Show g Served Reich In Two Great Conflicts Conflicts's s 's t Marshal Left Retirement to r. r e at l' l Field f Guide Germany Through Chaos I By Associated puss Press Paul von VOll Hindenburg to Germans OlDer Der Alte Alte- Alte or grand and old nan man and to the thc rest of the world a rocklike bulwark of German union the brink tottered on f force for stability when the postwar republic civil war and dismemberment merging Emerging from retirement after a Hilary career that spanned more morein moren in n an ad ordinary lifetime and two of the great wars of history I f undertook the duties o of pr president the the e reich reich when he was nearing theof the thee I Ie his full full- term of e of 78 76 served yen ven n years cars and md then won reelect reelection on second term April 1932 for lor a 3 of Greeted first as a forerunner monarchy he c craved of the raved o a staunch did to preserve e a and accepted the vir- vir virY Y 1 e Hitler in t dIctatorship c of Adolf Adolt 13 3 only wh when n the German people vied led for centralization ot of power His two terms saw nw the decline ol or he social democrats democrat democracy who led by bYI Ebert first first president set leti ithe F th the republic the rise and decline under the nd r the late Gustav esemann esemann and HeinrIch Bruening nd rid the boiling up of nationalism rom ram which emerged the nazis of Hit Hit- cr r They were years of agitation to f v fierce clashes clashe between trained i units of ot the various political arties of or government by decree 01 of after ent elections as cabinet abinet fell felt j 1 Deeply Honored Germany burdened by World war ons gro groaning ning under an in Inv load of oC taxation and anden andlen re heavy en ten sorely stricken strick n by the world world- ide economic crisis of 1929 served Nerved several timer time toward chaos ut the thc willed iron octogenarian who eld the presidency applied the line adaptability and fatherly re- re that had made him be be- Iv wed ved d by the nation in World war ays and his contemporaries te li ed d did more than an any other one to hold together the naThe na na- on od The twelve months beginning with 1931 were especially crill LL LIt ita At the start it Vas proposed to ake Von Van Hindenburg president for forre re re e. e but bul the aged executive put it ide Contending political factions pt ept the country in a ferment and at ate se e stage Von Hindenburg was ready resign Bruening Catholic centrist us lIS chancellor and in October the resident demanded that he e ethe the government on rightist lines on en Hindenburg had his first talk Ulf lith th Hitler at this this' time and learned l at Fat t the national socialist leader want want- or nothing f Wins Win Cornered Four Election Electon Von Hindenburg opened 1932 with New Years Year's appeal for d disarmament nd world peace He He urged his coun coun- d dif dif- C- C to settle their domestic but on February 15 when announced his willingness s to run term tear he said he was un un- mak fg the task in order to avert foil vil war H He had three opponents in the elec- elec O HiUer as candidate of the na na- orial onal socialists Theodore Duester Duester- erg rr representing the nationalists communist Hindenburg cm-Hindenburg n led the field in hi the ret rat balloting failing ailing to gain ain a ma ma- rity rHy by less less' than a half halt of 1 per nt int In the runoff on April 10 he Hitler by nearly tes On May 30 Von Hindenburg forced of Bruening's cabinet and med Franz von van chancellor national parliamentary showed Hitlerism gaining but in August Von Hinden Hinden- refused to give the chancellor chancellor- lip nip to the nazi nad leader and the latter a post as vice chancellor Hitler Obtains Hitler Power Von gave way way in Kurt von on Schleicher who I t a rigid regime but in the follow follow- t g February he asked the president dissolve the reichstag and met so ern a ret refusal al that he resigned Two lys tys later Hitler was named but with on as ns vice Ice chancellor I Within the next five fie months month mont the passed under control of the azic gave Hitler dictatorial powers I id ld dissolved itself state governments ere superseded by federal adminis adminis- tors nazi mayors were ousted posing parties parti s dissolved and thou thou- of ot political al opponents of the reme reme re reo me were rere interned In prison camps racialism and iU communism were vete out wed and such restrictions placed d dOn non oon Jews that tha worldwide protests protest vaulted suited It wa was a i complete political on and ald Von Van Hindenburg went along Uh Ith it It but only as his hi position as u e head of at the state slate demanded a oo the people he still was the sym sym- I ol al of German national destiny that tha fI e had been in World war days I Ire Jle Ie had been present as a young oun dicer leer of Prussia when whim Bismarck Bismarck leer pro pro- lamed me the German empire at V Ver r lilies in n 1871 71 He had gone steadily steadily head m In the inc old oia imperial army and ched the age of ot retirement when ie e was called from tram his hig life me of ease case t Hanover to stem lh the Russian in Inv sion ion of East Prussia in 1914 Savior of 01 Germany Hindenberg won the battle of ot Tannberg Tan Tan- in that thal year His victor victory ought Bought him th title Savior ot of the therland and a field marshals marshal's ton iton From tom rom that time on Von Van Hindenburg to be bea a living H refutation of at fe 1 fallacy that a man is too old at atlie lie ie e rose to the supreme command the German Germani armies umes during the ther r hostilities Id w r war and and with the conclusion once more apparently Ith h his life life's work ended sought the lusion t to which he felt he was en- en ed ix x years sars later another emergency ed the future o of f Germany German ieh ich int in the he meantime had nad become a at The death of Friederich rt t first president of the re republic ed sed grave C concern among the p pro- pro en of that form of gov govy l y Y as 5 well as the co conservatives Ived with consternation the an cement that Von rg consented to run for lor pre president s lie IC e old warrior upon taking office Ill n a 3 short hort time thereafter not r convinced the skeptical that their i were tre groundless s. s but proved a disappointment to the monarchists and die Aa At President von on Hindenburg he was the type of man who appealed to patriotic Germans by reason of their belief beliet that he embodied all the thes s stern t e ern r n Germanic virtues virile strength combined with an unswerving 10 ing devotion to 0 duty duly and great creat singleness sin gleness of purpose Il U was wa said ol of him that thal no not since th the days day of at Bismarck Bismarck Bis marck marek the Iron Iren Chancellor had I there been in German erman public life lite a I personality so popular respected and dominating Paul Ludwig Hans Han Anton von Ben- Ben und and von Hindenberg w was s. s born at Posen formerly In Prussia now Poznan in Poland October 2 1847 the son of a Prussian army officer officer of of- and of a family most of who whose e esons sons had for tor over years adopted a military career Young Paul went to the army as asa asa a 1 matter of or course and when at 32 he received d his commission as a captain cap cap- tain on the general staff he married Gertrud von van Sperling a girl of 18 The union was a happy one the youthful youth youth- ful bride becoming an an ideal officers officer's Wife She died in 1921 A son Oscar and two twe daughters Irmengard and Annemarie were born to them Oscar also entered the arm army and both daughters married officers President von was wai a I grandfather many times Umea over |