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Saturday's @theipaper (h/t @glennmoore7) had a rather apt description of Theresa May.
"Cool line" you say. "Wonder who the general was?"
Meet General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord. The no-fucks-giving, putch-refusing, Hitler hating, lazy-arse genius of the Weimar Republic.
"Cool line" you say. "Wonder who the general was?"
Meet General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord. The no-fucks-giving, putch-refusing, Hitler hating, lazy-arse genius of the Weimar Republic.
So the name Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord has probably already conjured up an image in your head. That image is probably accurate.
Yup. Kurt was old Prussian military aristocracy who was packed off to army school in 1893 aged 10 and spent the rest of his life in uniform.
Yup. Kurt was old Prussian military aristocracy who was packed off to army school in 1893 aged 10 and spent the rest of his life in uniform.
As with many WW2 generals, WW1 provided Kurt with both front line combat experience (he won an Iron Cross fighting on the Western Front) and an opportunity to see the best and worst ways to lead. By it's end, he was a highly accomplished commander and logistician.
After WW1, Germany was forced to gut its armed forces. Kurt retained a position in the Weimar Republic's much smaller army thanks to the intervention of his father-in-law, General von Lüttwitz. The General brought Kurt onto his staff and got him promoted. Favours were owed.
In 1920, General von Lüttwitz tried to call those favours in: He asked Kurt to join him in a right-wing military coup against the Republic, the Kapp Putsch.
And THIS is where Kurt starts getting interesting: because, despite enormous pressure to do so, he refused.
And THIS is where Kurt starts getting interesting: because, despite enormous pressure to do so, he refused.
Had the coup succeeded this would have doomed Kurt. But WW1 had changed him. He'd gone in believing in honour and loyalty. He still did. But he now believed that loyalty was owed to the GERMAN PEOPLE, he had fought with first, and the army - or individual leaders - second.
WW1 had ALSO left von Hammerstein-Equord with a zero-fucks approach to standing up for what he felt was right or speaking his mind. This, combined with a natural talent for leadership, helped push him right to the top of the Weimar Republic's small army.
Indeed it was Hammerstein (he dropped the aristocratic von bit around this time) who laid the foundations for the new German army. This included writing whole chunks of its tactics and leadership principles - which is where the 'four types of leaders' quote comes from.
That quote was something he applied to HIMSELF as well as his officers. He knew his limits: he was great at making decisions, but he was lazy. He realised the importance of embracing this and delegating both work AND the credit for it.
Then, in the early 30s, the Nazis start their rise. To start with, Hammerstein is fine with this, seeing it as a movement about boosting German pride, the economy etc.
But he's not dazzled by it. By 1932 he's seen through it to the dark core and is now vehemently anti-Hitler.
But he's not dazzled by it. By 1932 he's seen through it to the dark core and is now vehemently anti-Hitler.
This culminates in December 1932, when Hitler starts making noises about a coup, knowing he has the tacit support of many Generals.
Hammerstein, now CIC, finds out and tells Hitler point blank: If you launch a coup I WILL order my soldiers to shoot you all. Hitler backs down
Hammerstein, now CIC, finds out and tells Hitler point blank: If you launch a coup I WILL order my soldiers to shoot you all. Hitler backs down
In 1933, when talks to make Hitler Chancellor start, Hammerstein goes straight to President Hindenburg and begs his old commander not to do it. He warns him that the Nazis are murderous thugs and cannot be trusted.
Hindenburg ignores him. Hitler takes power. Hammerstein resigns
Hindenburg ignores him. Hitler takes power. Hammerstein resigns
In 1934, Hitler launches a mini-purge against the army. Hammerstein is still too powerful for Hitler to target, but other generals and officers aren't. Many Generals stay quiet during it, Hammerstein doesn't. Alongside other Generals, he makes Hitler back down.
In its aftermath, he even attends the funerals of a number of those killed - despite Hitler banning any officers from attending. This leads at one point, almost to a stand-up fight between Hammerstein and some SS troops when they try to block him from getting to the service.
So how did Hammerstein get away with all this? He was brilliant and well respected, so protected by his peers. Hitler continued to try and woo him to the cause, but Hammerstein instead used this as armour to try and thwart the Nazification of the army.
Indeed Hammerstein may be one of only two German generals to tell Hitler to fuck off (or similar) to his face and get away with it. The other was WW1 hero, General von Lettow-Vorbeck, who similarly saw through the facade and spotted what Hitler, and the Nazis, really were.
When war was declared in 1939, Hammerstein was recalled to command and agreed, because of his loyalty to Germany, but he still believed the Nazis were evil. He began plotting to kill Hitler, but before he could act he was quietly removed from command for his outright hostility.
By now, Hammerstein had ALSO worked out that the Nazis were killing groups they disliked - particularly Jews. Hammerstein began feeding information to his daughters (active in the resistance) to help them rescue Jews under threat.
Indeed soon he was an active member of the resistance himself. Many of the members of the later Valkyrie plot to Hitler first convened at Hammerstein's house.
By 1943, however, Hammerstein himself was dying of cancer.
By 1943, however, Hammerstein himself was dying of cancer.
Hammerstein continued to plot against Hitler on his deathbed. After he died in April 1943, Hitler tried to have him buried with full Nazi honours in Berlin. His family said no. Foreseeing the propaganda play, Hammerstein had forbidden them to let him be buried under the Swastika.
After his death, his children continued to play an active part in the resistance - two of his sons, both military officers, would eventually be part of the Valkyrie plot. Had Hammerstein survived, he would have been too and - brilliant as he was - it may well have gone better.
Anyway, there's not really a point to this thread. I just find it weirdly appropriate (given the time we live in) that the best description of Theresa May's leadership style is by Hammerstein, the FIRST General to spot the insidious rise of fascism, and what it would cost Germany
General von Manstein described Hammerstein as the most brilliant military mind he'd ever met. Like Manstein, Hitler would have welcomed him with open arms. Unlike Manstein, Hammerstein REFUSED to ignore his conscience and the suffering he was starting to see around him, and serve
Also unlike Manstein, he realised that when the war ended, the Germany army would have to accept some share of the blame, as he told a friend on his deathbed:
"I am ashamed to have served in an army that witnessed and tolerated all these crimes."
"I am ashamed to have served in an army that witnessed and tolerated all these crimes."
And this is why General Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord is near lost to history. He quietly resisted the lure of fascism and Hitler, rather than finding an excuse to join in
That he lives on as a management theory is a strange quirk of history. I suspect he'd have been grimly amused
That he lives on as a management theory is a strange quirk of history. I suspect he'd have been grimly amused
BTW, there's not much in English about Hammerstein, but if you can find a copy the book "Silences of Hammerstein: A German Story" is well worth a read.
And as always, if you like MY writing, then you can pre-order your copy of my Brexit Tapes book here! https://unbound.com/books/the-brexit-tapes/
And as always, if you like MY writing, then you can pre-order your copy of my Brexit Tapes book here! https://unbound.com/books/the-brexit-tapes/
You can also find more of my history stuff on Medium here: https://medium.com/@garius
