LUDENDORFF'S COLLAPSE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 17 January 1925, Page 2

LUDENDORFF'S COLLAPSE

A TRAGIC FAILURE

NATION’S ESTEEM LOST

Ludendorff’s removal of his residence to Prussia from Bavaria, where for several years lie maintained a centre for plots and conspiracies against the German Republic, marks the farcical conclusion of another tragic chapter in the career of the military leader.

A year ago he and Hitler, representing the aspirations of the pan-German monarchist movement, were the dominating force in Bavaria, and it is only a few months since l.udendorff forced tbs triumphant acquittal by a .Munich court, before which he was being tried for complicity in the rathskeller putsch of Munich on November 9. 1923. He left the courtroom a hero, but tins war. his last, ‘‘triumph.’’ R was. indeed, a Pyrrhic victory, for it marked the beginning and end of Ludendorff’s politic:! i career. His subsequent role as a member of the Reichstag merely helped to emphasise file. undistinguished loi that tins befallen this- sell-appointed candidate for Valhalla. His refusal to heed the advice of friends not to run for re-election in the present _campaign emphasised his utter lack of political perspective.

FORFEITS NATION’S RESPECT

Had he been content- to remain in dignified retirement he might be enjoying tr. this day the position of universal respect accorded Hindenburg. But lie chose a different road, and made himself leader of the irresponsible and discredited forces of Prussian pan-Germanism, in the foolish Hone that these elements of yesterday could again become the ruling powers of to-day. The long, difficult years of internal and political strife and the financial and economic disintegrations. and the struggles ensuing from the occupation of the Ruhr, hail fed ihe movement of which Ludcndoi f’f made himself the head, but all of that was hound to 1 diminish in influence with the improvement of Germany’s international position and her return to economic and financial stability.

Ludendorff’s transfer of this operations towards Prussia—assuming he will find the means and courage to coaitinke them on Prussian soil, where even greater disappointment awaits hint than in Bavaria —is due to his loss of standing and prestige in Bavaria, where he was tolerated up to the point where he sought to make himself master of Bavarian affairs, ahu arbiter of the destiny of the Wittelsbach dynasty.

The unexpected armed resistance si.own by the Yon Kahr regime tp the November putsch of last year tv a a emphatic notice given LudondorlT and Hitler, and through them the Prussian monarchist party operating on Bavarian soil, that the Bavarians did not intend to submit to Prussian domination. Behind Von Kahr and his military lieutenant. Von Lossow, stood Rupprecht and the Bavarian Catholic hierarchy.

By his subsequent violent attacks on Rupprochl and the Catholic Church Ludondovff alienated the support of the Bavarian .military circles and aroused the bitter opposition of the Catholic Church not only in Bavaria but throughout the Reich. The upshot of this struggle was the unleashing c.f a sort of “kulturkampf” between Catholic Bavaria and Prussian Fascism—a struggle from which the general public can offlv benefit.

JEALOUSIES FANNED

The schism created by Ludendcrff between Bavarian Catholic fascism and Prussian Protestant fascism constitutes only one of the many weak points in the entire German monarchist movement. The several camps have in turn been divided-by internal conflicts on questions of policy and tactics, while above ali these problems hovers the traditional jealousy aiul competition of the houses of Wittelsbfteh and Hohenzollern. To these factors, all of which contribute, even though negatively, to the strength of trie Republic, must bo added the inability of the Prussian monarchists to agree Upon a candidate for the throne, and their hatred for llapprecht, whom they suspect of ambition to occup> the throne vacated bv the Holienzollerns. For the present, at Least, Ruppvecht’s ambition appears to be somewhat more modest.

Hr would be satisfied with ascending the throne of his fathers at Munich provided the Reich Government could be reconciled to the anomaly of Bavaria, a monarchy, as part of the Federated German Republic. As things now stand this idea of the Bavarian extremists has little likelihood of realisation. and if they should attempt to put it into effect they would find themselves confronted with -very serious opposition from Berlin, which will make their position extremely uncomfortable and bring their enterprise to a ridiculous fiasco.