Otto Wagener
Encyclopedia
Otto Wagener was a German
major general
and, for a period, Adolf Hitler
's economic advisor.
, graduated from Gymnasium
and then became an army
officer. In 1916 during the First World War, Wagener was promoted to the General Staff
.
After the war, Wagener was involved in the planning of an attack against the city of Posen (now Poznań
, in Poland
), but had to flee to the Baltic countries
to avoid arrest. There he merged all Freikorps
associations into the German Legion, and assumed leadership after its leader, Paul Siewert, was murdered. After returning to Germany, he was active in Freikorps operations in Upper Silesia
, Saxony
, and the Ruhr area
.
In 1920 he studied economics
and managed to broaden his knowledge by traveling abroad. In 1929 Wagener joined the Nazi Party and the Sturmabteilung
, having been recruited by his old Friecorps comrade Franz Pfeffer von Salomon
. As Kershaw explains, Wagener was able to put his business acumen and contacts to good usage for the Nazis, in this case for the SA:
He functioned as SA Chief of Staff
from October 1929 through December 1930, assuming effective command of the SA for a few months in the wake of the Stennes Revolt
until the assumption of command by Ernst Rohm
as the new Chief of Staff in early January 1931. In 1933 became a member of the Reichstag
.
In January 1931, Wagener led the Political-economic Department of the Nazi Party, and in September 1932 he was appointed the Führer
's personal economic advisor. Hitler appointed him Reich Commissar for the Economy from April to June 1933.
By late 1930 or early 1931 Wagener had made a mark on Nazi economic policy. As Patch notes (p. 201-02):
Wagener was replaced in his role as Commissioner for Economic Questions by Wilhelm Keppler
, as Wagener had become embroiled in "coordination" disputes with leaders of industry after the Nazi assumption of power in January 1933, even forcibly occupying the industry-run trade association Reich Association of German Industry with the intention of shutting it down.
Internal conflicts led to legal proceedings against Wagener in 1933 and 1934 in a case brought before the USCHLA
(Party tribunal). After the Night of the Long Knives
, Wagener was detained for a short time. Nevertheless, he was rehabilitated, and he went back into the army.
In the Second World War, Wagener served at the front, rising to the rank of major general
and division commander
. After the war, Wagener found himself first in British
and later, from 1947 to 1952, Italian
prisoner of war camps. He died in Chieming
.
In 1946, while being held by the British, Wagener wrote his memoirs about Hitler and the Nazi Party's early history, entitled Hitler aus nächster Nähe. Aufzeichnungen eines Vertrauten 1929-1932 (known in English as Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidante). His work was not published until six years after his death, in 1977. His memoirs are used, to some degree, by Third Reich historians.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and, for a period, Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's economic advisor.
Biography
An industrialist's son, Wagener was born in DurlachDurlach
Durlach is a borough of the German city of Karlsruhe with a population of roughly 30,000.-History:Durlach was bestowed by emperor Frederick II on the margrave Hermann V of Zähringen as an allodial possession, but afterwards came into the hands of Rudolph of Habsburg.It was chosen by the margrave...
, graduated from Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and then became an army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
officer. In 1916 during the First World War, Wagener was promoted to the General Staff
General Staff
A military staff, often referred to as General Staff, Army Staff, Navy Staff or Air Staff within the individual services, is a group of officers and enlisted personnel that provides a bi-directional flow of information between a commanding officer and subordinate military units...
.
After the war, Wagener was involved in the planning of an attack against the city of Posen (now Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
), but had to flee to the Baltic countries
Baltic countries
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
to avoid arrest. There he merged all Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
associations into the German Legion, and assumed leadership after its leader, Paul Siewert, was murdered. After returning to Germany, he was active in Freikorps operations in Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, and the Ruhr area
Ruhr Area
The Ruhr, by German-speaking geographers and historians more accurately called Ruhr district or Ruhr region , is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 4435 km² and a population of some 5.2 million , it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany...
.
In 1920 he studied economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and managed to broaden his knowledge by traveling abroad. In 1929 Wagener joined the Nazi Party and the Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
, having been recruited by his old Friecorps comrade Franz Pfeffer von Salomon
Franz Pfeffer von Salomon
Franz Pfeffer von Salomon was the first commander of the SA after its 1925 restoration, which followed its temporary abolition in 1923 after the abortive Beer Hall Putsch....
. As Kershaw explains, Wagener was able to put his business acumen and contacts to good usage for the Nazis, in this case for the SA:
Wagener had used his business contacts to persuade a cigarette firm to produce "Sturm" cigarettes for SA men -- a "sponsorship" deal benefiting both the firm and SA coffers. Stormtroopers were strongly encouraged to smoke only these cigarettes. A cut from the profit went to the SA ....
He functioned as SA Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
from October 1929 through December 1930, assuming effective command of the SA for a few months in the wake of the Stennes Revolt
Stennes Revolt
The Stennes Revolt, led by Walter Stennes , the Berlin commandant of the Sturmabteilung , erupted in the summer of 1930 and again in the spring of 1931...
until the assumption of command by Ernst Rohm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
as the new Chief of Staff in early January 1931. In 1933 became a member of the Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
.
In January 1931, Wagener led the Political-economic Department of the Nazi Party, and in September 1932 he was appointed the Führer
Führer
Führer , alternatively spelled Fuehrer in both English and German when the umlaut is not available, is a German title meaning leader or guide now most associated with Adolf Hitler, who modelled it on Benito Mussolini's title il Duce, as well as with Georg von Schönerer, whose followers also...
's personal economic advisor. Hitler appointed him Reich Commissar for the Economy from April to June 1933.
By late 1930 or early 1931 Wagener had made a mark on Nazi economic policy. As Patch notes (p. 201-02):
Wagener formulated an original set of economic policies based on Social Darwinist principles in confidential talks with Hitler and succeeded in recruiting many middle echelon industrial managers and owners of small factories for the NSDAP....[A confidential draft by Wagener] embraced the ideal of the "company union" (Werksgemeinschaft) and described the employer as the "Fuhrer" within his factory. All disputes over wages and working conditions would be settled within the "family" of the individual company in the National Socialist state of the future. Trade unions would be responsible merely for vocational training.
Wagener was replaced in his role as Commissioner for Economic Questions by Wilhelm Keppler
Wilhelm Keppler
Wilhelm Karl Keppler was a German businessman and one of Adolf Hitler's early financial backers. Introduced to Hitler by Heinrich Himmler, Keppler helped to finance the Nazi Party....
, as Wagener had become embroiled in "coordination" disputes with leaders of industry after the Nazi assumption of power in January 1933, even forcibly occupying the industry-run trade association Reich Association of German Industry with the intention of shutting it down.
Internal conflicts led to legal proceedings against Wagener in 1933 and 1934 in a case brought before the USCHLA
USCHLA
The Uschla was an internal Nazi tribunal system that was established by Adolf Hitler in 1926 to settle intra-party problems and disputes....
(Party tribunal). After the Night of the Long Knives
Night of the Long Knives
The Night of the Long Knives , sometimes called "Operation Hummingbird " or in Germany the "Röhm-Putsch," was a purge that took place in Nazi Germany between June 30 and July 2, 1934, when the Nazi regime carried out a series of political murders...
, Wagener was detained for a short time. Nevertheless, he was rehabilitated, and he went back into the army.
In the Second World War, Wagener served at the front, rising to the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
and division commander
Division (military)
A division is a large military unit or formation usually consisting of between 10,000 and 20,000 soldiers. In most armies, a division is composed of several regiments or brigades, and in turn several divisions typically make up a corps...
. After the war, Wagener found himself first in British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and later, from 1947 to 1952, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
prisoner of war camps. He died in Chieming
Chieming
Chieming is a municipality in the district of Traunstein in Bavaria, Germany.- Etymology :The name Chieming, Chiemsee and the name of the area Chiemgau go back to the Old High German personal name Chiemo...
.
In 1946, while being held by the British, Wagener wrote his memoirs about Hitler and the Nazi Party's early history, entitled Hitler aus nächster Nähe. Aufzeichnungen eines Vertrauten 1929-1932 (known in English as Hitler: Memoirs of a Confidante). His work was not published until six years after his death, in 1977. His memoirs are used, to some degree, by Third Reich historians.
External links
- Review of memoirs at the New York Times