Erich Ludendorff

Erich Ludendorff: Born April 9, 1865. Died December 20, 1937.

Ludendorff was born in Prussia. He entered the Junker Class via his mother, a daughter of a prominent Junker family. He was commissioned as an officer at the age of 18 and had a splendid military career. He was highly successful, receiving frequent commendations. He became a member of the German General Staff in 1894 and served as head of deployment and the invasion strategies for the Military.

During World War I, he served as quartermaster general to Germany’s Second Army under Karl von Bulaw. He rose rapidly to a senior officer and became a full colonel in 1911. In 1916, he was deputy chief of the General Staff under Hindenburg. He was very successful in all missions he was assigned to. When Russia withdrew from the war in 1917, he was a key figure in the Peace Treaty of Brest-Litovsk in March 1918.

He continued to lead German offensives. After the German war effort collapsed, he resigned and fled to Sweden. He wrote many books and articles, about Germany’s military conduct and failures, while in exile.

He returned to Germany in 1920 and served as a representative of the Nazi party. But in 1928, he retired after falling out with the Nazi party. His approval of Hitler had diminished. He looked at him as one of the manipulative politicians.