Wilhelm Henning
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Henning was a German
military officer and right-wing
politician.
German National People's Party
(DNVP) and was elected to the Reichstag
in 1920. From the start Henning was on the extreme anti-Semitic and was close to the likes of Albrecht von Graefe
, Reinhold Wulle
and Richard Kunze
, although the latter split from the DNVP in 1921 to form his own Deutschsoziale Partei.
as an "international Jew" who had sullied German honour by not mentioning the murder of envoy Wilhelm Graf von Mirbach-Horff in Moscow
during the Treaty of Rapallo
negotiations. With Rathenau murdered at around the same time it appeared that rogue elements within the DNVP were endorsing political murder and so, under pressure from Chancellor Joseph Wirth
, the DNVP leadership expelled the far right
anti-Semitic wing, including Henning. In response Henning joined with Wulle and von Graefe in establishing the German Völkisch Freedom Party
(DVFP) as a rightist splinter group. Henning continued to represent this group (as well as the National Socialist Freedom Movement
, a joint list with the Nazi Party active after the Beer Hall Putsch
) in the Reichstag until 1928.
between the DVFP and the Nazis Henning had been a strong critic of Adolf Hitler
and had denounced him as "not a politician". Despite this he would go one to serve as a Nazi Party member after the collapse of the DVFP. Henning also served as the deputy chairman of the Verband nationalgesinnter Soldaten, a right-wing veterans organisation active in the 1920s.
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...
military officer and right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
politician.
Military service
Henning enlisted as an officer in the German Imperial Army in 1879 and remained until 1919 when he retired with the rank of Major. From 1917 he served in the War Ministry and was moved to St Petersburg in 1918.Politics
Entering politics, Henning joined the conservativeConservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
German National People's Party
German National People's Party
The German National People's Party was a national conservative party in Germany during the time of the Weimar Republic. Before the rise of the NSDAP it was the main nationalist party in Weimar Germany composed of nationalists, reactionary monarchists, völkisch, and antisemitic elements, and...
(DNVP) and was elected to 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 1920. From the start Henning was on the extreme anti-Semitic and was close to the likes of Albrecht von Graefe
Albrecht von Graefe (politician)
Albrecht von Graefe was a German landowner and right-wing politician active both during the German Empire and the Weimar Republic...
, Reinhold Wulle
Reinhold Wulle
Reinhold Wulle was a German Völkisch politician and publicist active during the Weimar Republic.-Völkisch politics:...
and Richard Kunze
Richard Kunze
Richard Kunze was a German right-wing politician notorious for his anti-Semitism.-Early years:...
, although the latter split from the DNVP in 1921 to form his own Deutschsoziale Partei.
Rathenau controversy
Henning became notorious for an article of his that appeared in the June 1922 edition of Konservative Monatsschrift. In the article, 'The Real Face of Rapallo Terror', Henning denounced Walther RathenauWalther Rathenau
Walther Rathenau was a German Jewish industrialist, politician, writer, and statesman who served as Foreign Minister of Germany during the Weimar Republic...
as an "international Jew" who had sullied German honour by not mentioning the murder of envoy Wilhelm Graf von Mirbach-Horff in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
during the Treaty of Rapallo
Treaty of Rapallo, 1922
The Treaty of Rapallo was an agreement signed at the Hotel Imperiale in the Italian town of Rapallo on 16 April, 1922 between Germany and Soviet Russia under which each renounced all territorial and financial claims against the other following the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk and World War I.The two...
negotiations. With Rathenau murdered at around the same time it appeared that rogue elements within the DNVP were endorsing political murder and so, under pressure from Chancellor Joseph Wirth
Joseph Wirth
Karl Joseph Wirth, known as Joseph Wirth, was a German politician of the Catholic Centre Party who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1921 to 1922.-Biography:...
, the DNVP leadership expelled the far right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
anti-Semitic wing, including Henning. In response Henning joined with Wulle and von Graefe in establishing the German Völkisch Freedom Party
German Völkisch Freedom Party
The German Völkisch Freedom Party was a right-wing and antisemitic political party of Weimar Germany that took its name from the Völkisch movement, a populist movement focused on folklore and the German Volk....
(DVFP) as a rightist splinter group. Henning continued to represent this group (as well as the National Socialist Freedom Movement
National Socialist Freedom Movement
The National Socialist Freedom Movement , or NSFB) or National Socialist Freedom Party was a German political party created in April 1924 in the aftermath of the Munich Putsch. Adolf Hitler and many Nazi Party leaders were jailed after the attempted coup and the Nazi party was outlawed in what...
, a joint list with the Nazi Party active after the Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
) in the Reichstag until 1928.
Later years
During the struggles for the leadership of the Völkisch movementVölkisch movement
The volkisch movement is the German interpretation of the populist movement, with a romantic focus on folklore and the "organic"...
between the DVFP and the Nazis Henning had been a strong critic of 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...
and had denounced him as "not a politician". Despite this he would go one to serve as a Nazi Party member after the collapse of the DVFP. Henning also served as the deputy chairman of the Verband nationalgesinnter Soldaten, a right-wing veterans organisation active in the 1920s.