German Military and the Weimar Republic: General Hans von Seekt, General Erich Ludendorff and the Rise of Hitler

by Karen Schaefer

Overview

General Hans von Seekt (1866-1936) was the military counterpart of the Weimar Republic, both attempted to restore Germany's international acceptance and security following defeat in World War I and the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. And the failure of both led eventually to the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Hans von Seekt was from the traditional German officer caste, served with distinction on the war and became Chief of the Army Command at the Reichewehr Ministry of the Weimar Republic and Germany's 'supreme soldier'and major military strategist. His role was to re-build the shattered German army in face of the punitive terms of post-war settlement imposed by the victorious Entente Powers which drastically reduced its strength and imposed crippling financial conditions. He aimed to build a modern and efficient military - a new German army - with a main strategy of peaceful defence purposes, and to re-introduce Germany into the community of nations. This original and far-sighted policy was opposed by the movement seeking revenge for defeat - a 'stab in the back' - led principally by his rival, General Erich Ludendorff, whose aim was re-build the once-mighty German imperial army as a major international force. The failure of von Seekt's experiment was mirrored by the fall of the Weimar Republic, and the rise of rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781526766274
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	01/08/2024
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

Karen Schaefer is an historian specialising in German military history during and after the First World War. She is leading librarian and archivist for the Bundeswehr - Federal Germany Army - and obtained her PhD at the University of Potsdam. Her thesis, which forms the basis of the book, was supervised by Professor Beatrice Heuser of the University of Glasgow who also advised on the revision to book form.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

The End of the First World War vii

Chapter 1 Seeckt According to Existing Literature 1

The Politico-Military Situation in 1918 3

The 'Problem of Professionalism' of the Military Elite and Total War 5

The Organization of the Army and Advance in Arms Technology 9

An Army of 200,000 14

Civil-Military Relations 15

Outlook 24

Chapter 2 Military-Strategic Considerations in the Weimar Republic 30

Introduction 30

Ludendorff's Total War Theory 32

Chapter 3 Seeckt's Military Strategy 42

Introduction 42

The Concept of Strategy in Military History 42

Seeckt's concept of Strategy 43

Clausewitz - Bismarck - Moltke - Seeckt 49

Civil-Military Cooperation 53

Realpolitik and Crisis Prevention 66

Mass and Technology 76

The Professional Army 88

Tactical and Operational Training 94

The Passive Electoral Rights and Political Activities of Soldiers 112

Further Focal Points of the Military Strategy 117

The People 117

Competition in Armament - Disarmament - Balance of Armament 119

A Balance of Armament through International Negotiations and Alliance Policy 126

The Geographic and Geopolitical Positions 130

Commerce 131

Post-War Economic Systems and Ideology 133

The Right of Self-Defence 135

Germany's Foreign Policy during the 1923 Ruhr Crisis 136

Seeckt's Orientation towards the East and his Policy of Alliance with the USSR 142

Military Cooperation with the Red Army 148

Chapter 4 Factional Dispute over Military Strategy at the Reichswehr Ministry 157

Introduction 157

Joachim von Stülpnagel and the Ruhr Crisis in 1923 157

Stülpnagel's Concept of a People's War 160

Synopsis 171

Chapter 5 Seeckt's Political Programme in 1923/24 179

Introduction 179

The Holder of the Executive Power in Specialist Literature 179

Civil-Military Cooperation during the State of Emergency 181

Seeckt's Political Programme in the Years 1923/24 185

Chapter 6 Conclusion 192

Abbreviations 204

Bibliography 205

Notes 232

Index 273