Chapter 3: Interviews and heroes
„Guten Tag Herr Reichspräsident“ this was a rather rare occasion, the Tägliche Rundschau was well known as one of the largest papers supporting the DVP, so they were usually not on good terms with the Reichspräsident. Still, Ebert was here and he was about to have an interview with them. They had considered not doing this, but the Vorwärts, the SPDs own newspaper would have chased them through the country if they hadn’t. Also, an interview with Ebert would surely increase their sales, so there was that, too.
“Shall we start?” they were sitting in a small lounge, that had been provided by one of the editors, Ebert himself was only escorted by two plain clothes bodyguards who constantly scanned their surroundings. Heinrich Rippler, the editor in chief would conduct this interview and after Ebert nodded, they started.
Rippler: “Herr Reichspräsident. For over six years you have been the head of state of the Reich, that we all know. Many readers surely wonder how you see your presidency, so that shall be the first question. How do you see your presidency? Are you satisfied with your achievements and the current situation of our nation and people”
Ebert took a few moments, Rippler was a veteran and had sprinkled in numerous traps and landmines into this seemingly honest question. He couldn’t just say that everything was good, after all most of the last six years had been one crisis after another. And worse, if he said that everything was good, the right-wing would immediately scream about how he “wants Germany to be on its knees forever”. In the end, he would have lied anyway if he said he was satisfied.
Ebert: “I think we can all agree on one thing. These first years of our republic have been rather troubled and dangerous. We had Communists and Militarists rising up, we had a currency out of control and a Rhineland occupied by foreign powers. While we are at peace, this peace still has cost us a lot to uphold”
Ebert now took a deep breath and waited for a moment to give his next words more gravitas as he went on
“But, we are on a good way. We have made great success in the last few years. Our democracy is getting stronger, the currency has worth something again and our economy is improving and I promise the German people that it will continue to improve. And now, with our home finally save and improving again, we can start to rebuild our position in the world. That I promise you”
Rippler showed no reaction to Ebert’s answer, while he scribbled down in his notebook, not that he needed to, with the other half a dozen journalists observing them and them also recording this interview.
“You just spoke of our position in the world. Many believe that this very situation is your and your parties fault, that it was the SPD that stabbed our unbeaten army in the back, with strikes and uprisings. What do you think of these accusations, after all the courts just did declare that calling you traitor can be appropriate”
Ripple was not holding back punches, but Ebert did not show any anger or surprise on his face, as he took a few seconds to gather his answer.
“We did not call upon the people to strike. Were there SPD members among those who striked? Surely, just like there were many SPD members in the army or in any other institutions. The people and soldiers striked and rebelled out of hunger and anger. They were hungry because for four years the Oberkommando and government had not been able to adequately provide supplies for either the army or the populace. And they were angry because of incompetent, pompous generals, born into privilege demanding sacrifice and bravery, while they hid in bunkers and office at home”
There was silence and for a moment Rippler looked at Ebert completely shocked, had Ebert of all people really just said that? Ebert, the Realpolitiker of compromise had just shifted the blame on the High Command and Kaiser? But the president was not done.
“You may say that without Hindenburg that saved the Reich in the east, when he threw the Russians of our soil, a fact I can’t dispute. But, it was this very Hindenburg and his lacky Ludendorff who continued to fight, continued to waste German blood, long after they realized the war was lost. They caused the United States to join the war, they betted all that remained of German strength of arms on an honestly desperate offense against the Entente. And then, after they exhausted all of Germanys strength, squeezed out the last bit of strength the people had and left the army barely able to stand, they turn around and blame us for all of this”
Everybody in the room seemed frozen, had the President really just said, what he said? The SPD debating their fault in the defeat was nothing new, directly returning the blame onto the Oberkommando however was new. Especially Hindenburg had always been considered somewhat immune to any criticism and Ebert had never tried to challenge that situation, at least till now.
“Are you suggesting, that you blame our brave men who fought in the trenches for our defeat, president?” Ripplers answer was to be expected, it was the usual tactic used to deflect blame away from the generals, by accusing one of blaming the entirety of the military.
“Of course not. Our soldiers fought bravely in the trenches, they are not to blame. As I said, those that commanded them to die by the thousands for a few feet of dirt are. The Kaiser fled and abandoned any of his responsibilities as the leader of the Reich. He now lives in comfort in the Netherlands and schemes to one day return. The generals and aristocrats that first lead us into disaster and then absolved themselves of any blame also walked free and still happily live on their massive estates. For Ludendorff and Hindenburg this is barely a game, another Plan spiel like the Great War was for them”
Ebert needed a second to catch his breath, he usually wasn’t somebody who talked himself into a frenzy, but he had nearly done that just now. Rippler and everybody else present was still fixated on him and finally he went on.
“I want to tell the German people something. Make no mistake, this election is not one between candidates of differing ideologies that all wish to shape our democracy. It is between democracy on one and the return of the monarchy on the other side. The very same monarchy that lead so many of us to loose their brothers, fathers and sons in the trenches. The very same monarchy, where they people and nation are reduced to nothing but the toys of aristocrats, whose only qualification for power is a thousand years tyranny. We fought for seven years to create and protect our democracy and if I am re-elected, I will dedicate my second term to ending the tyranny of the aristocrats in all of Germany”
Ripplers eyes almost seemed to bulge out of his skull. Ebert had pretty much scored a triple in terms of statements nobody would have expected from a “Realpolitiker” like him
First, turning the “Dolchstoß” around and putting the blame, openly, on the high command, some of which were still considered heroes. Second, claiming that Hindenburg was barely a puppet of the old Kaiser, thereby questioning his legitimacy and honesty. And lastly, he awakened a spectre despised by the right, a spectre the SPD had never let out, as it could lead the right to openly and finally break with the republic. “Fürstenenteignung”.
But, Ripple had to admit, there wasn’t much sense in Ebert holding back anyway. In the end it was as he had just said. It was an election and options were either democracy or a return of the Kaiser, a Kaiser who would surely be vengeful against all those, who “betrayed” him.
“This is a scandal, how dare this red parasite to put the blame on me. I held the Reich together, I lead the Reich through the war and I would have won the war, had it not been for these red bastards”
Paul von Hindenburg was usually a calm man, during the war he had been the calm counter to the brash and aggressive Ludendorff. But right now he was enraged about Ebert’s interview, about his accusations and he was almost just as enraged about the fact, that a self proclaimed nationalistic newspaper would have published this garbage. In his rage, he even forgot the fact, that he had in fact back then blamed the SPD to rid himself of any fault in relation to the defeat. Afterall he had not signed the peace treaty, although he had been aware that the “unbesiegte Armee” had pretty much been dead while standing, with only another strong offensive by Entente necessary to end the war.
But this did not matter, this interview mattered and it enraged him beyond belief. For ten minutes he had already been storming up and down his office, cursing out Ebert, cursing out Rippler and cursing out everything and everybody he could. During these ten minutes, his son Oskar had just there at attention, observing his raging father, not willing to make himself a potential target of the rage of the old man, something he had experienced quite enough of in his childhood.
Finally, however, he spoke, hoping to calm his father.
“Father, this is a sign that the Bolsheviks and their treacherous compatriots are desperate. They desperately seek to gain more vote and now they hope, that Russia’s puppets will support them, if they threaten us with “Enteignung”. It just shows that we will win”
This did not work on the old Feld Marshall, as he grabbed the copy of the “Tägliche Rundschau” and held it into his sons face.
“Then why is it printed here. Why would they even print this? Stresemann has always been a friend of these godless reds, does Rippler now support them, too? Has this traitorous, two-faced little…”
The old man stopped, his face turning pale, as gasped for breath for a moment, his son immediately rushing to his side, as he sat down, almost collapsed into his office chair. Cold sweat covered his forehead and immediately Oskar von Hindenburg called for an aide to call a doctor.
“Hindenburg’s campaign delayed! A light heart attack forces the “Held von Tannenberg” to cancel several speeches” one of the paper boys screamed, as he tried to sell his goods. In the end the heart attack had been very light, although old Hindenburg was still very robust and it had only taken him a few days of rest to recover. Still, it had reminded everybody how old Hindenburg really was, even more so compared to Ebert, who was just in his mid fifties. This had managed to drown out the outcry that Ebert’s interview had created the day before. He had quite literally opened the box of the pandora. However he would not do anything more, that could be seen as giving in to the KPD. The “Fürstenenteignung” was a bipartisan issue, pretty much supported by everybody that is not either an Prussian aristocrat or on the payroll of one. He was probably actually doing many of them a favour, ever since the war the agriculture in “Ostelbien” had never recovered and was quickly approaching a total collapse. Taking away these often debt riddled estates would actually be preferable to many of them.
But, if he gave ground on any other topic that the KPD also supported, it would be his doom, it would break the Weimar coalition and probably cause them all to gather behind Hindenburg. No matter how old or sick the old soldier was.
Posterwagon advertising the potential of a "Fürstenenteignung"
