From World War One to the Vanguard of Nazism? A Statistical Approach to the History of German Paramilitarism

Brutalization through war and frustration of the younger generation over the missed opportunity to prove themselves on the front line are commonly cited explanations for the extreme violence by the German Freikorps in the aftermath of the First World War. Furthermore, literature often assumes a direct line from the Freikorps to later Nazi organizations and regards these forces as trailblazers of National Socialism. A statistical analysis of personal data from the members of four Freikorps shows that neither of the two explanations of the postwar violence is sufficient in itself, instead in addition other elements must also be taken into account. To consider the Freikorps as an unusually large personnel reservoir for later Nazi organizations cannot be confirmed for the units investigated here.