The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-08-03
Former Wife of German War Lord Stirs
Europe With Revealing Story Of Life

Ludcndorff, and written by his for.
MGR wife. Frau Marguerite Lud.
endorff, has become the litcrar,
sensation of Europe.
With Germany mourning the
stigma OF war guilt fastened upon
it by the Treaty of Versailles, hcr
book, "Whcn l Was Ludendorff's
Wife," a striking etching Of the cx-
kaiser's old aide, is being read
widely.
The book reveals a Ludendorff
pale with anguish and disappoint-
mcnt over the kaiscr's dismissal OF
him from the vast power he had
over the German armies in the bat
tie zones; a Ludendorff trembling
with fear, fleeing in disguise into
Sweden to escape the wrath of the
rcvolutionists, a Ludcndorff foam
ing with wrath because his old as
sociate. President Hindenburg, re-
fused to visit him in Municl a
Ludcndorff making a fool Of him.
self in the Kapp and Hitler
"putchcs," both of which miscrably
flopped-thcsc arc some Of the
pictures of the onc-timc war idol.
He Has Protested
The book is being eagerly read
by all Europe. Her former hus-
band has since married, has issued
a letter Of protest about the book,
but the reigning opinion is that
deftly, and without any malice or
ill-will, but merely showing him as
he really was. Frau Ludendorff
has skinned him alive. She mar
ricd him in 1909 and they lived to-
gether until 1926.
The book is full Of plums. To
begin with. she kills the legend
about Hindenburg and Ludendorff.
According to the German yarn.
| when the Kaiser in a panic called
upon cid Hindenburg to come out
of his enforced retirement and take
charge of the eastern front. the old
warrior is exposed to have said:
THAT / viii only do with Luden-
dorff as my assistant"
Pair Grew in Power
Frau Ludendorff drilv remarks
that at that time. with the Kaiser
as Supreme War Lord" no Off
Ger would have dared make terms.
As a matter of fact, she says Hin
denburg and Ludcndorff we're both
assigned to the job by the Kaiscr's
choice. Their dazzling in
the battle Of Tannenburg and other
conflicts on the eastern front soon
made them national heroes. Ludcn-
dorff and Hindcnburg went on from
triumph to triumph until they seem
ed bigger than the Kaiser. He was
the ~figurehcad, but they for a time
had the real power. But Luden-
dorff seemed to have a presentiment
Of what would happen to him some
day. Once, when he came to Ber-
lin and vas given a mighty ovation
from frantic crowds, he said to his
wife:
"Ah, believe me. the favor Of
crowds. like the favor of rulers. is
very c~hangeable. You will sec
soon there will be rocks flung"
Fired by Kaiser
In 1918 Frau L~udendorff says the
situation on the western front grew
steadily worse, due to the fact that
every steamer landed big forces o.
Ar .crican troops, who. fresh in body
and spirit, marched forth in over
whelming numbers.
There were stormy debates in the
German .-.cichstag. In the closing
days Of the war, the Kaiser urgent
~ summoned Hindenburg and Lu-
dendorff to Berlin. The Kaiser was
angry. He vented his wrath on his
two generals. His bitter criticisms
were especially directed at what he
termed Ludendorff's fatal mistakes.
The latter replied:
with deepest pain ] must rec
ognize from the reproofs OF Your
Majesty that | no longer possess
your confidence and that my labor
on the front does not find favor
in your eyes. / must respectfully
ask for my dismissal"
The Kaiser hesitated . moment,
then finally renlied:
II will thank you if you 60. You
ease the situation for me thus inn
mensely. I will seek with the aid
Of the Social Democrats to build
up q new helcn.
Predicted Revolution
Ludendorff hurried home. He
was deathly pale and he fell into
a seat in a lump. Almost ~tonelessly
from his lips came the words to his
wondering wife:
THE Kaiser has sent me away.
| am dismissed"
He was thunderstruck. He had
imagined he was indispensable. His
wife tried to console him. It was
useless. Then he sprang up, mutter-
ing:
"You will see; in fourteen days
we will no longer have an empire
nor a Kaiser"
Revolution broke out all over Ger
many, Ludcndorff's name was uni.
versally reviled. His friends urged
him to flee. His wife says she did
not advise this, because she did not
think such conduct worthy Of him
Adorned with a false beard and blue
goggles, the once famous general
skunk out of his country and
ran away to Sweden.
Bitter Against Democracy
From Copenhagen he wrote to
the "wife Of his heart"
Its all like q bad dream to me,
! do not know whether / did right
to 60 away"
Once he said to her:
The biggest piece Of fcolishness
the revolutionaries did was to lei
all Of US live. Well, If ever I come
into power again there will be nc
pardon. With quiet conscience ]
would see Ebert (Cermany's first
Presidentl, Scheidenann and com.
pany strung up and hanging"
Frau LudendoTM gives the in
side story Of his quarrels with thu
Gsrman Crown Prince, the Bavar.
ian Crown Prince, and President
Hindenburg. The one-tims grea,
+. ~