Franz von Papen

Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen was born on October 29, 1879, in Werl, Westphalia, into a wealthy Catholic noble family. His father, Friedrich von Papen-Köningen, was a cavalry officer who had participated in several major 19th-century conflicts, including the Austro-Prussian and Franco-Prussian Wars. The Papen family held 'erbsälzer' status, a hereditary right to mine brine salt at Werl dating back to 1298, a heritage that instilled in Franz a lifelong belief in the importance of the aristocracy.

At age 11, he entered a cadet school in Bensberg, followed by training at the Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt in Lichterfelde. He was trained as a 'Herrenreiter' or gentleman rider, a skill that complemented his role as an officer in the Westphalian Uhlan Regiment No. 5. His marriage in 1905 to Martha von Boch-Galhau, daughter of a wealthy industrialist, provided him with significant financial independence.

Throughout his early life, he was a devoted follower of Kaiser Wilhelm II and a committed militarist, influenced by the writings of General Friedrich von Bernhardi. These formative years established the foundation for a career defined by his dual identity as a Prussian nobleman and a dedicated servant of the German state.

In 1913, Papen entered the diplomatic service as a military attaché to the German ambassador in the United States. His tenure was marked by a penchant for international intrigue and adventure. During a 1914 trip to Mexico, he observed the Mexican Revolution and became involved in arms sales to General Victoriano Huerta, hoping to expand German influence in the region.

Upon arriving in Washington, D.C., in July 1914, he attempted to secure weapons for Germany, but the British naval blockade made this nearly impossible. Consequently, he turned to covert operations. He hired private detective Paul Koenig to organize a sabotage campaign against Allied-owned businesses in New York and attempted to corner the market on hydraulic presses to hinder artillery shell production.

He also engaged in forging passports and supporting Indian nationalists in their efforts against the British Raj. His activities were eventually uncovered by British intelligence, leading the United States to declare him 'persona non grata' in December 1915. Despite his expulsion, he remained active in covert operations, including facilitating arms for the Irish Easter Rising of 1916, demonstrating his commitment to unconventional warfare.

During World War I, Papen returned to active military duty. He served on the Western Front, commanding the 2nd Battalion of the 93rd Reserve Infantry Regiment during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He later fought at Vimy Ridge before transferring to the Middle East in 1917, where he served on the General Staff and with the Ottoman army in Palestine.

Following the 1918 armistice, he refused to obey orders to organize soldiers' councils, fleeing to Germany to meet with Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg. After leaving the army in 1919, he became a gentleman farmer at his estate, Haus Merfeld. However, the political instability of the Weimar Republic drew him back into public life.

He joined the Centre Party and became a powerful dealmaker, utilizing his influence as the chief of the editorial board for the Catholic newspaper 'Germania.' Though he was a monarchist at heart, he navigated the complex political landscape of the 1920s, often clashing with his own party leadership and aligning himself with conservative forces that sought to restore traditional German structures.

In June 1932, President Hindenburg appointed Papen as Chancellor, a move orchestrated by his friend General Kurt von Schleicher. Papen’s cabinet, known as the 'cabinet of barons,' lacked a strong base of support in the Reichstag. To govern, he relied on Article 48, which allowed the President to sign emergency decrees.

During his tenure, he dissolved the Reichstag twice and lifted the ban on the Nazi Party’s paramilitary wings, the SA and SS, in an attempt to gain their cooperation. He also represented Germany at the Lausanne Conference, where he negotiated the end of reparations payments. However, his political maneuvering failed to secure the stability he sought.

He eventually pressured Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as Chancellor in 1933, naively believing he could control the new government from his position as Vice-Chancellor. This decision proved to be a major turning point in German history. Papen was quickly marginalized by the Nazi leadership and left the government in 1934 following the Night of the Long Knives, during which he was placed under house arrest and his associates were targeted.

Following his departure from the vice-chancellorship, Papen served as the German ambassador to Austria from 1934 to 1938 and to Turkey from 1939 to 1944. In his role in Vienna, he was instrumental in the events leading to the Anschluss, or the annexation of Austria by Germany, by pressuring the Austrian Chancellor to sign away his country's sovereignty. He officially joined the Nazi Party in 1938.

After the conclusion of World War II, Papen was indicted for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. He was acquitted of all charges by the International Military Tribunal. However, in 1947, a West German denazification court found him to be a major culprit in crimes related to the Nazi government and sentenced him to eight years of hard labor.

He was released on appeal in 1949. In his later years, he published his memoirs, titled 'Der Wahrheit eine Gasse' (Giving Truth a Chance), in which he portrayed himself as a tragic patriot who had attempted to moderate the government from within. He died on May 2, 1969, at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy that remains a subject of intense historical debate regarding the role of conservative elites in the collapse of the Weimar Republic.