A politician on the peak of his career suddenly sees himself in the middle of not one or two, but five different crisis, that demand a fitting response and a well planned crisis management strategy. While focusing on ethos and its development, the following paper analyses the communicative strategies used by Germany's ex-minister of defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Within his one and a half year tenure he had to handle continuing accusations against policy and character. Guttenberg, who in many eyes was seen as Germany's most popular politician and whose ethos, therefore, prior to the first crisis could be described as strong, is loosing his trustworthiness among the military and other politicians the longer each crisis continues.

The purpose of this study is to identify the communicative pattern of Mr. Guttenberg, which in the end lead to his resignation, while his popularity continues to be strong. With theories like Benoits apologia strategies, Bitzers rhetorical situation and Ryans kategoria and apologia speechset, the analysis of articles of the German mass medium ”Bildzeitung”, clearly mirrors Guttenberg’s tendency to react offended to personal accusations. While being able to handle accusations against his policy, this continuing communicative mistake provides an opportunity for his critics.