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These were the words of General Hans von Seeckt to Gustav Stresemann, chancellor of the Weimar Re­public, in September 1923–two months before Adolf Hitler’s coup attempt. Were they a threat or a promise? Seeckt had established a rep­utation during World War I as one of the German army’s most brilliant staff officers and leaders.

Hans von Seeckt, Foto von Erich Salomon im Buch Berühmte Zeitgenossen in unbewachten Augenblicken, 1931 . Johannes Friedrich Leopold von Seeckt (* 22. April 1866 in Schleswig; † 27. Dezember 1936 in Berlin) war ein deutscher Generaloberst und von 1920 bis 1926 Chef der Heeresleitung der Reichswehr.

Hans von Seeckt (1866-1936) was a German military officer who commanded the Reichswehr for six years during the Weimar period. During this period, Seeckt oversaw the successful restructuring of the army, often bypassing the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles.

Chap IX covers von Seeckt's tenure as chief of "Truppenamt," (pp. 204-239.) Holder L.D. "Seeckt and the Fuhrerheer." Military Review (Oct 1976): pp. 71-79. Per. Rabenau, Friedrich von. Seeckt: Aus seinem Leben, 1918-1936. Leipzig: Hase and Koehler, 1940. 751 p. DD231S47R3. Sadoff, Laurence R. "Hans von Seeckt: One Man Who Made a Difference."

Died 27 December 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Seeckt became one of Germany’s best staff officers during the Great War. After 1918, he was the central figure of the Weimar Republic’s Reichswehr and a major contributor to the mobile doctrines that shaped the army's performance in World War II.

As an answer to Germany’s changed geopolitical and military situation after the First World War, Seeckt developed the structure of the Neuzeitliches Heer or ‘modern army’, which distinguished itself fundamentally from the prevailing military doctrine in the German army.