1932 Hindenburg reviews the Wachtruppe

March 1932. After the Treaty of Versailles, Germany's armed forces (the Reichswehr), was limited to just 100,000 men. The Weimar Republic was far from secure. Veterans were forming private groups with their own political agendas. Communist and Fascist groups battled in the streets, and the threat of political overthrow was one to be taken seriously. To offset the threat of revolution, the Wachregiment Berlin was founded in early 1921. Besides defending the fledgling republic, the Wachregiment was used for parades and guard duties in the capital. The Wachregiment was short-lived, and was disbanded in June 1921. However, the unit was soon reformed as Kommando der Wachtruppe (Headquarters Guard Troop), a unit with the same duties as the Wachregiment. The Wachtruppe comprised seven companies, each drawn from one of the seven divisions permitted Germany by the treaty. Each company served for three months before returning to their parent division. In this way, the Wachtruppe represented the whole Reichswehr. The Kommando was based at Moabit Barracks, and every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, the Kommando performed a changing of the guard ceremony for the public. This ceremony was quite modest, but on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursdays the entire Wachtruppe, accompanied by the regimental band, marched from the barracks through the Brandenburg Gate and to the War Memorial.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Wachtruppe
• Wachregiment
• Berlin
• Guard
• Germany
• German
• Weimar
• Republic
• President
• Reichsprasident
• Paul
• von
• Hindenburg
• 1932
• Reichswehr
• Kommando

[Dennizhere]

Ordnung muss sein :-)

[fischkopf84]

Gen.Feldm. Paul von Hindenburg. Das bisher einzige vom deutschen Volk gewählte Staatoberhaupt!

So far the only head of state, that was elected by the german people.

[BethmannHollweg]

Stimmt...

[DrLecta]

Paraden nehme ich auch noch Regelmäßig ab!

[DavBlc7]

@wingerjames That true but Russia and China still used it for their armies today.

[DavBlc7]

@Blayney88 It was copied by Russian Soviet army as well as in some former communist countries in Europe before 1989. The Chinese PLA today still march like that too.

[breizhcatalonia1993]

@mywrestlingfan offizielles namen war Deutsches Reich :D

[Blayney88]

The goose step was often used as a sign of good military discipline, if you could get men to march like that then you could pretty much get them to do anything.

[Wolgrub]

@wingerjames

As I understand it most European armies adopted some kind of goose-step march during the early 17th century due to wearing those big, bucket-top boots. The UK Household Cavalry still wear something similar they call "Jackboots"

[wingerjames]

The goose step was introduced into the Prussian army even before the reign of Fredrick the Great... so yes it was certainly not a Nazi innovation

[Faperdi]

@buran225 In fact, it is!