Paul von Hindenburg

Paul von Hindenburg World War One

Paul von Hindenburg was from a Prussian noble family. He joined the army when he was young and became a career soldier. He earned fame and respect during World War One for his service. In particular, his defeat of the Russians at the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 made him a virtual celebrity in the eyes of the German people.

Fig. 1 - Paul von Hindenburg

He was so popular a 12-meter-tall statue of him was built in Berlin to commemorate the first anniversary of the battle. His personality as a war hero made him a popular figure in a divided Germany after its defeat in World War One.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff Military Dictatorship

In 1916, Hindenburg and his fellow General Erich von Ludendorff were appointed as Chiefs of the General Staff. This was a very significant position - the General Staff dictated all German military operations. They gradually gained more and more power, being able to influence all areas of government policy, not just the military. The power that Ludendorff and Hindenburg held has been called a 'silent dictatorship' since they had a large degree of control over most areas of government.

Fig. 3 - Photograph of the German General, Erich Ludendorff.

They did not face much opposition from the people; in fact, due to the support for the military amongst the German people, they became quite popular.

However, towards the end of the war, the German Parliament began to gain more power, and Ludendorff and Hindenburg were left out of key processes like the Reichstag's plan for peace and the appointment of a new chancellor. This growth of Parliament's power meant that the Ludendorff-Hindenburg dictatorship could not survive the end of the First World War. Instead, democracy reigned, and the Weimar Republic was created, contrary to Hindenburg's ideology and wishes.

Fig. 4 - Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff.

President Hindenburg

The first president of the Weimar Republic, Fredrich Ebert, died at the age of 54 on 28 February 1925, a few months before his term as President was due to expire. The political right in Germany sought a candidate with the strongest popular appeal, and Paul Von Hindenburg stepped up to the plate.

Hindenburg became the second President of the Weimar Republic on 12 May 1925. The election of Hindenburg gave the new Republic a badly needed seal of respectability. In particular, he was very appealing to the German people who preferred a military leader to a civil servant.

Hindenburg was a German World War I military commander who had risen to the high-ranking position of Field Marshal in November 1914. He was a national hero who had taken credit for driving Russian forces from East Prussia and eventually usurped the Kaiser in popularity and notoriety. For the German people, who had felt humiliated by the end of World War One and betrayed by the civilian politicians of the Weimar Government, Hindenburg represented the old power and dignity of Germany that they longed to see again.

President Hindenburg and Adolf Hitler

Hindenburg's Presidency was marked by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi party's rise to power. Initially, Hindenburg, like a lot of German politicians, did not take Hitler or the Nazi party that seriously. They did not think he had a chance of gaining any real power.

However, by 1932 it was clear that was not the case. In the election of July 1932, the Nazi party won 37% of the vote, making them the largest party in the Reichstag (the German Parliament). Hindenburg, who by this time had been elected for his second term as President, soon realised that he would have to deal with Hitler.

Though Hindenburg was an ultra-conservative on the right, he did not agree with Hitler's methods. He sympathised with Hitler's desire to restore Germany's greatness but did not approve of much of his fiery rhetoric. Nevertheless, as leader of the largest party in the Reichstag, Hitler had a lot of influence and could not be easily ignored.

Eventually, he came to the decision, heavily influenced by other politicians, that it would be safer to have Hitler inside the government where they could more easily control him. It was felt that keeping him out of the main part of the government would provoke him to more radical action and gain him more support amongst the people.

Hindenburg made Hitler Chancellor on 30 January 1930. The plan to control him from the inside failed. Hitler and the Nazi party became more popular than ever, and Hitler's influence in the government grew. Hitler used fears of the Communist revolution to pass decrees like the Reichstag Fire Decree.

Hindenburg would never see the most horrifying consequences of his decision to make Hitler Chancellor of Germany. After a short battle with lung cancer, Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934, after which Hitler combined the offices of Chancellor and President to create the title of Fuhrer.

Paul von Hindenburg Quotes

Here are some quotations from Hindenburg. What do these quotes tell us about his attitude to war? How might he have reacted if he'd lived to see the beginning of the Second World War? Would he have agreed with it or tried to stop it?

Even during his time as President, we can see Hindenburg's reluctance to approve the Weimar Republic. This reluctance would have severe consequences. It meant that though Hindenburg was appointed to bolster the Republic's stability, he in actual fact never truly supported it.

In many ways, Hitler was seen as a joker by the political elites in Germany. Despite Hindenburg's dismissive attitude, he would appoint Hitler as Chancellor just a year later.

Hindenburg's aversion to Communism would prove fatal. It gave him a common interest with Hitler and made authoritarian measures - like the Reichstag Fire Decree - seem justified in his eyes.

Paul von Hindenburg Death

Paul Von Hindenburg died on 2 August 1934 from lung cancer at the age of 86. With Hindenburg's death, the last legal obstacle to Hitler's complete takeover of power was removed. The death of the First World War hero also allowed Hitler to ditch the last vestiges of the Weimar Republic and within weeks, many state symbols had been replaced with Nazi ones.

Fig. 5 - Hindenburg's grave at St. Elizabeth's Church in Marburg, Germany.

Hindenburg had requested his wish to be buried in Hanover but was instead laid to rest at the Tannenberg Memorial. This was because of his role in the epic World War I battle where he had been instrumental in Russia's defeat.

Paul von Hindenburg Achievements

We know that Hindenburg was a popular figure in his day, but do his actions stand up to the test of time? With the benefit of hindsight, we can see that he paved the way for Hitler's rise to power, enabling fascism and the Holocaust.

In an exam, you may be asked about Hindenburg's influence on Germany's stability. Here are some factors you may want to consider, for the years 1924 to 1935:

Paul von Hindenburg Legacy

The historian Menge had a fairly positive view of Hindenburg. Her opinion assessed Hindenburg's popularity with the German people and how his image helped unify all sides of the political spectrum in Germany, making the Weimar Republic more stable during his Presidency.

The historian Clark took a very different view:

Clark was critical of Hindenburg's personality, expressing the view that he was not the faithful, steadfast hero that the German people saw him as, but rather that he was concerned too much with his image and power. He argued that Hindenburg as a manipulative man who did not do his job of upholding the Republic's values, resulting in him destabilising the Weimar Republic by allowing far-right extremism to flourish.