1 - Key People Flashcards
Prince Max of Baden (1867-1929)
a member of the royal house of the Grand Duchy of Baden and a former army officer, in 1914 he became President of the Baden section of the German Red Cross, working to improve conditions for prisoners of war, this humanitarian work earned him widespread respect
Friedrich Ebert (1871-1925)
became active in the SPD and was elected to the Reichstag in 1912, a year later he rose to become President of the party, led the party into supporting German entry into WW1 and expelled the anti-war faction from the party in 1917, became first Chancellor in new German Republic in November 1918 and its first President in 1919
General Wilhelm Groener (1867-1939)
came from Wurttemberg and had had a long and distinguished military career, during WW1 he distinguished himself as an efficient army administrator through his work organising the deployment of troops and ensuring the continuity of vital supplies, served on Western and Eastern fronts, after the dismissal of General Ludendorff, Groener succeeded him as Quartermaster General and Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Philipp Scheidemann (1865-1939)
popular long-standing member of SPD having first joined in 1883, became Reichstag deputy in 1903, although he supported Germany’s entry into the war he was in favour of a negotiated peace, announced birth of new republic (9th Nov 1918) before Kaiser had abdicated, Chancellor of first coalition government in New Republic from Feb to Jun 1919 when he resigned in protest to the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty
Otto von Bismarck (1815-98)
Minister-President of Prussia from 1862 to 1871 who led his state through three wars (against Denmark, Austria, and France) which resulted in the unification of Germany under Prussian domination, continued to serve as Chancellor in new German Empire from 1871 to 1890
Hans von Seeckt (1886-1936)
career soldier who was in charge of German forces in East Prussia at the end of the war, member of German delegation to Versailles and appointed head of Truppenamt (‘troop office’) which replaced the forbidden army general staff, became Commander of Reichswehr (army) from 1920, key in disbanding Freikorps units, under his command from 1920 to 1926 the army became a privileged elite beyond accountability
