Paul+von+Hindenberg

Paul von Hindenberg(1847-1934) was a German Field Marshal and President. He was born into a noble military family and served well but not exceptionally through Austro-Prussian war and the Franco-Purssian war. He was one of two military dictators, along with Ludendorff, during World War 1 and was later elected president of the Weimar Republic despite his support of monarchists. Under pressure from Papen and Schleicher he appointed Hitler chancellor and died shortly thereafter. Hindenberg was strongly influenced by Papen and Schleicher. Despite appointing Hitler as chancellor, Hindenberg deeply despised him. Hindenberg simply did not have the the health, time, determination and support of the German citizens to make a strong stand against Hitler and Nazism.

Layton, Geoff. __The Third Reich 1933-1945__. Third Edition. London. Hodder-Murray 2005.