Who is Erich von ludendorff?

Answer 1

He was a German general during World War I. He was initially a commander of German forces in the eastern front, fighting against Russia, and he became a hero after key victories like Tannenburg. By the end of the war, he and General Paul von Hindenburg were the highest ranking commanders in the German Army, and were basically the de facto rulers of Germany.

After the war, he became a vocal proponent of the Dolchstosslegende ("dagger blow legend"), which was the idea that the German Army didn't actually lose World War I, rather, it was "stabbed in the back" when politicians ("the November Criminals") back home surrendered early. The legend became popular among German far right-wing political parties, including the Nazi Party. He became involved with the Nazi Party in its early days, and participated in the "Beer Hall Putsch", where the Nazis tried to copy Mussolini's earlier "March on Rome" and overthrow the government.

After the Putsch failed, Ludendorff was acquitted in the subsequent trials, and went off to join a different nationalist party, and served in the Reichstag. He had a falling out with Hitler, and eventually faded out of the limelight. He died before World War II started.