Kurt Von Schleicher - Early Life

Early Life

Schleicher was born in Brandenburg an der Havel, the son of a Prussian officer and a shipowner′s daughter. He entered the German Army in 1900 as a Leutnant after graduating from a cadet training school. In his early years, Schleicher made two friendships which later were to play an important role in his life. As a cadet, Schleicher befriended Franz von Papen, and later on as an officer in the Third Guards Regiment, he befriended Oskar von Hindenburg. During World War I, he served on the staff of Wilhelm Groener, who became Schleicher′s patron. In December 1918, Schleicher delivered an ultimatum to Friedrich Ebert on behalf of Paul von Hindenburg demanding that the German provisional government either allow the Army to crush the Spartacus League or the Army would do that task themselves. During the ensuing talks with the German cabinet, Schleicher was able to get permission to allow the Army to return to Berlin. On December 23, 1918, a group of Red sailors seemed set to storm and take over the Provisional government when the sailors cut all telephone lines from the Chancellor′s office to the War Ministry except for a secret one. When Ebert used the secret line to call the War Ministry, it was Schleicher who took the call. In exchange for agreeing to send help to the government, Schleicher was able to secure Ebert′s assent to the Army being allowed to maintain its political autonomy. When Gustav Noske was appointed Defence Minister on December 27, 1918, both Groener and his protégé Schleicher established excellent working relations with the new minister. To deal with the problem of the lack of loyal troops, Schleicher helped to found the Freikorps in early January 1919.