Key Figures Flashcards
Field Marshal Hindenburg
(1847-1934) he was an aristocratic landowner and defeated a large Russian army at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1915. He was a war hero and blamed the politicians who took power after the Kaiser’s abdication for Germany’s defeat in 1918.
General Ludendorff
(1865-1937) was a key figure in the German victories against the Russian army. He joined Hindenburg in 1916 in engineering the overthrow of the Chancellor von Bethmann-Hollweg.
Kaiser Wilhelm II
Autocratic leader, forced to abdicate on Nov 9th 1918 and cousins with Tsar Nicholas II and King George V of England.
Gustav Noske
1868-1946. Journalist and leading member of SDP. Played a key role in 1918 in persuading the mutinying Kiel soldiers to end their revolt. Appointed Minister of Defence in republican gvt. Responsible for using army and Freikorps to suppress Spartacist revolt. Forced to resign as MoD due to failure of Kapp Putsch.
General Walther Von Luttwitz
1859-1942. Army general. Appointed Commander-in-chief of army in 1919. In charge of the Freikorps. Became driving force of Kapp Putsch. Opposed ToV. Escaped to Hungary but returned to Germany in 1924 after being granted an amnesty after failure of putsch.
Wolfgang Kapp.
1868-1922. Worked as a civil servant and trained in law. Right wing and co-founded the Fatherland party in 1917. Monarchist and elected to Reichstag for nationalist DNVP in 1919. Attempted a putsch in 1920 and tried to be chancellor. Fled to Sweden after failure. Died in 1922 after returning to Germany in Leipzig whilst awaiting a trial.
Karl Liebknecht
1871-1919. His father was founding member of SPD in 1875. A committed Marxist and adopted a strong anti-war position in 1914 and continued to agitate against the war this being arrested in 1916. Released in Nov 1918. Resumed political activities as one of the leading figures in Spartacist League. During Spartacist uprising in Jan 1919, he was captured by Freikorps, tortured and shot in the back.
Rosa Luxemburg
1871-1919. Long career in revolutionary politics in Russia and Germany. Involved in 1905 Russian Revolution. imprisoned in 1916 fro involvement in anti-war agitation. Released in Nov 1918 under an amnesty for political prisoners. Leading figure in Spartacist league. During uprising in Jan 1919, captured by Freikorps, beaten and shot.
Hugo Haase
1863-1919. Jewish lawyer. Leading figure in SPD before 1914. Anti-war view alienated him from the majority of the war. In 1917 he took a leading role in forming the breakaway USPD. During Nov 1918 revolution, he joined with the majority SPD in setting up a new gvt. Resigned in Dec in protest at armed suppression at a sailor’s revolt in Berlin.
Matthias Erzberger
1875-1921. Entered the Reichstag as deputy for the Centre Party in 1903. Supported the Peace Revolution of 1917 and became a member of Prince Max’s gvt in 1918. Led german delegation to sign the armistice and signes ToV on behalf of german gvt in 1919. Reich finance minister from June 1919 to March 1920. Carried out a major major reform of German taxation system. Subject to frequent attacks in Conservative press and a prime target for assassination.
Walther Rathenau
1867-1922. Physicist and chemist by training and head of AEG electricals. Entered politics as a liberal. 1919 = joined DDP, became Minister of Reconstruction in 1921, foreign minister in 1922. Recommended fulfilment of ToV. Assassinated June 24 1922 by 4 members of Organisation Consul
Gustav Stresemann
1879-1929. Leader of DVP. Monarchist at heart. Worked with republic parties in WR. Became chancellor in Gran Coalition of 1923. Responsible for introduction of new currency (Rentenmark). Forced to step down as Chancellor in Nov. Continued to serve as foreign minister from 1923 until his death.
Gustav Ritter von Kahr
1862-1934. RW conservative politician, Minister President (1920-21) of RW gvt in Bavaria. Stepped down after disagreements with Reich gvt. In 1923, appointed state-commissioner General and given wide powers by the munich gvt. Favoured strong Bavarian state with own monarchy and hoped to use the Nazi Party to this end. Unwilling participant of Munich Putsch of Nov 1923. Murdered in 1934 during Hitler’s ‘Night of the Long Knives’.
Adolf Hitler
1889-?. Born in Austria. Outraged by signing of armistice in Nov 1918. Sent to investigate a small, RW political group - German Workers’ Party. Set up in 1919 by Anton Drexler. Combined socialist ideas with nationalism. Hitler joined and became its most effective orator. 1920 = party changed to National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). Hitler was the undisputed leader. Ultra-nationalist groups in Munich.
Otto von Lossow
1868-1938. Commander of Reichswehr in Bavaria. Staunch Conservative. Favoured strong national state. Refused to obey orders from Reichswehr Ministry in Berlin. Obeyed instructions from von Kahr. Plotting to establish a new regime in Berlin. Ready to be patient unlike Hitler.
