Franz von Papen

Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen (October 29, 1879–May 2, 1969) was a German politician and diplomat associated with the Centre Party.

Related Topics:
October 29 - 1879 - May 2 - 1969 - German - Politician - Diplomat - Centre Party

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Born to a wealthy and noble Catholic family in Westphalia, Papen served as an officer on the Turkish front in World War I, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. During World War 1, von Papen also served as intermediary between the Irish rebels of 1916 and the German government regarding the purchase and delivery of arms to be used against the British during the Easter Rising. Returning to Germany, he entered politics, joining the Centre Party, in which the monarchist Papen formed part of the right wing.

Related Topics:
Westphalia - World War I - Lieutenant Colonel - Easter Rising - Centre Party

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In the 1925 presidential elections, he surprised his party by supporting the right-wing candidate Paul von Hindenburg over the Centre Party's Wilhelm Marx.

Related Topics:
1925 - Paul von Hindenburg - Wilhelm Marx

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In June 1, 1932, he moved from relative obscurity to supreme importance when President Hindenburg appointed him Chancellor, even though this meant replacing his own party's Heinrich Brüning. The day before, he had promised party chairman Ludwig Kaas not to accept any appointment, and Kaas accordingly branded him the "Ephialtes of the Centre Party". Papen forestalled being expelled by leaving the party on June 3, 1932.

Related Topics:
1932 - Hindenburg - Chancellor - Heinrich Brüning - Ludwig Kaas - Ephialtes - June 3

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Except from the conservative German National People's Party (DNVP), he had practically no support in the Reichstag, of which he was never a member. Papen ruled in an authoritarian manner, launching a coup against the Social Democratic led government of Prussia (the so-called Preußenschlag), and repealing his predecessor's ban on the SA as a way to appease the Nazis, whom he hoped to lure into supporting his government. Ultimately, after two Reichstag elections only increased the Nazis' strength in the Reichstag without substantially increasing Papen's own parliamentary support, he was forced to resign as Chancellor, and was replaced on December 4, 1932 by Kurt von Schleicher, who hoped to establish a broad coalition government by gaining the support of both Nazi and Social Democratic trade unionists.

Related Topics:
German National People's Party - Reichstag - Prussia - Preußenschlag - SA - Nazi - December 4 - 1932 - Kurt von Schleicher

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As it became increasingly obvious that Schleicher's maneuvering to find a Reichstag majority would be unsuccessful, Papen and DNVP leader Alfred Hugenberg came to an agreement with Hitler to allow him to become Chancellor of a coalition government with the Nationalists, and with Papen serving as Vice-Chancellor. Papen used his personal ties with the aged von Hindenburg to persuade the President, who had previously vowed never to allow Hitler to become Chancellor, to fire Schleicher and appoint Hitler to the post on January 30, 1933.

Related Topics:
Alfred Hugenberg - Vice-Chancellor - January 30 - 1933

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Once Hitler was in power, von Papen and his allies were quickly marginalized, and he retired from the Vice-Chancellorship in 1934, following the Night of the Long Knives, when many of Hitler's enemies inside and outside the party (including Schleicher) were murdered. Von Papen was arrested and put under house arrest for three days but his secretary, Herbert von Bose, and his speech writer, Edgar Julius Jung, were murdered. Later, Papen served the German government as Ambassador to Austria from 1934 to 1938 and Ambassador to Turkey from 1939 to 1944. There he survived an assassination attempt by Stalin's agents.

Related Topics:
Night of the Long Knives - Edgar Julius Jung - Austria - Turkey - Assassin - Stalin

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During the war, the German government considered appointing Papen ambassador to the Holy See, but Pope Pius XII, after consulting Konrad von Preysing, Bishop of Berlin, rejected this proposal.

Related Topics:
Holy See - Pope Pius XII - Konrad von Preysing

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Papen was captured by the allies after the war and was one of the defendants at the main Nuremberg War Crimes Trial, but was acquitted.

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He tried unsuccessfully to re-start his political career in the 1950s.

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In 1923 Papen had received the honorary dignity of a Papal chamberlain. After Pope Pius XI had died in 1939, his successor Pius XII did not renew this appointment, probably in the light of Papen's political role. John XXIII however, who was acquainted with Papen from his years as nuntius to Greece and Turkey, revived this honour on July 24, 1959. Von Papen died in 1969 at the age of 89.

Related Topics:
1923 - Pope Pius XI - 1939 - Pius XII - John XXIII - 1959

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