The Freikorps in the security apparatus of the Weimar Republic (1918–1919): the role of paramilitary formations in the internal conflict
Publication date: 2026-05-21
Myśl Strategiczna 2026;6(2):98-114
HIGHLIGHTS
- After the Wilhelm II Hohenzollern abdication, Germany plunged into the civil war. In the face of the communist revolution, largely inspired by the events in Russia, the main force that managed to defend the state against the Bolshevism threat were the spontaneous formed units, inspired mostly by the ones from Napoleonic times. It quickly turned out, that the Free Corps (Freikorps in German), dominated the military arena of the country embroiled in internal conflict, becoming a kind of remedy for the problem with the extreme left wing. Their members also took an active part in defending the borders of the former empire, clashing with nations that wanted to use the chaos of the first post-war months to become independent from Germany, including Poles. The activity of the Freikorps is also one of the founding myths of the Weimar Republic Armed Forces – Reichswehr
KEYWORDS
REFERENCES (11)
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| ISSN: | 3071-9305 |
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