Hess is back in the news as the various conspiracy theories begin to emerge. It’s interesting that at first, the Nazis called Hess “demented” and then changed their tune that he was an “angel of peace.” The Brits at first thought he was on an honest peace mission but the hints in the article are that they are now seeing him as demented.
Demented as Hess was, to some extent he was less demented than Hitler. Hess knew of the plans for Barbarossa, and knew that it was insane to take on the USSR while Britain was still an enemy. Had his mission succeeded (which is the most extreme hypothetical; it actually had no chance of success), Hitler would have had a free hand to take on the USSR.
Hess has also become a lasting bone of contention between Churchill and Stalin. Stalin will always suspect the British are double-dealing against him and with the Nazis because of the Hess mission. He knows full well that a peace brokered between Germany and Britain can only have one purpose; for Hitler to turn on him. The funny thing is at this time, Stalin is directing his ire at the British and not listening to their warnings about Barbarossa, and he is not suspicious of Hitler, the one man in the world whom nobody should trust.
Maybe Stalin figured he was the only man in the world whom nobody should trust.