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Erich Ludendorff: biography and career of the German general

The incredible diligence, steadfastness and exactitude that Erich Ludendorff is known for have made him a legendary man with tremendous power over the fate of all Germany in the early twentieth century.

Education and the beginning of military career

Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff was born April 9, 1865 in the village of Krushevnya, located near the city of Poznan in the territory of the former Prussia. Caring for the future of his son, his father sent him to study in Berlin at the highest cadet school, and then to the Military Academy. After completing the training, I was sent to Russia for six months to improve my knowledge of the Russian language.

In 1906, Erich Ludendorff began teaching tactics and military history at the Military Academy, and a couple of years later he headed the operational department of the German General Staff. In 1913 he was appointed chief of the regiment in Dusseldorf, and later commander of the 85th Infantry Brigade in Strasbourg.

Brave act

In the period of mobilization (August 1914), Ludendorff holds the post of Chief Quartermaster of the Second Army Headquarters, which operated on the territory of Belgium.

His first baptism of fire occurred near Luttich. At night, German troops, whose purpose was a sudden attack on the fortress, carried out a breakthrough between the fronts. During this maneuver, the commander of the brigade von Vussov died, and Ludendorff, taking the lead on himself, boldly led the people into battle. A little later he, along with his adjutant, ahead of the troops, rushed to the enemy garrison by car. Panicked, the enemy quickly surrendered to the victor.

For this brave deed, Erich Ludendorff, whose biography is full of military events and exploits, was personally awarded the Emperor Wilhelm II with the Order of Pourle Merite.

Assistant to Hindenburg

Soon Ludendorff was appointed Chief of Staff of the Eighth Army, stationed in East Prussia. The leadership of the German army was carried out by Paul von Hindenburg. The fate of these two people will be linked for a long time.

Despite some superiority of Russian troops, the German army successfully conducted military maneuvers. And Erich Ludendorff, by the end of 1914, was appointed commander-in-chief on the Eastern Front. In early 1915, this man for military achievements was awarded oak branches to the Order of Pourle Merite.

At the end of the summer of 1916, the Chief of the Field Staff was appointed Hindenburg, and Ludendorff at that time received the post of High Quartermaster General. This arrangement of military ranks established between the commanders the same responsibility for the management of operations, and could also contribute to some misunderstanding between them. However, complete unity in their views on the conduct of hostilities prevailed. Both commanders-in-chief adhered to the strategy of brutal destruction, conducting operations from the rear and flanks of the enemy.

Influence on country policy

In early 1917, Germany was unleashed a large-scale submarine war, and in 1918, a military campaign was launched against Soviet Russia. The initiators of such actions were Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff. Photos and archival documents tell a lot about the characters, deeds and historical significance of these personalities.

About Ludendorff can be judged as an outstanding tactician-strategist, organizer, but he lacked political ability. He was too straightforward, inflexible, incapable of compromising, and quite adventurous. He was also an adherent of the regime of military dictatorship and a supporter of ruthless suppression of any manifestations of popular discontent. In addition, he adhered to rather brutal methods of conducting military operations.

In the spring of 1918 Ludendorff undertook several major offensive operations in France. However, the exhaustion of the army led to the final failure and complete collapse of Germany in the First World War. Therefore, the general in October of the same year had to resign.

Postwar time

With the advent of the November Revolution in 1918, Ludendorff was forced to move to Sweden. But already in 1920, he became one of the main participants in the Kuppov putsch, whose goal was to eliminate the Weimar Republic and the introduction of a military dictatorship in Germany.

Later, Erich Ludendorff became close to the Nazis. In November 1923, together with Hitler led the unsuccessfully ended "Beer Putsch" in Munich.

In 1925, after diverging views with the Nazis, he founded the Tannenberg Union, and five years later - the church union "German people". However, after Hitler came to power, their activities were banned.

In the late 1920s Ludendorff, together with his wife Matilda, retired from public life. During this time he created several books in which he stated his arguments that all problems in the universe arise because of Jews, Christians and Freemasons. A lot of time worked on the work "Total War", in which he laid out his memoirs, forecasts of world politics and theoretical views.

In 1937, Erich Ludendorff, the German infantry general and an outstanding man, died of cancer in Tutzing (Bavaria), where he was buried with honors.

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