Ludendorff.

This is coolbert:

"a field marshal is born, not made." - - Ludendorff.

Erich Ludendorff, post-Great War [WW1], immersed himself in politics and intrigue! Desired for the German nation to shed itself of the restrictive Versailles Treaty. A rearmed Germany, a much expanded army, was much on the mind of Ludendorff.

In the person of A. Hitler Ludendorff thought he had found the man to lead Germany to greatness.

"Ludendorff's political philosophy and outlook on the war brought him into right-wing politics as a German nationalist and won his support that helped to pioneer the Nazi Party. Early on, Ludendorff also held Adolf Hitler in the highest regard."

This high degree of esteem that Ludendorff had for Hitler did not last for long!

"After 1928, Ludendorff went into retirement, having fallen out with the Nazi party. He no longer approved of Hitler and began to regard him as just another manipulative politician"

Finally, as expressed in a telegram from Ludendorff to Von Hindenberg, the original never found, but mentioned in certain memoirs of Nazi officials:

“By appointing Hitler Chancellor of the Reich, you have handed over our sacred German Fatherland to one of the greatest demagogues of all time. I prophesy to you this evil man will plunge our Reich into the abyss and will inflict immeasurable woe on our nation."

Woe that was to include [post WW2]:

* Two million German battlefield dead.

* One to two million German civilians killed by the strategic allied bombing offensive.

* Two to three million ethnic Germans dying during repatriation movements from various eastern European nations.

* Two million German women raped by Soviet soldiers.

Ludendorff was very prescient? Hit the nail right on the head as they say? Seems so!

coolbert.