The national government and the Lithuanian crisis
Papens ‘national’ government
Late March 1936 saw the inauguration of Von Papens new cabinet, which now included State Secretaries of the DNVP and NLP. In order to make place for these new State Secretaries, a number of old DKP-stalwarts had to make place. The old State Secretaries of Justice, Posts and Colonies (resp. Von Gayl, Von Eltz-Rübenach and Schnee) retired from politics in order to make room for DNVP and NLP candidates. Secretary for the Interior Graf von Bernstorff retired too, citing weak health. The most painful dismissals for Papen had been those of doctor Schacht (Finance) and Graf Schwerin von Krosigk (Economy) despite their efforts on containing the crisis in order to furfill DNVP and NLP demands. Schacht was appointed as President of the Reichsbank, while Schwerin von Krosigk would remain part of the government as Secretary without Portfolio. The now vacant post of Secretary of the Interior was given to Kurt von Schleicher himself, who was given the task of restoring order to the German cities.
The DNVP had no problems finding candidates for the post of Finance, with Alfred Hugenberg taking this post himself. As expected, Hugenberg found himself battling Reichsbank-president Schacht over leadership over the economic recovery effort. The post of Justice was given to Franz Gürtner, formerly serving at the same post in the Bavarian government. The last DNVP-secretary was the most surprising one: Otto Christian von Bismarck, the grandson of the Iron Chancellor himself, would become the new State Secretary for Post and Transport.
That NLP-leader Lettow-Vorbeck didn’t join the government himself was a welcome surprise for Von Papen. The beleaguered Chancellor had to deal with Hugenbergs frequent demands and outbursts already. The NLP would be represented by the NLP’s economics expert Johannes Popitz and Paul Lejeune-Jung as new Secretary for the Colonies. Given Lettow-Vorbecks history as Mittelafrikan Statthalter, his main task would be defending the rights of the native peoples, which would put him on colision course with Statthalter Herman Goering.
A last surprising addition to the government was the famous Manfred von Richthofen as the first State Secretary for the Airforce, elevating the Chief of Staff of the Luftstreitkräfte to the ministerial level, just as the Navy is headed by a member of the candidate. The Red Baron reluctantly accepted this promotion, even while he knew Papen was just borrowing his name to bolster confidence in his administration. The elevation of the head of the Luftstreitkräfte to State Secretary was seen as the coming of age of Germanies airforce, which now no longer fell under the Generalstab. Richthofens first task as State Secretary was to appoint a successor as Chief of Staff. This soon broiled down to a battle between the fighter ace Ernst Udet and general staffer Walther Wever, each representing a powerful branch within the airforce.
Manfred von Richthofen (b. 1892). 44 years of age but still known for his boyish charm, Manfred von Richthofen became a top scoring ace during the Weltkrieg, Germanies first General der Flieger in 1929 and Germanies youngest Generalfeldmarschall in 1935. As Chief of Staff of the Luftstreitkräfte Richthofen had put emphasis on the expansion of the fighter arm in order to protect Germany and the development of two engined bombers to support the armed forces in their advance. In his new position of State Secretary of the Airforce, he will have to find a balance between the needs of his pilots and the demands of the Reichstag.
The Von Papen ‘national’ administration
Chancellor and Prime Minister of Prussia: Franz von Papen (DKP)
State secretary for Foreign Affairs: Friedrich-Werner Graf von der Schulenberg (DKP)
Stare secretary for Finance: Alfred Hugenberg (DNVP)
State Secretary for the Interior: Kurt von Schleicher (DKP)
State Secretary for the Navy: Grossadmiral Ludwig von Reuter (independent)
State Secretary for the Airforce: Generalfeldmarschall Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen (independent)
State Secretary for Economic affairs: Johannes Popitz (NLP)
State Secretary for Justice: Franz Gürtner (DNVP)
State Secretary for Agriculture: Magnus Freiherr von Braun (DKP)
State Secretary for the Post, Telegraph and Transport: Otto Christian, Fürst von Bismarck (DNVP)
State Secretary for the Colonies: Paul Lejeune-Jung (NLP)
State Secretary without Portfolio: Johann Graf Schwerin von Krosigk (DKP)
The Lithuanian crisis
After the Weltkrieg, Germany had set up a number of newly created states on its borders, in order to create a barrier between Russia and Germany proper. Most of these states where rather weak constructions as Flanders-Wallonia, the United Baltic Duchy and White Ruthenia. All states firmly under Germanies control, as the nationalities living within these states could be played against eachother. Lithuania on the other hand had a long history as a sovereign nationstate. Nationalists within the Lithuanian parliament had always agitated against the rise of German schools in Lithuania, the mandatory education of German in all higher education, the double posting of all placenames and other forced Germanifications of Lithuanian culture. In march 1936 all simmering resentment exploded into a massive wave of protests throughout the nation. After the police failed to maintain order, the government made the fateful decision to send in the army, fearing German invasion if they failed to maintain order. Unfortunately the army refused to fire on their countrymen and soon the government and king Mindaugas III where forced to flee to Berlin.
King Mindaugas III of Lithuania. (B. 1899 as Karl Gero von Urach). He had succeeded his father Mindaugas II as king of Lithuania in 1928, becoming its second king after Lithuania's independence from Russia. Both he and his father based their regal name on a 12th century Lithuanian king.
The new nationalist government had hoped to gain German recognition, offering to ratify the Mitteleuropa defence agreement Germany had forced upon its satellites and offering to invite king Mindaugas to return to Vilnius. All hopes of a peaceful solution where soon shattered after Kaiser Wilhelm himself publicly stated that he would do everything in his power to restore king Mindaugas to his throne. Unsurprisingly, it where Hugenbergs newspapers who first published this news. With both the Kaiser and the DNVP actively seeking war, the Papen administration had no choice but to prepare for war.
Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg (b. 1878). To the chagrin of many traditionalists, Blomberg was the first Marshall receiving the baton in times of peace in 1935, the same year he was appointed Oberbefehlhaber Ost, the commander charged with the protection of Germanies Eastern border.
The task of preparing for the Lithuanian campaign went to Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg, the Oberbefehlhaber Ost. Blomberg had quickly risen through the ranks owing to the patronage of Hans von Seeckt, the Chief of the Generalstab himself. He was the first Marshall to receive the marshalls baton in times of peace (the other being Manfred von Richthofen) for his efforts in keeping Germanies Eastern borders peaceful. For the upcoming campaign, Blomberg could muster ten divisions, divided in five corps, with the Baltic Landeswehr and the White Ruthenian borderguard providing further assistance.
Order of Battle for the Lithuanian pacification
I. Armee - Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg
- I Ostpreussische Armeekorps – General der Infanterie Friedrich Kress von Kressenstein
- I Armeekorps – Generalleutnant Walther von Brauchitsch
- II Armeekorps - Generalleutnant Georg von Küchler
- V Armeekorps – Generalleutnant Maximillian von Weichs
- XIV Armeekorps – Generalleutnant Conrad von Cockenhausen
Additional support
- I. Baltische Landswehr Korps – General der Landswehr Rüdiger Von der Golz
- 1st. White Ruthenian Corps – Leutenant-General Bronislaw Kaminski
Blombergs plan was as arrogant as it was simple: he would lead an advance towards Gardinas (Grodno) personally, splitting Lithuania in two and showing the Lithuanians they had no chance against the might of the German Empire. Afterwards he could decide wether to encircle the Lithuanian forces, strike at major cities as Kaunas and Vilnius or seek terms with the defeated Lithuanians. Blomberg promised the government to overrun the revolting state in just ten days, despite objections of most of his subordinates. The venerable general Kress von Kressenstein, a veteran of the Caucasus campaign of the Weltkrieg had tried to point out the dangers of a retreating enemy in difficult terrain, as the Lithuanian forests where. Yet Blomberg was determined to start the campaign on the tenth of April…