Paul Von Hindenburg
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg, known simply as Paul von Hindenburg was a German field marshal and the final president of the Weimar Republic.
History
Early life and military career
Paul von Hindenburg was born in 1847 to aristocratic parents in Prussia. He joined the Prussian army in 1866 and retired in 1911 as a General in the Imperial German Army, but was recalled to service with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Hindenburg scored a series of key victories on the eastern front against the Russian Empire, becoming known as a war hero and developing a cult of personality. He and his deputy Erich Ludendorff established a de facto military dictatorship during the war.
Post-war political career
In 1919, Hindenburg retired again, but ran and was elected President of Germany in 1925. He was a major player in the instability that led to Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1930s. He appointed Hitler chancellor in 1933, and his death marked the beginning of the Nazi era and the foundation of the Third Reich.
Legacy
Hindenburg remains a revered figure in Germany, with places, buildings, and warships named after him. Hindenburg's tomb is a major tourist site for Nazis in East Prussia.