In a sense, Rudolf Hess was a tragic figure. For one reason or another, he thought he could broker a peace between Germany and England at the start of World War II.
The Reich had moved on Poland to get their territory back and protect the Germans that still lived in the land that was Germany until it's surrender in WWI. Besides restoring Germany's Honor, Hitler moved on Poland because while there were months upon months of negotiations, the ethnic Germans were coming under increasing violence from the Poles.
A deal was struck between the then mostly restored Reich and Poland before Germany invaded Poland but England and France, through back channels convinced Poland to re-neg on the deal. Poland backing out of their deal with Germany led to the German decision to use force. Britain and France gave assurances to Poland as military allies that they never made good on.
At the same time, The USSR was moving East. A treaty was in place between Germany and the USSR. Poland was to be divided at least two ways - three if Poles were allowed to keep some territory.
Long story short, Britain and France declared war on Germany and were BTFOed. Many Peace overtures were made by Hitler's Reich to the then Great Britain. The reason why there were none of those ebil Germans flooding into Dunkirk in the movie or in real life, no Germans flooding the beaches and capturing or as the ignorant would have it slaughtering the British was because Peace was greatly desired by The Fuhrer with Britain.
A devil named Winston Churchill wanted none of Peace. In fact, when the NSDAP first won the Reichstag in 1932/1933, he was already agitating for war.'s on tape. I have it if anyone wants it. A strong Germany would not be tolerated by him. Fortunately, many of the British were fair.
In a last-ditch effort to establish a Peace between the then two Great Powers, Rudolf Hess, Deputy Fuhrer flew, by himself to speak with those sympathetic to Peace and those with the Power to overthrow the cunting Churchill. Hess' plane did not make it to it's destination though and he was captured by Churchill's Forces.
The "Great Allies" gave Poland and much of the rest of the Eastern European World to the Satanic Despotism of Communism as Poland was just a pawn in their conquest and war of manipulative aggression. They butchered Germany. It is basically still an occupied territory.
For Hess' Efforts to make peace, he was imprisoned at least until the late 80's where then he was murdered.
Here is Rudolf Hess, Deputy Reichsfuhrer's story as told by his son, Wolf Rudiger Hess: