Paul von Hindenburg is an important and tragic figure of European history. He was basically the last of the German Kaisers men in power - because he actually had to give all power later to Hitler (because he was elected Chancellor of Germany - so it was all legal). They both didn’t like each other:

In October 1931, Hindenburg and Hitler had their first meeting. The Hindenburg-Hitler meeting was a disaster as both men took an immediate and immense dislike to one another. In private, Hindenburg disparagingly referred to Hitler as “that Austrian corporal”, “the Bohemian corporal” and sometimes just simply as “the corporal”. Hitler in turn, often described Hindenburg as “that old fool” and “the old reactionary”. Right up until January 1933, Hindenburg often stated that he would never appoint Hitler as Chancellor under any circumstances. On January 26, 1933, Hindenburg told a group of his friends: “Gentlemen, I hope you will not hold me capable of appointing this Austrian corporal to be Reich Chancellor.”

Hindenburg was also an successful General in WWI on the eastern front. He tried to serve his country in the difficult transition from Monarchy to Democracy - and he had to see it fail. Instead he handed all power to a fascist system. He himself was a monarchist and not very much of a people’s person, he disliked public speeches as well as any grassroots movements.

In that context Hindenburg was as much a ‘transitional’ creature of the old imperialist and colonial thinking in Europe. You could find people with similar mindset’s in the great Nations like France and Great Britain - and exiled Russians as well. The transition from elitist systems to grassroots movements like Democracy and Communism were at the root of Europe’s last two great wars. Hindenburg tried to adapt and he failed - others like Churchill adapted and succeeded.

So for me Hindenburg marks the end of the colonial age in Europe as well as the difficult transition to new political systems. It also shows that societies as ’systems’ don’t change so easily. Revolutions as well as evolutions of societies usually go with blood, tears and bullets.