History of Kurt von Schleicher

Kurt von Schleicher, born on April 7, 1882, in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, was a notable figure in the waning years of the Weimar Republic, serving as the last Chancellor of Germany before Adolf Hitler's rise to power. His life and career provide a compelling study in the military and political complexities of early 20th-century Germany, marked by his behind-the-scenes maneuvering and ultimate downfall amidst the turbulent political climate of the time.

Schleicher hailed from a Prussian military family and followed the expected path into the military, joining the Prussian Army in 1900. His early career was marked by robust performance, attending the Prussian Military Academy and entering the General Staff. During World War I, he served primarily as a staff officer, gaining experience that would later prove invaluable in his political activities.

After the war, Schleicher remained in the much-reduced Reichswehr, the German military force allowed under the Treaty of Versailles. The 1920s were a period of political upheaval in Germany, and Schleicher quickly emerged as a key player in the intersection between military and civilian government. Clever and pragmatic, he rose through the ranks, achieving the position of head of the Ministry of Defense's Ministeramt (Office of the Minister) by 1926. In this role, Schleicher was effectively the main conduit between the military and civilian government, offering him significant informal power.

Schleicher's impact on German politics was most profound in the late 1920s and early 1930s, a period marked by economic turmoil and political instability. He was instrumental as an architect of the so-called "Presidential Cabinets," which relied on the extensive use of presidential emergency powers granted under Article 48 of the Weimar Constitution. This strategy sidestepped the Reichstag (parliament) to enact policy, aiming to stabilize the nation without the need for a broad parliamentary consensus.

Perhaps Schleicher's most noteworthy political maneuvering involved his role in the downfall of Chancellor Heinrich Brüning in 1932. Schleicher had become convinced that Brüning’s policies were leading the country into deadly economic stagnation. Using his influence, Schleicher worked to have Brüning replaced with Franz von Papen, an arrangement that he believed would allow him to control the chancellorship from behind the scenes. As a result, Schleicher was appointed Minister of Defense in von Papen’s cabinet.

Von Papen’s tenure was short-lived and tumultuous, leading to Schleicher’s own appointment as Chancellor on December 3, 1932. Schleicher’s time in office was characterized by his attempts to stabilize the economy and to create a broad-based political coalition. He sought to win over elements of the Nazis and the trade unions to support his government. However, his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful; Schleicher's maneuvering failed due to his inability to secure the necessary support from either President Paul von Hindenburg or a majority in the Reichstag.

One of the key reasons for Schleicher's failure was his misjudgment of Adolf Hitler's political acumen and ambitions. Schleicher had hoped to exploit divisions within the Nazi Party, but instead, Hitler remained steadfast in his demand for the chancellorship. When Schleicher attempted to broker deals with dissenting Nazi factions, he underestimated Hitler's ability to maintain control over his party.

Schleicher's chancellorship ended abruptly when von Papen, seeking revenge and restoration, allied with Hitler. Through a series of backroom deals, von Papen convinced Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933, with von Papen as Vice Chancellor, under the mistaken belief that Hitler could be controlled from within.

After leaving office, Schleicher's life entered a precarious phase. He was seen as a potential threat to the Nazi regime both because of his past political prominence and his deep connections within the military. On June 30, 1934, during the Night of the Long Knives, Schleicher and his wife were murdered on the orders of Hitler. This purge eliminated perceived rivals and consolidated Hitler’s absolute control over the German state and military.

Kurt von Schleicher's role in Weimar Germany's political landscape was significant, albeit fraught with miscalculations. His career illustrates the perils of political manipulation and the volatile interplay between military and civilian authorities in times of crisis. Schleicher's dramatic rise and fall provide a stark example of the broader failures of the Weimar political system and underscore the dangers of underestimating burgeoning totalitarian movements. As such, Schleicher remains a pivotal, if tragic, figure in the narrative of Germany's descent from democracy and the complex prelude to World War II.