Anna von der Goltz
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199570324
- eISBN:
- 9780191722240
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570324.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
Hindenburg: Power, Myth, and the Rise of the Nazis investigates the various political and cultural manifestations of the myth surrounding German Chief of Staff and Reich President Paul ...
More
Hindenburg: Power, Myth, and the Rise of the Nazis investigates the various political and cultural manifestations of the myth surrounding German Chief of Staff and Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, from the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 to his death in the ‘Third Reich’ and beyond. How this little-known General, whose career to normal retirement age had provided no real foretaste of his heroic status, became a national icon and living myth, and what this phenomenon tells us about one of the most crucial periods in German history, is the subject of this book. The book charts the origins of the Hindenburg myth during the First World War, looks at how it survived the revolution, and explains why Hindenburg's name on the ballot mesmerized voters in the presidential elections of 1925 and 1932. The only two times in German history that the people could elect their head of state directly and secretly, they chose this national icon; Hindenburg even managed to defeat Hitler in 1932, making him the Nazi leader's ultimate arbiter. The book examines the complex role of the Hindenburg myth in fashioning the Führer cult, while also emphasizing its more wide-ranging appeal prior to 1933. The Hindenburg myth, in fact, caught the imagination of an exceptionally broad social and political coalition of Germans, turning it into one of the most potent forces in German politics in a period otherwise characterised by rupture and fragmentation. Crucially, it managed to survive military failures and political disappointments. As the author shows, the mythical narrative was constantly evolving, but the belief in Hindenburg's mythical qualities was more enduring than a narrow application of Weber's model of ‘charismatic authority’ — which defines projection as key — would suggest.Less
Hindenburg: Power, Myth, and the Rise of the Nazis investigates the various political and cultural manifestations of the myth surrounding German Chief of Staff and Reich President Paul von Hindenburg, from the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914 to his death in the ‘Third Reich’ and beyond. How this little-known General, whose career to normal retirement age had provided no real foretaste of his heroic status, became a national icon and living myth, and what this phenomenon tells us about one of the most crucial periods in German history, is the subject of this book. The book charts the origins of the Hindenburg myth during the First World War, looks at how it survived the revolution, and explains why Hindenburg's name on the ballot mesmerized voters in the presidential elections of 1925 and 1932. The only two times in German history that the people could elect their head of state directly and secretly, they chose this national icon; Hindenburg even managed to defeat Hitler in 1932, making him the Nazi leader's ultimate arbiter. The book examines the complex role of the Hindenburg myth in fashioning the Führer cult, while also emphasizing its more wide-ranging appeal prior to 1933. The Hindenburg myth, in fact, caught the imagination of an exceptionally broad social and political coalition of Germans, turning it into one of the most potent forces in German politics in a period otherwise characterised by rupture and fragmentation. Crucially, it managed to survive military failures and political disappointments. As the author shows, the mythical narrative was constantly evolving, but the belief in Hindenburg's mythical qualities was more enduring than a narrow application of Weber's model of ‘charismatic authority’ — which defines projection as key — would suggest.
Anna von der Goltz
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199570324
- eISBN:
- 9780191722240
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570324.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter discusses the sudden emergence of the Hindenburg myth after the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. It shows that the German population played a central role in exalting this little-known ...
More
This chapter discusses the sudden emergence of the Hindenburg myth after the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. It shows that the German population played a central role in exalting this little-known General to mythical heights from below. Once public passion had caught fire, however, the government happily stoked the flames of the cult. The chapter examines popular manifestations of the Hindenburg myth in some detail, including memorabilia and the ‘Iron Hindenburg’ nailing statue erected in central Berlin in 1915. Special attention is also given to the myth's impact on Kaiser Wilhelm II's public standing. While the Kaiser's government actively encouraged Hindenburg's popularity, his myth quickly developed its own momentum; Hindenburg started to eclipse the Kaiser in the eyes of the public, eventually undermining the monarchical idea.Less
This chapter discusses the sudden emergence of the Hindenburg myth after the Battle of Tannenberg in 1914. It shows that the German population played a central role in exalting this little-known General to mythical heights from below. Once public passion had caught fire, however, the government happily stoked the flames of the cult. The chapter examines popular manifestations of the Hindenburg myth in some detail, including memorabilia and the ‘Iron Hindenburg’ nailing statue erected in central Berlin in 1915. Special attention is also given to the myth's impact on Kaiser Wilhelm II's public standing. While the Kaiser's government actively encouraged Hindenburg's popularity, his myth quickly developed its own momentum; Hindenburg started to eclipse the Kaiser in the eyes of the public, eventually undermining the monarchical idea.
Anna von der Goltz
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199570324
- eISBN:
- 9780191722240
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199570324.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter investigates the fate of the Hindenburg myth during the Weimar Republic's ‘crisis years’. Between 1919 and 1924, right-wing anti-republicans increasingly discovered Hindenburg-worship as ...
More
This chapter investigates the fate of the Hindenburg myth during the Weimar Republic's ‘crisis years’. Between 1919 and 1924, right-wing anti-republicans increasingly discovered Hindenburg-worship as a resource of agitation against the despised ‘system’ of Weimar and the Treaty of Versailles. These years generally witnessed a regrouping and intensified mobilization of the militant Right. Hindenburg's public appearances, often accompanied by mass rallies, became increasingly politically charged. Such events provided an inconspicuous cover, not least for voicing anti-Semitic sentiments, and proved to be pivotal in the nationalization of Germany's masses. Hindenburg himself made a decisive contribution to this development by helping to popularise the stab-in-the-back legend, commemorating Tannenberg, and lending his name to other right-wing causes. The author argues that far from playing the integrative role it had done during wartime, the Hindenburg myth now helped to shift the political climate considerably to the right, intensifying the polarization of German politics already underway.Less
This chapter investigates the fate of the Hindenburg myth during the Weimar Republic's ‘crisis years’. Between 1919 and 1924, right-wing anti-republicans increasingly discovered Hindenburg-worship as a resource of agitation against the despised ‘system’ of Weimar and the Treaty of Versailles. These years generally witnessed a regrouping and intensified mobilization of the militant Right. Hindenburg's public appearances, often accompanied by mass rallies, became increasingly politically charged. Such events provided an inconspicuous cover, not least for voicing anti-Semitic sentiments, and proved to be pivotal in the nationalization of Germany's masses. Hindenburg himself made a decisive contribution to this development by helping to popularise the stab-in-the-back legend, commemorating Tannenberg, and lending his name to other right-wing causes. The author argues that far from playing the integrative role it had done during wartime, the Hindenburg myth now helped to shift the political climate considerably to the right, intensifying the polarization of German politics already underway.
Gerhard P. Gross (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780813175416
- eISBN:
- 9780813175447
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813175416.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Military History
In the collective memory, the concept of the First World War is pervaded by the trauma of the modern technologized war on the western front, whereas the events and battles on the eastern front of ...
More
In the collective memory, the concept of the First World War is pervaded by the trauma of the modern technologized war on the western front, whereas the events and battles on the eastern front of 1914–1915, other than the battle of Tannenberg, have shifted into the background. Thus, the phrase “all quiet on the eastern front” offers a succinct description of the lack of scholarly research on the first two years of the war on the German eastern front. This volume aims to correct that deficiency, presenting essays by professional historians from eight countries discussing the eastern theater of war in terms of operations, mindset, and cultural-historical issues.Less
In the collective memory, the concept of the First World War is pervaded by the trauma of the modern technologized war on the western front, whereas the events and battles on the eastern front of 1914–1915, other than the battle of Tannenberg, have shifted into the background. Thus, the phrase “all quiet on the eastern front” offers a succinct description of the lack of scholarly research on the first two years of the war on the German eastern front. This volume aims to correct that deficiency, presenting essays by professional historians from eight countries discussing the eastern theater of war in terms of operations, mindset, and cultural-historical issues.
Gerhard P. Gross
David T. Zabecki (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780813168371
- eISBN:
- 9780813168401
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813168371.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, Military History
Chapter 5 examines the breakdown of German operational thinking in the face of the harsh realities of World War I. In the first weeks of the war, Schlieffen’s and Moltke’s plans for an annihilating, ...
More
Chapter 5 examines the breakdown of German operational thinking in the face of the harsh realities of World War I. In the first weeks of the war, Schlieffen’s and Moltke’s plans for an annihilating, decisive victory on the Western front failed as the Germans were repulsed at the Battle of the Marne. For four years, the German General Staff failed to adapt to positional trench warfare, believing that the misrepresented victories of the Battle of Tannenberg and the Romania Campaign affirmed the superiority of the Schlieffen Plan’s dogmatic focus on a concentrated offensive leading to envelopment. In actuality, both of these operations revealed shortcomings in Germany’s strategy. The German Army lacked mobility, effective communication between rival commanders, and a logistical plan to support millions of troops spread across Europe. Ultimately, as American reinforcements arrived in France, the German high command resorted to stubborn, desperate attempts to break through enemy lines, split Allied forces, and force a maneuver-based war. This chapter explores the singlemindedness of German operational thinking in staking everything on a great battle for France, a battle they had lost from the beginning.Less
Chapter 5 examines the breakdown of German operational thinking in the face of the harsh realities of World War I. In the first weeks of the war, Schlieffen’s and Moltke’s plans for an annihilating, decisive victory on the Western front failed as the Germans were repulsed at the Battle of the Marne. For four years, the German General Staff failed to adapt to positional trench warfare, believing that the misrepresented victories of the Battle of Tannenberg and the Romania Campaign affirmed the superiority of the Schlieffen Plan’s dogmatic focus on a concentrated offensive leading to envelopment. In actuality, both of these operations revealed shortcomings in Germany’s strategy. The German Army lacked mobility, effective communication between rival commanders, and a logistical plan to support millions of troops spread across Europe. Ultimately, as American reinforcements arrived in France, the German high command resorted to stubborn, desperate attempts to break through enemy lines, split Allied forces, and force a maneuver-based war. This chapter explores the singlemindedness of German operational thinking in staking everything on a great battle for France, a battle they had lost from the beginning.
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- June 2013
- ISBN:
- 9781846316609
- eISBN:
- 9781846316746
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5949/UPO9781846316746.004
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
In 1924, the German government under the Weimar Republic launched a series of initiatives in memory of those who died during World War I, including an official Day of National Mourning ...
More
In 1924, the German government under the Weimar Republic launched a series of initiatives in memory of those who died during World War I, including an official Day of National Mourning (Volkstrauertag) and plans for a national war memorial. These initiatives were designed to unite the German people behind the republic, but failed to generate support among the a wide section of the population. More extreme groups, especially war veterans' associations on the political right, began to offer their own narratives that limited the ability of German Jews to participate directly in the remembrance of Germany's war dead. This chapter examines the commemorative rituals introduced by the Weimar state in the mid-to-late 1920s as well as the more exclusive set of narratives developed by war veterans' associations, first discussing the politics of remembrance during the period before turning to local memory cultures. It also considers the Tannenberg memorial and its implications for German Jews.Less
In 1924, the German government under the Weimar Republic launched a series of initiatives in memory of those who died during World War I, including an official Day of National Mourning (Volkstrauertag) and plans for a national war memorial. These initiatives were designed to unite the German people behind the republic, but failed to generate support among the a wide section of the population. More extreme groups, especially war veterans' associations on the political right, began to offer their own narratives that limited the ability of German Jews to participate directly in the remembrance of Germany's war dead. This chapter examines the commemorative rituals introduced by the Weimar state in the mid-to-late 1920s as well as the more exclusive set of narratives developed by war veterans' associations, first discussing the politics of remembrance during the period before turning to local memory cultures. It also considers the Tannenberg memorial and its implications for German Jews.
Robert Frost
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780198208693
- eISBN:
- 9780191746345
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198208693.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Early Modern History
Chapter 10 looks at the war with the Teutonic Knights declared in 1409, the consolidation of Catholicism in the Lithuanian heartland of Aukštaitija, and its effects on relations with the Teutonic ...
More
Chapter 10 looks at the war with the Teutonic Knights declared in 1409, the consolidation of Catholicism in the Lithuanian heartland of Aukštaitija, and its effects on relations with the Teutonic Order, considering the causes of the war, the role of Samogitia, and the gradual move in Polish public opinion towards support for war. It gives an account of the great Polish-Lithuanian victory at Tannenberg (Grunwald/Žalgiris) in 1410 and recounts the gradual reorientation of Vytautas’s concerns from the east to the west. It considers the nature of the Teutonic Order’s threat to Lithuania and analyses the reasons for the victory, its military and political aftermath, and its consequences, which established the union state as a major force in central and eastern European politics.Less
Chapter 10 looks at the war with the Teutonic Knights declared in 1409, the consolidation of Catholicism in the Lithuanian heartland of Aukštaitija, and its effects on relations with the Teutonic Order, considering the causes of the war, the role of Samogitia, and the gradual move in Polish public opinion towards support for war. It gives an account of the great Polish-Lithuanian victory at Tannenberg (Grunwald/Žalgiris) in 1410 and recounts the gradual reorientation of Vytautas’s concerns from the east to the west. It considers the nature of the Teutonic Order’s threat to Lithuania and analyses the reasons for the victory, its military and political aftermath, and its consequences, which established the union state as a major force in central and eastern European politics.