Walther Reinhardt
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Walther Gustav Reinhardt (; 24 March 1872 in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
– 8 August 1930 in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
) was a German officer who served as the last
Prussian Minister of War The Prussian Ministry of War was the highest state authority of the Prussian Army, Royal Prussian Army and was responsible for the central administration of the army of the Kingdom of Prussia and, later, the Imperial German Army. The ministry e ...
and the first head of the army command (''Chef der Heeresleitung'') within the newly created
Ministry of the Reichswehr The Ministry of the Reichswehr () was the defence ministry of Germany from 1919 to 1938 during the Weimar Republic and early Nazi Germany periods. It was responsible for the '' Reichswehr'' under the leadership of the Minister of Defence and base ...
of the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
. During the
Kapp Putsch The Kapp Putsch (), also known as the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch (), was an abortive coup d'état against the German national government in Berlin on 13 March 1920. Named after its leaders Wolfgang Kapp and Walther von Lüttwitz, its goal was to ...
of 1920, Reinhardt remained loyal to the elected government and was one of the few senior officers of the Reichswehr willing to order troops to fire at the revolting units.


Early life and family

Reinhardt was born on 24 March 1872 in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
as the son of August von Reinhardt (1827–1907), a member of the ''Personenadel'' (lifelong, non-hereditary nobility) and officer of the
Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...
(Generalmajor and Commander of the 120th Infantry Regiment), and Emilie Reinhardt, née von Wiedenmann. His brother Ernst (1870-1939) also became an officer (''Generalleutnant'') and was the father of Hellmuth Reinhardt (1900–89, Generalmajor). In 1900, Walther Reinhardt married Luise Fürbringer in Berlin. They had three daughters.


Military career and World War I

After his time as a ''Kadett'' (
cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...
), Reinhardt joined the
grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...
regiment "Königin Olga" (1st Württembergisches) Nr. 119 in 1891 as a ''Fähnrich''. Once he had finished training as a general staff officer, he was sent to the '' Großer Generalstab'' in 1901 and served there with some short interruptions until 1918. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, Reinhardt first served in 1914–16 at the staff of the XIII Army Corps ( Western Front), then as chief of staff at 11th Army in
Macedonia Macedonia (, , , ), most commonly refers to: * North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe, known until 2019 as the Republic of Macedonia * Macedonia (ancient kingdom), a kingdom in Greek antiquity * Macedonia (Greece), a former administr ...
(1916/17) and 7th Army in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
(1917/18). For his actions during the
German spring offensive The German spring offensive, also known as ''Kaiserschlacht'' ("Kaiser's Battle") or the Ludendorff offensive, was a series of German Empire, German attacks along the Western Front (World War I), Western Front during the World War I, First Wor ...
and subsequent battles in the summer of 1918 he received the highest decorations for bravery of the Kingdom of Württemberg and the
Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
.


Rise to Leadership of Reichswehr

In early November 1918, Reinhardt, at the time in the rank of ''Oberst'' (
colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
), became ''Leiter der Demobilmachung'' (head of demobilisation) at the Prussian Ministry of War. When the
revolution In political science, a revolution (, 'a turn around') is a rapid, fundamental transformation of a society's class, state, ethnic or religious structures. According to sociologist Jack Goldstone, all revolutions contain "a common set of elements ...
erupted in Berlin, Reinhardt organised the protection of the Reichskanzlei and won the special trust of
Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as the first President of Germany (1919–1945), president of Germany from 1919 until ...
, the new head of government. On 2 January 1919, Reinhardt was appointed Prussian Minister of War (as it would turn out as the last person to hold that post). He accepted the position on condition that the
Council of the People's Deputies The Council of the People's Deputies (German: , sometimes translated as "Council of People's Representatives" or "Council of People's Commissars") was the provisional government of Germany during the first part of the German Revolution, from 10 N ...
, the revolutionary government since 10 November 1918, would back the authority of traditional officers against the rival system of soldiers' councils that had emerged in the revolution. In return, he was willing to accept superficial concessions to revolutionary ideas like replacing epaulettes with simple stripes on the sleeves. As Prussian Minister of War, Reinhardt became part of the cabinet of
Philipp Scheidemann Philipp Heinrich Scheidemann (26 July 1865 – 29 November 1939) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the first quarter of the 20th century he played a leading role in both his party and in the young Weimar ...
that took office on 13 February 1919, replacing the Council of the People's Deputies. However, he just had a seat but no vote in cabinet meetings. In March 1919, the ''Gesetz über die Bildung einer vorläufigen Reichswehr'' (law setting up a provisional military) came into force, making provisional president
Friedrich Ebert Friedrich Ebert (; 4 February 187128 February 1925) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, Social Democratic Party (SPD) who served as the first President of Germany (1919–1945), president of Germany from 1919 until ...
the commander-in-chief of the armed forces with the minister of defence exercising the right of command. However, the Prussian forces were excluded from this and remained under Reinhardt's command. Reinhardt was strongly opposed to signing the
Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...
and advocated the resumption of military resistance. In fact, in the spring and summer of 1919 Reinhardt was one of the main proponents of the ' plan that called for a temporary secession of Germany's eastern provinces. The idea was to take military action against the territorial designs of Poland outside of the restraints imposed by the armistice on the Reich. Although the German army at the time had superior forces in the area, they were unable to put them into the field due to pressure from the Allies who had designated the Polish government part of the Entente. After the integrity of the eastern provinces would have been restored, there were medium term plans for a "national uprising" restoring unity with the Reich under a more conservative and militaristic system than the one prevailing in early 1919. Opposition from the government, especially Minister of Defence
Gustav Noske Gustav Noske (9 July 1868 – 30 November 1946) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He served as the first Minister of Defence (''Reichswehrminister'') of the Weimar Republic between 1919 and 1920. Noske was known for u ...
, and the OHL, notably
Wilhelm Groener Karl Eduard Wilhelm Groener (; 22 November 1867 â€“ 3 May 1939) was a Würtemberg–German general and politician, who served as the final Chief of the Great General Staff and Reich Ministry of Transport, Reich Minister of Transport, Ministry ...
, prevented the plan from being put into practice. However, many others in the cabinet shared Reinhardt's opposition to the treaty and in the end the government resigned over the issue in June 1919. Its replacement, led by
Gustav Bauer Gustav Adolf Bauer (; 6 January 1870 – 16 September 1944) was a German Social Democratic Party leader and the chancellor of Germany from June 1919 to March 1920. Prior to that, he was minister of labour in the last cabinet of the German Empi ...
did, however, sign the treaty. In the summer of 1919, the administration and command structures of the German armed forces were completely restructured. The ''
Oberste Heeresleitung The ''Oberste Heeresleitung'' (, "Supreme Army Command", OHL) was the highest echelon of command of the army (''Heer'') of the German Empire. In the latter part of World War I, the Third OHL assumed dictatorial powers and became the ''de facto'' ...
'' was dissolved in early July.
Paul von Hindenburg Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg (2 October 1847 – 2 August 1934) was a German military and political leader who led the Imperial German Army during the First World War and later became President of Germany (1919†...
and
Wilhelm Groener Karl Eduard Wilhelm Groener (; 22 November 1867 â€“ 3 May 1939) was a Würtemberg–German general and politician, who served as the final Chief of the Great General Staff and Reich Ministry of Transport, Reich Minister of Transport, Ministry ...
, the highest-ranking officers, both resigned. In August, the
Weimar Constitution The Constitution of the German Reich (), usually known as the Weimar Constitution (), was the constitution that governed Germany during the Weimar Republic era. The constitution created a federal semi-presidential republic with a parliament whose ...
came into force and Minister of Defence Noske became commander in chief of the new Reichswehr. The existing War Ministries of the individual German states (
Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
, Saxony,
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
and Prussia) were dissolved or integrated into the new '' Reichswehrministerium'' in Berlin. On 13 September, the position of Prussian Minister of War was abolished and Reinhardt became commander of the ''Reichswehrstelle Preußen'' on 1 October. He expanded this position into that of ''Chef der Heeresleitung'', the highest-ranking military position within the landforces. He was promoted to General Major. Reinhardt's main tasks now became reducing the army's troop strength to 100,000 in accordance with the Treaty of Versailles and reorganising the army.


Kapp-Lüttwitz-Putsch and resignation

When ''
Freikorps (, "Free Corps" or "Volunteer Corps") were irregular German and other European paramilitary volunteer units that existed from the 18th to the early 20th centuries. They effectively fought as mercenaries or private military companies, rega ...
'' and regular troops followed orders given by General
Walther von Lüttwitz Walther Karl Friedrich Ernst Emil Freiherr von Lüttwitz (2 February 1859 – 20 September 1942) was a German general who fought in World War I. Lüttwitz is best known for being the driving force behind the Kapp–Lüttwitz Putsch of 1920 w ...
on 13 March 1920 to march on the centre of Berlin, occupy the government buildings and depose the legitimate government, Defence Minister Noske called a meeting of senior military staff in his office at the
Bendlerblock The Bendlerblock () is a building complex in the Tiergarten (Berlin), Tiergarten district of Berlin, Germany, located on Stauffenbergstraße (formerly named ''Bendlerstraße''). Erected in 1914 as headquarters of several Imperial German Navy (''Ka ...
. As their commander he asked them to defend the government buildings but was turned down. Reinhardt was one of only two officers who were willing to follow an order to shoot at the revolting troops. Some of the others suggested negotiations, others claimed that the troops would not understand an order to fire, some argued that the regular units would not be able to defeat putschists. General Hans von Seeckt, head of the ''Truppenamt'' (the institution that served as the general staff, after the Treaty of Versailles had mandated the general staff to be dissolved) and after Reinhardt the second-most senior officer present, spoke about comradeship with the putschists. Although he had argued for the ''Oststaat'' plan, Reinhardt was loyal to the Ebert/Bauer government and willing to fight for it. However, as ''Chef der Heeresleitung'' he had no troops under his direct command. Left defenceless, the government had to flee from the capital. However, the putsch was crippled by a refusal of the bureaucracy to cooperate and by a general strike that paralyzed the country. The putsch collapsed within days. However, many in Noske's own party, the
Social Democratic Party of Germany The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together w ...
(SPD), and in the unions felt that Noske had not done enough to stop the putsch. They called for his resignation. On 22 March 1920, Noske resigned. Out of loyalty to Noske, Reinhardt resigned with him. He was replaced as ''Chef der Heeresleitung'' by General von Seeckt.


Later life

Although he resigned then as ''Chef der Heeresleitung'', Reinhardt remained an active officer. From 1920 to 1924 he was in charge of the ''
Wehrkreis The military districts, also known in some English-language publications by their German name as Wehrkreise (singular: ''Wehrkreis''), were administrative territorial units in Nazi Germany before and during World War II. The task of military dist ...
'' V (Stuttgart). In 1923, Reinhardt was endowed with executive power and tasked with suppressing the left-wing uprising during the ''
Reichsexekution In German history, a ''Reichsexekution'' (sometimes "Reich execution" in English) was an imperial or federal intervention against a member state, using military force if necessary. The instrument of the ''Reichsexekution'' was constitutionally a ...
'' against
Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...
(reestablishing the central government's authority by force of arms). At the beginning of 1925, as ''
General der Infanterie General of the infantry is a military rank of a General officer in the infantry and refers to: * General of the Infantry (Austria) * General of the Infantry (Bulgaria) * General of the Infantry (Germany) ('), a rank of a general in the German Impe ...
'' he took command of ''Gruppenkommando'' 2 at
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
. He was discharged from active service at his own request at the end of 1927. However, he remained involved in training general officers by organising the so-called ''Reinhardt-Kurse''. These were lectures at the university and the ''Hochschule für Politik'' in Berlin for selected officers, aimed at providing them with a broader perspective than that offered by a narrowly military education. Although personally loyal to the Republic, he continued to oppose the military disarmament imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and published writings aimed at improving the ability of the German youth to put up a fight. He died in Berlin-Lichterfelde on 8 August 1930.


Decorations and awards

*
Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
of 1914, 1st and 2nd class''Rangliste des Deutschen Reichsheeres'', Mittler & Sohn Verlag, Berlin 1930, S.41 *
Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...
with Oak Leaves *
Order of the Red Eagle The Order of the Red Eagle () was an order of chivalry of the Kingdom of Prussia. It was awarded to both military personnel and civilians, to recognize valor in combat, excellence in military leadership, long and faithful service to the kingdom, o ...
, 4th class * Commander of the Royal
House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...
with Swords * Cross of Honour 2nd class of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords * Military Merit Order, 4th class with swords and crown (Bavaria) * Officer's Cross of the
Albert Order The Albert Order () was created on 31 December 1850 by King Frederick Augustus II of Saxony to commemorate Albert III, Duke of Saxony (known as Albert the Bold). It was to be awarded to anyone who had served the state well, for civil virtue, s ...
with Swords * Knight's Cross of the Military Merit Order (Württemberg) * Cross of Honour of the
Order of the Crown (Württemberg) The Order of the Württemberg Crown (''Orden der Württembergischen Krone'') was an order of chivalry in Württemberg. History First established in 1702 as the (Hunting Order of St Hubert), in 1807 it was renamed the (Knightly Order of the G ...
* Commander 2nd class of the
Friedrich Order The Friedrich Order ( or ''Friedrichsorden'') was an order of merit of the German Kingdom of Württemberg. It was instituted on 1 January 1830 by the second king of Württemberg, Wilhelm I in remembrance of his father, King Friedrich I. In 1918, ...
* Service award, 1st class (Württemberg) * General Honour Decoration for Bravery (Hesse) *
Hanseatic Cross The Hanseatic Cross () was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of the cross, but the design ...
of Hamburg *
War Merit Cross The War Merit Cross () was a state decoration of Nazi Germany during World War II. By the end of the conflict it was issued in four degrees and had an equivalent civil award. A " de-Nazified" version of the War Merit Cross was reissued in 1957 ...
, 1st class (Brunswick) *
Hanseatic Cross The Hanseatic Cross () was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of the cross, but the design ...
of Bremen * Knight's Cross, First Class of the Ducal
Saxe-Ernestine House Order The Saxe-Ernestine House Order ()Hausorden
Herzogliche Haus Sachsen-Coburg und Gotha
was a ...
with Swords * Ottoman War Medal ("Iron Crescent") * Commander of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)


Works (posthumously)

* ''Wehrkraft und Wehrwille. Aus dem Nachlaß mit einer Lebensbeschreibung.'' ("Military Strength and Military Will - From the estate with a biography") Edited by Ernst Reinhardt, 1932.


References


Bibliography

* William Mulligan: ''The creation of the modern German Army: General Walther Reinhardt and the Weimar Republic, 1914–1930.'' Berghahn Books, 2005. .


External links

*
Biography - BundesarchivActa Borussica Bd.11/II
(PDF-Datei; 1,92 MB) {{DEFAULTSORT:Reinhardt, Walther 1872 births 1930 deaths Military personnel from Stuttgart Generals of Infantry (Reichswehr) Military personnel of the Kingdom of Württemberg Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 1st class Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Bremen) Commanders of the Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria)