, ▁H ess ▁asked ▁Hitler ▁to ▁be ▁allowed ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁as ▁a ▁pilot , ▁but ▁Hitler ▁forb ade ▁it , ▁and ▁ordered ▁him ▁to ▁stop ▁flying ▁for ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁H ess ▁convinced ▁him ▁to ▁reduce ▁the ▁ban ▁to ▁one ▁year . ▁ ▁Att empt ed ▁peace ▁mission ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁war ▁progress ed , ▁Hitler ' s ▁attention ▁became ▁focused ▁on ▁foreign ▁affairs ▁and ▁the ▁conduct ▁of ▁the ▁war . ▁H ess , ▁who ▁was ▁not ▁directly ▁engaged ▁in ▁these ▁endeav ours , ▁became ▁increasing ly ▁s idel ined ▁from ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁the ▁nation ▁and ▁from ▁Hitler ' s ▁attention ; ▁B orm ann ▁had ▁successfully ▁supp l anted ▁H ess ▁in ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁duties ▁and ▁us ur ped ▁his ▁position ▁at ▁Hitler ' s ▁side . ▁Also ▁concerned ▁that ▁Germany ▁would ▁face ▁a ▁war ▁on ▁two ▁front s ▁as ▁plans ▁progress ed ▁for ▁Operation ▁Bar bar ossa , ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁scheduled ▁to ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁H ess ▁decided ▁to ▁attempt ▁to ▁bring ▁Britain ▁to ▁the ▁negoti ating ▁table ▁by ▁trav elling ▁there ▁himself ▁to ▁seek ▁meet ings ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁government . ▁He ▁asked ▁the ▁advice ▁of ▁Al bre cht ▁Haus ho fer , ▁who ▁suggested ▁several ▁potential ▁contacts ▁in ▁Britain . ▁H ess ▁settled ▁on ▁fellow ▁av i ator ▁Douglas ▁Douglas - H amilton , ▁the ▁Duke ▁of ▁Hamilton , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁never ▁met . ▁On ▁H ess ' s