Although Colonel Mainz had said similar opinions before, this time Field Marshal Hindenburg took his words with unusual seriousness.
"I understand. In that case, this matter will be left to you to handle, and I won't interfere too much."
Hindenburg was a shrewd leader. Micromanaging every detail could only produce followers who lacked independent judgment. To cultivate true leadership, he had to step back, allowing Mainz to take responsibility. Hindenburg's role was to provide support behind the scenes, protecting Mainz from failure or external interference, and ensuring this young officer with limitless potential did not go astray.
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On August 11, 1919, Friedrich Ebert, recently elected President of the Weimar Republic, promulgated the first Weimar Constitution. Its purpose was to establish a parliamentary democracy and a federal republic.
To achieve this, the existing state system had to be fundamentally reformed. The original states were stripped of significant autonomy, becoming administrative units under central authority. While the constitution aimed to strengthen the federal government and unify national resources—a move beneficial in both peace and war—it was far too radical for its time. Such reforms would never have been dared under Bismarck, let alone in the turbulent Weimar period.
At that moment, the republic's authority was unstable. Popular support was limited; many workers resented the government for suppressing earlier uprisings. The Junker aristocracy, whose interests were tied to military and local power, opposed the new government. Despite its weakened state, the military remained a dominant force, numbering 100,000 elite soldiers drawn from millions of troops.
Thus, the military's stance was crucial. President Ebert's relations with the army were strained, leaving the military ambivalent—they neither fully approved of the new constitution nor openly opposed it.
The individual states were uniformly opposed. Under the Second reich Empire, states like Bavaria, Württemberg, and Saxony enjoyed substantial power: their kings were also high-ranking officials in the Empire, with privileges throughout the nation. States could establish foreign envoys, maintain their own armies, and manage regional affairs. Bavaria, for instance, maintained its own military and diplomatic missions until the Austro-Hungarian Empire collapsed.
General Ruprecht, son of Bavaria's last king, had been promoted to field marshal for his distinguished service. Prussia, the largest state, suffered from leaderlessness: Wilhelm II was in exile, and Crown Prince Wilhelm resided in the Netherlands Country. Without strong leadership, Prussia's reaction was muted, though East Prussia remained a potential hotspot.
Against this backdrop, conspiracies brewed. Without intervention, civil war could erupt, threatening the hard-won unity of the German Empire.
"The Crown Prince of Bavaria, Field Marshal General Ruprecht, has returned to Munich. Royalist forces are gathering, preparing for coronation. If successful, Bavaria could trigger a civil war," Hindenburg reported gravely from the army headquarters in Hamburg.
Though the military resented the constitution's limitations and budget cuts, they would not allow the Empire to collapse. Upon learning the situation in Munich, Hindenburg decided to dispatch an elite army immediately. Bavaria could not be allowed to secede, and a civil war must be prevented at all costs.
"Do you think General Ruprecht will comply with the royalists' election to the throne?"
Mainz hesitated. He did not know Ruprecht personally, and their responsibilities rarely overlapped. Yet in Bavaria's current volatile climate, Ruprecht's stance could determine the outcome.
If Ruprecht accepted the royalists' move, he would consolidate the army for conflict, making war nearly inevitable. If he resisted, there might still be a chance to prevent a wider conflict—but the situation was fragile.