Kurt von Schleicher
| Kurt von Schleicher | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 23rd Chancellor of Germany 14th Chancellor of the Weimar Republic |
|
|
In office 3 December 1932 – 28 January 1933 |
|
| President | Paul von Hindenburg |
| Deputy | Vacant |
| Preceded by | Franz von Papen |
| Succeeded by | Adolf Hitler |
|
Minister President of Prussia (Reichskomissar) |
|
|
In office 3 December 1932 – 28 January 1933 |
|
| Preceded by | Franz von Papen |
| Succeeded by | Franz von Papen |
| Reich Minister of Defense | |
|
In office 1 June 1932 – 28 January 1933 |
|
| President | Paul von Hindenburg |
| Chancellor |
Franz von Papen (1932) Himself (1932–1933) |
| Preceded by | Wilhelm Groener |
| Succeeded by | Ferdinand von Bredow |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kurt Ferdinand Friedrich Hermann von Schleicher 7 April 1882 Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg, German Empire |
| Died | 30 June 1934 (aged 52) Potsdam-Babelsberg, Brandenburg, Nazi Germany |
| Political party | None |
| Occupation | Soldier (General) |
| Religion | Lutheran |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire Weimar Republic
|
| Service/branch |
Prussian Army Reichsheer |
| Years of service | 1900–1932 |
| Rank | General der Infanterie |
| Battles/wars | First World War |
Kurt Ferdinand Friedrich Hermann von Schleicher (
listen ; 7 April 1882 – 30 June 1934) was a German general and the second-to-last Chancellor of Germany during the era of the Weimar Republic. An important player in the German Army's efforts to avoid the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, Schleicher rose to power as a close advisor to President Paul von Hindenburg. In 1930 he was instrumental in the toppling of Hermann Müller's government and the appointment of Heinrich Brüning as Chancellor. From 1932 he served as Minister of War in the cabinet of Franz von Papen, whom he succeeded as Chancellor on 3 December. During his brief term, Schleicher negotiated with Gregor Strasser on a possible secession of the latter from the Nazi Party but their scheme failed. The Chancellor then proposed to President Hindenburg to disperse the Reichstag and rule as a de facto dictator, a course of action Hindenburg rejected. On 28 January 1933, facing a political impasse and deteriorating health, Schleicher resigned and recommended the appointment of Adolf Hitler in his stead. Seventeen months afterwards he was murdered on the orders of Hitler during the Night of the Long Knives.
Schleicher was born in Brandenburg an der Havel, the son of a Prussian officer and a shipowner's daughter. He entered the Prussian Army in 1900 as a Leutnant after graduating from a cadet training school. Assigned to the 3rd Foot Guards, he befriended fellow junior officers Oskar von Hindenburg and Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord. In 1909 he attended the Prussian Military Academy, where he met Franz von Papen, and subsequently joined the Railway Department of the Prussian General Staff. Schleicher soon became a protégé of his immediate superior, Wilhelm Groener.
...
Wikipedia