President Paul von Hindenburg

Who was Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg?

Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg was an important German military figure in the First World War and was elected the second president of the Weimar Republic.

When was Field Marshal Hindenburg important?

Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg was important from 1914 to 1934.

What was role of Field Marshal Hindenburg in the First World War?

Field Marshal Hindenburg had 4 key roles during the First World War:

• ❖ Field Marshal Hindenburg commanded the German armies on the Eastern Front with his friend and second in command, General Ludendorff.
• ❖ By the end of the war, he commanded the entire Imperial German Army and those of the other Central Powers.
• ❖ He ruled Germany as part of a military dictatorship until October 1918.
• ❖ It was Hindenburg who told the kaiser that the German Army would not continue to fight in October 1918.

What was the significance of Field Marshal Hindenburg in the First World War?

Field Marshal Hindenburg was significant for 2 key reasons during the war:

• ❖ He became the hero of Tannenberg, saving Germany from defeat in 1914.
• ❖ Along with General Ludendorff, it was his policies that would lead Germany to defeat in 1918, especially his support for unrestricted submarine warfare.

What was significance of Field Marshal Hindenburg in the Weimar Republic?

Paul von Hindenburg played a significant role in the Weimar Republic for 6 key reasons:

• ❖ He became the commander of the Germany army in 1916 and was in charge when Germany surrendered in November 1918. He allowed General von Ludendorff to take the blame for the defeat.
• ❖ He was elected president of the Weimar Republic in April 1925.
• ❖ Hitler opposed him in the presidential elections in March and April 1932 and lost.
• ❖ Hindenburg is best known for attempting to block Hitler from becoming the chancellor of Weimar Germany.
• ❖ However, he was persuaded by Franz von Papen to appoint Hitler as chancellor on 30th January, 1933 and thus aided the collapse of the Weimar Republic.
• ❖ His death in 1934 was a key event in Hitler's creation of a dictatorship as Hitler merged the role of chancellor and president into one: the Führer.

When did Paul von Hindenburg die?

President Paul von Hindenburg died on 2nd August, 1934.