Jasper D.

Dramatis Personae Biography: Erich Ludendorff

Sure, when fighting a war it helps to have the biggest and most powerful army. But battle doesn’t only require big guns and strong soldiers, the mental side is just as important. Being able to strategise and use the resources you have to the best of your ability is arguably the most important factor to victory on the battlefield. World War I was no different. Erich Ludendorff, German general and military strategist, was one of the best when it came to using military resources strategically. His relationship with Paul Von Hindenberg helped him become one of the most dominant figures of power in Germany during the war. While he may not have been the best or smartest person alive, he no doubt had a mind for warfare and strategy on the battlefield, which changed the course of World War I and beyond. 

On April 9th, 1865, Erich Ludendorff was born into a family of shopkeepers in Kruszewnia, Poland. His family had fallen onto hard times, with an impoverished landowner and cavalry captain for a father, money did not come easy. From 1877-1882, he attended the Cadet Corps and Lichterfeld military schools (Holocaust Encyclopedia). He rose the ranks rapidly, and grew to general staff because of his outstanding military qualities. After graduating, he became a second lieutenant in the 57th Infantry Regiment in Wessel, and later served as a lieutenant in the 2nd Marine Battalion in Keil-Wilhelmshaven in the Prussian army (now Poland). All of this would help foster his war intelligence, and eventually he joined the German military, and graduated from the War Academy in Berlin with the rank of captain in 1895. He quickly moved up the ranks, getting promoted three times in 1900, 1907, 1911, to Major, Lieutenant-Colonel, and then finally Colonel. With his military peak arriving just before World War I, his impact would be imminent (des Armées). 

His first contributions on the battlefield came in 1905. He served in a group of high up German military leaders with an aim to make a plan to attack the Soviet Union and France from both sides at the same time. Schlieffen knew that Germany would have to fight a two front war, but his plan was to make it two one front wars, attacking France first with a swift blow and then invading a weak Soviet Union aftward. While the Soviets were known to be powerful, they were going through internal conflicts which presented an opportunity to attack (Mombaur). It did not work as intended, but Ludendorff showed promise in his intelligence about warfare. His true prominence shown through when he was promoted to second in command to General Von Hindenburg. Together, they planned a number of attacks that would catapult him into the national spotlight. Their first attack was the battle of Liege, the first battle of World War I, which was a German invasion of Belgium at the city of Liege. On August 5th, 1914, Ludendorff arrived in the city and forced the soldiers stationed there to surrender, despite costly battles by the surrounding fortresses (Borrell-Verdu). Just 27 days later, on august 30 1914, they attacked the Soviet Union in a fight known as the Battle of Tannenberg. This battle was important because of the strategy at play. They delayed the first Russian invasion, destroyed the second one, then returned to the first to close an amazing victory for the Germans. This battle, because of its tactical victory, brought a lot of praise to Hindenburg and Ludendorff, and in 1917 he was appointed first Quartermaster General, where he took control of the whole German military. In 1918, he led the German spring offensive, also known as Kaiserchlacht, which was the Germans last ditch attack on the western front. Ludendorff determined that they had to defeat the French and British before the Americans entered the war. While they gained temporary victory, they quickly were overpowered, which led to the loss of the war for the Germans (Watson).

After the war however, his political views began to overshadow his military achievements. While Germany was collapsing both on the battlefield and politically within, he resigned his position as Quartermaster. He then played a pivotal role in creating the “Stab-in-the-back” myth, which he propagated in numerous writings and speeches. It was this idea that Germany had not been defeated on the battlefield, but rather betrayed from within by civilians ranging from communists to Jewish people in Germany. This led to his inclusion in the early Nazi groups, and his Hitler support from as early as the 1920s. Although he didn’t fully support Nazi ideologies, his views eventually aligned with theirs, and he tried to use his political influence to engage with the Nazi party. In his book Ludendorff’s Own Story he says, “Germany’s salvation lies in the hands of its soldiers and in the strength of its military order. The National Socialists will return Germany to greatness.” (Ludendorff).

As his political influence began to decrease, along with the rise of the Nazi party, he died on December 20th, 1937 from heart failure. Though his military influence and tactical genius in World War I did not go unrecognized, his reputation as an accomplished general was diminished by his intense political views and decisions after the war. Even though he had some good and bad moments, there is no question about his importance in the history of Germany and the world.

Works Cited

"The Battle of Tannenberg: Massacre in the Marshes." Warfare History Network, 20 Oct. 2017, . Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Borrell-Verdu, Stéphanie. "What Was the Schlieffen Plan?" OpenLearn, The Open University. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

"Erich Ludendorff." BBC History, BBC News. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

"Erich Ludendorff." Chemins de Mémoire, Ministère des Armées. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

"Erich Ludendorff Photos and Images." Getty Images. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

"Erich Ludendorff: Successful Tactician, Failed Strategist." Military Strategy Magazine. Accessed 7 Nov. 2024.

"Erich Ludendorff: The General Who Almost Won World War I." YouTube, uploaded by The Great War, 2014,. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

"Ludendorff, Erich." California State University, Northridge. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

"Ludendorff, Erich." First World War. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Ludendorff, Erich. “Ludendorff’s Own Story, August 1914-November 1918; the Great War from the Siege of Liège to the Signing of the Armistice as Viewed from the Grand Headquarters of the German Army.” New York: Harper, 1919. 

Mombaur, Annika. "What Was the Schlieffen Plan?" OpenLearn, The Open University,. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Toynbee, Arnold. The German Terror In Belgium. Oxford, 1917, Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Watson, Alexander. "German Spring Offensives 1918." 1914-1918 Online: International Encyclopedia of the First World War, 2015. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Artist Statement

I chose this topic because I knew I wanted to do something related to World War I. I had already learned a lot about World War II in the past, and found the earlier parts of the semester about the first World War very engaging. I also wanted to pick somebody on the German side, as I knew little about German military personnel outside of Hitler and thiught it would be interesting to dive into the mind of someone fighting for a cause that was so morally incorrect in so many ways. I landed on Ludendorff, after finding him while researching and knowing nothing about him despite his high ranks. I chose this moment because I wanted to capture the feeling of defeat when the Germans knew they had lost. Feelings of distress and denial where ones I wanted to convey, and through this scene we can see Ludendorff slowly loosing his mind, starting with his meeting with his generals including his partner Hindenburg. The main challenge I faced was finding a good transition from his realizing his defeat, into it starting to effect him mentally. I chose to show this thriough and interaction with his wife, which I thought was a good choice though could have been improved with more time. I will certainly never forget who Erich Ludendorff is, and will forever know his life story which is very fascinating, though he wasn't the greatest guy. I think that even though technologies have changed, World War I is the same kind of war we are fighting in Ukraine, or Israel. Humans still have the same conflict and same feelings toward each other, and while technology may change, human nature never will.