Back Paul von Hindenburg ALS باول فون هيندنبورغ Arabic پول فون هيندنبورج ARZ Paul von Hindenburg AST Paul fon Hindenburq Azerbaijani Паўль фон Гіндэнбург Byelorussian Паўль фон Гіндэнбург BE-X-OLD Паул фон Хинденбург Bulgarian Paul von Hindenburg Breton Paul von Hindenburg BS
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Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (pronounced [ˈpaʊl ˈluːtvɪç hans ˈantoːn fɔn ˈbɛnəkn̩dɔʁf ʔʊnt fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊʁk] ; abbreviated pronounced [ˈpaʊl fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊʁk] ; 2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German military officer and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I.[1] He became president of Germany from 1925 until his death. He played a key role in the Nazi seizure of power in 1933 when, under pressure from advisers, he appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor of Germany.[1]
Hindenburg was born to a family of minor Prussian nobility in Posen. Upon completing his education as a cadet, he enlisted in the Third Regiment of Foot Guards as a second lieutenant. He saw combat during the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian wars. In 1873, he was admitted to the prestigious Kriegsakademie in Berlin, where he studied before being appointed to the General Staff Corps. In 1885, he was promoted to major and became a member of the German General Staff. After teaching at the Kriegsakademie, Hindenburg rose to become a lieutenant general by 1900. Around the time of his promotion to General of the Infantry in 1905, Count Alfred von Schlieffen recommended Hindenburg succeed him as Chief of the Great General Staff, but the post went to Helmuth von Moltke in 1906. In 1911, Hindenburg retired.
After World War I began in 1914, Hindenburg was recalled and achieved fame on the Eastern Front as victor of Tannenberg. He oversaw crushing victories against the Russians that made him a national hero and center of a personality cult. By 1916, his popularity had risen to the point he replaced General Erich von Falkenhayn as Chief of the Great General Staff.[2] He and General Erich Ludendorff exploited Emperor Wilhelm II's delegation of power to the Supreme Army Command, to establish a de facto military dictatorship. Under their leadership, Germany secured Russia's defeat and achieved the most advances on the Western Front since the conflict's outbreak. However, improvements in Germany's fortunes were reversed, after its Army was decisively defeated in the Second Battle of the Marne and the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive. Upon the armistice, Hindenburg stepped down as commander-in-chief and retired again in 1919.
In 1925, Hindenburg returned to public life to become the second elected president of the German Weimar Republic. Opposed to Hitler and his Nazi Party, Hindenburg nonetheless played a major role in the instability that resulted in their rise to power. After twice dissolving the Reichstag in 1932, Hindenburg agreed in January 1933 to appoint Hitler as chancellor in coalition with the Deutschnationale Volkspartei. In response to the February 1933 Reichstag fire, Hindenburg approved the Reichstag Fire Decree, which suspended various civil liberties. He signed the Enabling Act of 1933, which gave the Nazi regime emergency powers. After Hindenburg died the following year, Hitler combined the presidency with chancellor, and declared himself Führer (lit. 'Leader') and transformed Germany into a totalitarian state.
- ^ a b Dorpalen, Andreas (16 February 2024). "Paul von Hindenburg". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 8 March 2023.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1922). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 31 (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company. pp. 370–371.