Hans Seekt German military and political figure Date of Birth: 22.04.1866 Country: Germany

Biography of Hans von Seeckt

Hans von Seeckt (22.4.1866, Schleswig - 27.12.1936, Berlin) was a German military and political figure, a Lieutenant General. He joined the army in 1885 and graduated from the Military Academy in 1899. He was the son of a general and joined the 1st Grenadier Regiment commanded by his father. Seeckt served in the staff of the III Army Corps in Berlin from 1897. He participated in World War I and became the chief of staff of Archduke Karl's army group in June 1916. In December 1917, he became the chief of staff of the Turkish army. He returned to Germany in 1918 and gained recognition as a capable officer in the General Staff.

In 1920, Seeckt became the commander of the German Reichswehr, the army of the Weimar Republic. Due to the limitations set by the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was restricted to 100,000 personnel. Seeckt saw this as an opportunity to quickly expand the army into a mass force. He created the Reichswehr as a reserve of officers and non-commissioned officers. Seeckt also established close relations with the command of the Red Army, and secret training centers for tank and aviation personnel were set up in the Soviet Union, which was prohibited for Germany.

In September 1923, Seeckt faced fierce attacks from the Nazis in the pages of the "Völkischer Beobachter," where he was accused of being influenced by his Jewish wife. During the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, he ordered General O. von Lossow, commander of the Munich garrison, to suppress the rebellion with military forces. In 1926, Seeckt allowed dueling in the army and proposed Prince Wilhelm of Hohenzollern to become the head of military training. However, as a result, he was removed from his position and retired on October 8, 1926.

From 1930 to 1932, Seeckt served as a member of the Reichstag. In 1934-35, he was a military advisor to the Chinese government under Chiang Kai-shek and led the reorganization of the Chinese army. Seeckt was also the author of theoretical works on military matters.