Before entering the cadet school, in 1859, 11-year-old Paul von Hindenburg, future field marshal and Reich President of Germany, wrote a "will" - in it a punctual and executive boy "bequeathed" all his toys to his brothers and sister. 75 years later, he bequeathed Germany to his successor with the same punctuality - the Fuhrer readily accepted this truly royal "gift" …
According to statistics, there were about 470 generals in Germany before the start of the First World War. If desired, it was possible to form a "general's battalion", although Paul von Hindenburg was hardly in command. And not because he was talentless or stupid, not at all. But until 1914, Hindenburg, although he rose to the rank of general, was not noted for anything outstanding. Let's just say he was a mediocre general, inconspicuous.
There is such a profession
Although, in terms of its qualities and genealogy, Hindenburg could well claim to great positions: he belonged to the famous family of Benekendorf-Hindenburgs, which dates back to the 13th century and won their main victories in wars against the Slavs. It just so happened that their distant descendant also gained the greatest victories in the wars against the Slavs, in particular against the Russian army in 1914-1917.
Born on October 2, 1847, into the family of the Prussian aristocrat Robert von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, who also linked his life with the army, Paul had virtually no choice. Behind him stood a whole column of ancestors, hung with weapons, they came to him in childhood dreams, in the stories of his father and relatives, so entering the cadet school was a completely natural step for this timid and sickly boy. But already in the last years of the school, Paul received the position of head of the premises. In the cadet school, the most authoritative, successful and physically strong cadets were appointed senior! That's what perseverance and work mean!
In 1866, he joined the Guards Regiment with the rank of lieutenant. In this rank, Paul took part in two glorious military campaigns for the Germans: the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Undoubtedly, these wars left a big imprint on the future fate of the young man.
Then there was a knurled one - positions, titles, admission to the military academy in 1873, staff work, again command - a company, a division, a corps. True, there was also a family in which Gertrude von Sperling, who also belonged to a noble family, bore him three children - two daughters and a son, Oskar, the father's favorite, who later was to play a very unenviable role in Paul's life. But in 1911, when Paul von Hindenburg retired, it seemed like an end to his career.
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As it turned out, after 64 years, life is just beginning …
Trumpet sound for a regimental horse
In the summer of 1914, the First World War began. The thunder of battle affected the old general like the sound of a trumpet to an old regimental horse.
As early as 12 August 1914, Hindenburg sent a letter to Quartermaster General Stein: “Think, my friend, maybe somewhere in the course of events a commander will be needed! I am absolutely fresh physically and spiritually …"
The command heard an impassioned appeal. And since things were going badly for the Germans, especially on the Eastern Front, Hindenburg was appointed commander of the 8th Army. Erich Ludendorff became the chief of staff of his army. This general, as many believe, was at that time the best headquarters officer in Europe. He devised an operation against General Samsonov's army, which resulted in it being defeated at Tannenberg, and against Rennenkampf's army, which led to huge losses in the Battle of the Masurian Lakes. From that moment on, the star of Hindenburg shone brightly in the military sky, although the lion's share of the success belonged to Ludendorff. The Russian army was driven out of East Prussia, Ginderburg received the rank of field marshal and became a symbol of victories. Soon he was appointed commander of the Eastern Front, although, as many note, the military talents of this commander were overstated. After all, two subsequent offensives in Poland - the Warsaw-Ivangorod operation and the Lodz operation - ended unsuccessfully for the Germans: the Russian army was able to repulse both. Although in February 1915, Hindenburg defeated the 10th Russian army of General Thaddeus Sievers, encircling and capturing part of it in the Augustow forests, and after some time confirmed his reputation as an excellent strategist with the victorious Gorlitsky operation.
In view of these remarkable victories, the German command appointed Paul von Hindenburg chief of the field General Staff, and Ludendorff as 1st Quartermaster General. In fact, for this period, Hindenburg and Ludendorff were the main ones in the entire German army. They pushed aside Kaiser Wilhelm II, who was incapable of making decisions, from decision-making, and this period of the domination of the Hindenburg-Ludendorff tandem in Germany was called a "silent dictatorship."
By the summer of 1918, Germany was exhausted. Even the fact that victory was actually won on the Eastern Front did not help - a revolution took place in Russia, and the Germans concluded the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, which was very beneficial for Germany, with the Bolshevik government. However, the situation on the Western Front was critical, hunger and devastation reigned in the country, and the generals were forced to admit that the war was lost.
The monarchy fell, Kaiser Wilhelm abdicated power, and the defeated Hindenburg had no choice but to resign again. However, he still managed to leave beautifully: the blame for the defeat was laid on the Kaiser, on Ludendorff, on the socialists who destroyed the empire, and on everyone else. All, except for the important, taciturn, mustachioed warrior, whom one of the biographers called the "wooden titan" and who was allegedly "framed" by all kinds of traitors.
Another take off
But only seven years passed, and the ghost of Hindenburg reappeared in the sky. Died President of the Weimar Republic - Social Democrat Friedrich Ebert. The people did not want to see another socialist (such was the left-wing nominee Wilhelm Marx) in this position, and a delegation was sent to Hindenburg, which persuaded the 78-year-old field marshal to run for the top post. He agreed. The elections were successful, and whoever bore the main blame for the defeat in the First World War was elected Reich President of Germany.
As usual, the field marshal began his reign "for health." Until the early 1930s, he almost did not interfere in politics, but with his authority he supported the stability of the republic. We can say that the president has acted all these years under the slogan "Revival of the Fatherland", trying in any way to overcome the negative consequences of the Versailles Treaty. It can be assumed that he secretly sympathized with the Nazis, who also dreamed of the revival of the fatherland, but under a different "sauce". No wonder Hindenburg was the chairman of the pro-fascist organization "Steel Helmet". Although Hitler himself, as contemporaries said, he despised, calling him "Bohemian corporal", and in one of the conversations he said that "a painter should not be put in the Bismarck's chair."
In 1932, he again put forward his candidacy in the elections. And he won again. This time, the main rival in the elections was the head of the Nazis, Adolf Hitler: Hindenburg got 53% of the vote, and Hitler - 36%.
According to one version, Hindenburg was categorically against appointing Hitler as Reich Chancellor. However, his son Oscar played a decisive role. According to one of the versions, shortly before that Oscar received a large sum of money as so-called "eastern subsidies" (the government allocated them to large landowners of Prussia to revive the economy) and spent it on entertainment. According to the second, Hindenburg assigned his Neudeck estate to his son in order not to pay a large tax, which Hitler learned about. The Nazi leader threatened the Hindenburgs with a parliamentary investigation, and the president had no choice but to buy off Hitler with the post of Reich Chancellor.
On August 2, 1934, the 86-year-old president passed away. Hitler again used his authority to his advantage - he published a will, which ended with the following words: "My Chancellor Adolf Hitler and his movement allowed the German people to take a historic decisive step towards inner unity, rising above all class differences and differences in social conditions." …
Then it was established that the elderly president wrote the will under the dictation of the Fuhrer.
But it was too late: the people believed in the new leader.
Dmitry Kupriyanov
