Hindenburg, Paul von

A celebrated German general during World War I, Paul von Hindenburg was elected second president of the Weimar Republic and served from 1925 until his death in 1934. His term was wracked by political instability and economic crisis. Despite von Hindenburg’s distaste for Adolf Hitler, he was not able to oppose his rise to power. Following parliamentary elections in 1932, from which the NSDAP emerged as the strongest party, von Hindenburg appointed Hitler Chancellor of Germany.