Paul Von Hindenburg was a renowned military and political leader for Germany; he is best known for being a prominent field marshal in the Imperial German Army during World War I and for being the second president of the Weimar Republic. His status as a military hero was essential to his ability to garner support from the German public. His monarchist views were highly influential in the formation of the government during his reign as president, and due to his seat in the presidency, he was a major determining factor in the eventual fate of the republic. Born in 1847, like Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff and von Hindenburg in Prussia to an aristocrat father; Robert von Beneckendorff and von Hindenburg and his wife; Luise Schwickart, Hindenburg grew up as a proud aristocrat, although ashamed of her mother's non-aristocratic background. His upbringing as an aristocrat played a vital role in his political views and grew up to become a staunch monarchist and conservative. It was these views that would dominate Hindenburg's agenda during his tenure as president of the Weimar Republic. As is common among the aristocracy; Hindenburg was involved in the military from a young age, joining the cadets at the age of 11. Hindenburg is renowned for his long and successful military career and has achieved war hero status among the German people. Before World War I, Hindenburg made a reputation fighting in the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War. He was decorated for his bravery in combat and was chosen to represent his regiment at various prestigious events; as at the Palace of Versailles in 1871 during the proclamation of the German Empire, and as a guard of honor for the military funeral of Emperor William I in 1888. He was...... in the middle of paper ......gave rise to "presidential rule", where the president came to have near ultimate power over the government. With the loss of parliamentary power and the entry into the presidency, the democratic Weimar Republic saw the end of its existence. With the fall of Hermann Müller's government in March 1930 and Hindenburg's subsequent appointment of Heinrich Bruning as chancellor, the Weimar Republic was now heavily focused on presidential and parliamentary power. During Bruning's tenure as chancellor, he lacked the support of the Reichstag and so he relied on the power of Article 48, passing emergency bills with his own and Hindenburg's powers. Bruning had to dissolve Parliament, which allowed right-wing and left-wing extremists to win seats in the Reichstag; an example being Hitler's Nazi Party which increased its seats from 12 to 107.