Freikorps

rammjaeger · 31 December 2001, 12:35 AM

So, I was bringing my copy of Ernst von Salomon´s book to the PC meanwile. The book published by Ernst von Salomon shows not his own lines but a report by Georg Seitz about "Die Eiserne Schar in Harburg". Seitz claimed the crowd was surrounding the school, Bethold was speaking to the people and suddenly a shot was fired, obviously against Berthold. Seitz said: "That was the signal. The crowd was desolving, hastily running and Marxists between the crowd started to fire. Now Berthold ordered to fire with the MG. The fire was said to hit women and children in the crowd reports Seitz. "Now we got furious fire."

Whoever was starting to fire - I bet the other side will report an ambush of the Freikorps - Bertholds later fate was possibly decided when the MG was hitting also women and children. If Ernst von Salomon was opening fire without Bertholds command then he was maybe contributing to his end.

As well another Freikorps-author claimed Berthold had heard about the strength of the Reds in Harburg and noticed that regular troops (stromtroopers) had overwhelmed their officers who tried to support the Kapp-Putsch. Therefore he decided to "clean up" in Harburg before leaving the town. That report contradicts to the "traditional" reports saying that Berthold had the intend to keep peace in Harburg and to avoid casualties of compatriots.

Seitz did not winess the death of Berthold but he was like other captured Freikorps-men also in danger to be slain by the "Einwohnerwehr" (militia) and civilists. Finally the imprisonment by the stormtroopers saved him. After some weeks he was released.

Barrett · 31 December 2001, 11:31 AM

Rammjaeger, thanks for your helpful posts. Regardless of the specifics of Berthold and his band, the immediate postwar era in Germany is of interest to me even though it's widely ignored in the US. I'm mainly interested in learning more about how the Freikorps influenced the interim period and the rise of the NSDAP.
As always, this forum is a marvelous resource. Thanks to one and all, and to Kommodore Scott!
See you in '02!

Barrett · 8 January 2002, 07:27 PM

Finally located a copy of the Osprey volume on the Freikorps and am pleased with it. An excellent overview with pretty good photos and plenty of colo(u)r plates. If you know something of the early doings in the nazi party, the Freikorps era makes a lot of sense.

leo · 9 January 2002, 01:10 PM

Rammjaeger:

Does your source have any mention of Freikorps activities in Silesia against the Poles. My source only goes into the Baltic campaign. I understand the french sent in troops to help Pilsudski against the freikorps.

Barrett · 9 January 2002, 01:47 PM

Leo: as an interim, the Osprey book contains a short chapter on the Upper Silesian campaigns of 1918-21. French, Italians, and some British were involved in trying to separate the combatants during 3 episodes in that period.