Marinebrigade Ehrhardt

The Marinebrigade Ehrhardt was a Freikorps group of around 6,000 men formed by Korvettenkapitän Hermann Ehrhardt in the Aftermath of World War I, also known as II Marine Brigade or the Ehrhardt Brigade. It took part in the fighting for the cities of central Germany and the northwestern ports, in addition to participating in the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch.

Related Topics:
Freikorps - Korvettenkapitän - Hermann Ehrhardt - Aftermath of World War I - Germany - Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch

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The Brigade was formed from former Naval personnel in the area of Generalkommando des Garde-Korps (Berlin). It was commanded by the conservative Nationalist Hermann Ehrhardt and fought alongside the Freiw.Landesschützenkorps under General von Roeder in the retaking of Northwest German ports such as Bremen, Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven in early 1919. After the defeat of the northern revolutionary forces the Brigade marched to the industrial cities of central Germany (along with the Freiw.Landesjägerkorps, I Marine Brigade, Freikorps Hülsen, Freikorps Görlitz and Freikorps von Oven) to defeat the Autonomous Revolutionary Cities.

Related Topics:
Naval personnel - Berlin - Bremen - Cuxhaven - Wilhelmshaven - 1919

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After the Revolutionary cities' defeat, the Brigade went on to fight the Bavarian Soviet Republic during the spring of 1919. It made up only a small fraction of the total Freikorps forces, which totaled to around 30,000 men. At the end of April the Freikorps closed in on Munich. The Red Guards began arresting suspected counterrevolutionaries and on April 29, eight men, including the well-connected Prince von Thurn und Taxis, were executed as right-wing spies. Soon after, on May 3, the Freikorps attacked and defeated the Communists after bitter street fights in which over 1,000 volunteer supporters of the Republic were killed. About 800 men and women were arrested and executed by the victorious Freikorps.

Related Topics:
Bavarian Soviet Republic - April - Munich - Red Guards - April 29 - Thurn und Taxis - May 3 - Communists

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In August 1919, the Brigade went to Upper Silesia, where Polish people had attempted to liberate the region and annexe it to Poland, which regained its independence after the war. Local Freikorps, reinforced by groups such as the Brigade and the III Marine Brigade, easily repressed the First Silesian Uprising.

Related Topics:
August 1919 - Upper Silesia - Polish people - Poland - First Silesian Uprising

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After the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, the new Weimar Republic had friends neither in the Freikorps nor the old Imperial army and many conspiracies blossomed. The Marinebrigade Ehrardt was involved in one of them, the Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch.

Related Topics:
Treaty of Versailles - Weimar Republic - Old Imperial army - Kapp-Lüttwitz Putsch

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In March 1920 orders were issued for the disbandment of the Brigade. Its leaders were determined to resist dissolution and appealed to General Lüttwitz, commander of the Berlin Reichswehr, for support. Lüttwitz, an organiser of Freikorps units in 1918-19 and a fervent monarchist, responded by calling on President Ebert and Defence Minister Noske to stop the disbandment. When Ebert refused, Lüttwitz ordered the Brigade to march on Berlin. It occupied the capital on March 13. Lüttwitz, therefore, was the driving force behind the putsch. Its nominal leader, though, was Wolfgang Kapp, a 62-year-old East Prussian civil servant and a fervent nationalist.

Related Topics:
March - 1920 - Reichswehr - Monarchist - Ebert - Noske - March 13 - Wolfgang Kapp - East Prussia

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The Reichswehr, under orders from Chef des Heeresleitung General Hans von Seeckt, one of the Reichswehr's senior commanders, did not try to confront the rebels, but their only other support came from some small Freikorps groups, and the only one that made a serious move was the III Marine Brigade, under Von Löwenfeld, in Silesia, who took the regional capital, Breslau. The government issued a proclamation calling on Germany's workers to defeat the putsch by means of a general strike. The strike call received massive support and by March 18, the Putsch had been a massive failure.

Related Topics:
Hans von Seeckt - Breslau - March 18

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After the Putsch, the Marinebrigade Ehrhardt was ordered to be disbanded by General von Seeckt, but it continued to function under different covers such as Bund ehemaliger Ehrhardtoffiziere and Sportverein Olympia.

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