In late October 1919, in the south of the Weimar Republic, the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, Munihei—
A large number of German soldiers were marching into the southern part of the empire, and the whole city was under martial law. From time to time, bursts of gunfire rang out in the square, the German army executing rebel leaders.
Walking down the street outside Karlsplatz, Field Marshal Hindenburg, the most powerful veteran general of the Weimar Republic, strolled along with his old comrades.
The guards followed from a distance. The square was empty; residents hid in their homes, afraid to come out. German soldiers cleaned up the battlefield, occasionally dragging away carts filled with bloody corpses.
"Do you have any plans for the future?" Hindenburg asked.
"Bavaria cannot remain as it is, and the kingdom should be dissolved. Your royal status can be retained, but you cannot stay in the country," he said to General Rupprecht.
Having fought alongside Hindenburg on the Western Front, Rupprecht accepted his fate. He did not wish to continue fighting—the empire was gone, the nascent republic was fragile, and civil strife was ongoing. Ordering the Third Army in Munihei to surrender preserved the city with its rich history.
"It's good that you understand," Rupprecht said. "After Your Majesty arrived in the Netherlands Country, he always thought I had betrayed the empire, but few know my suffering."
Hindenburg shook his head. Many burdens weighed on him, and he longed to confide in someone. He also carried part of the responsibility for the fall of the Second Reich.
Much of the empire's collapse stemmed from his decision. When rebellion broke out in Berlin, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered Hindenburg to suppress it, but Hindenburg refused, persuading the Kaiser to yield to the will of the people. Wilhelm II, stripped of power and unsupported by the army, was furious but powerless.
After his abdication, the Entente threatened to hold him accountable as a war criminal. Frightened, he fled to the neutral Netherlands Country to seek refuge with distant relatives. Nearly a year had passed, and internal problems in Germany remained unresolved, with the threat of sudden eruptions of unrest.
Hindenburg believed Rupprecht would likely go to the Netherlands Country as well. He hoped that, when meeting the Kaiser, Rupprecht would explain that his actions were based on reason and necessity, not betrayal.
"If I have the chance, I will convey your intentions to Your Majesty, but in the next few years, I probably won't go to the Netherlands Country," Rupprecht said.
"Then where will you go?" Hindenburg asked, raising his eyebrows.
Rupprecht explained that while the Bavarian throne was tempting, he prioritized the country's stability. He planned to go first to Europe and then North America, to learn and perhaps become a successful businessman. "People say shopping malls are like battlefields—perhaps I will perform well there too!"
Hindenburg nodded. North America was far enough to prevent secret communication with Bavarian royalists, keeping the region safe.
"By the way, if you go to North America, contact Colonel Mainz. He has been there before and can provide guidance," Hindenburg added.
"Is that the young man who made a name for himself in Austria?" Rupprecht asked.
To boost morale, the Weimar Republic had publicized news of Austria's request to merge with germany. Mainz had appeared in Austria, defeated the intervention army with local support, and changed the situation entirely. Now, Colonel Mainz had become an idol, and Rupprecht imagined that upon returning to germany, thousands of admirers would greet him.