Spandau.

According to The Independent, recently released documents from the British National Archives in Kew reveal conflicts over the treatment of Hess during his stay in Spandau. Apparently while the British wanted to ease Hess's stay in prison and even suggested releasing him on his 80th birthday, the Soviets wanted Hess to "drink his retribution to the bottom of the cup." This extreme sentiment against Hess stemmed from the belief that Hess had tried to make peace with Britain so that Nazi Germany could safely attack the Soviet Union. The Independent has more specifics about this mini Cold War over Hess.