Exhibition
Introduction
The headquarters is a place of numerous transitions. Nowhere else do distance and proximity to the fighting meet in such ambivalence. The headquarters of army leaders is placed far away from the front making it possible to experience everyday life away from thereality of war in spite of the fact that the actions of the generals and their staff have a direct influence on the fate of the soldiers at the front. Military leaders also have an increasing influence on political processes during course of the war, making decisions in the field of civilian politics.
Mobilisation
The headquarters are the central place for communication. They inform the population about examination at the barracks, the course of the war or issue warnings concerning escaped prisoners of war. Particularly within the Entente, but also within Germany, Austria-Hungary and their allied countries, this is part of a broader change towards professionalisation that includes the setup of ministries and administrations for propaganda.
Over the years the war increasingly determines the everyday life of the warring countries and military personnel consequently gain influence in politics. Whilst tsar Nikolaus II tries in vain to solve disputes, Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff as “military heroes” take over the control of the most important operations in the German Reich in August 1916. In the same year a mobilisation program, called “Hindenburg-Programm”, is founded. The influence of the ‘Oberste Heeresleitung’, Germany’s high command, is widened to the political sphere. Increasingly the German Reich is similar to a military dictatorship where everything is aligned to the war. Similar, yet less powerful, militarisation of politics can also be found in other warring countries. Thus Georges Clemenceau becomes French prime minister and minister of war at the same time.
Felt Proximity
Apart from King Albert I and Kaiser Wilhelm II all heads of state remain at a safe distance from the combat zones. However, the headquarters move, following the front line to keep the distance between them as short as possible for direct communication. The German ‘Oberste Heeresleitung’ had changed locations seven times by the end of the war. Proximity to the soldiers is gained through repeated visits by army commanders and heads of state which boost morale.
In spite of the distance between headquarters and the front, the fate of the soldiers depends on the decisions made at headquarters. Although the commanders in chief are comfortably housed with good meals, whilst the soldiers are sleeping in the trenches, they are very popular. Even their growing influence in domestic politics does not lessen their popularity.
Close proximity between allied headquarters is also important for communication. The British supreme command under general Haig moves to Montreuil near Paris in 1916 and the German headquarters is based near Pleß in the East, not far away from the Austrian supreme command in Teschen.
Negotiating Table
Unlike the headquarters the negotiating table is the stage for politicians, especially during the Paris Peace Conference (and in contrast to the negotiations of the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk). In victory the military is present at the forefront of negotiations whereas in defeat it withdraws. The German commanders Hindenburg and Ludendorff constantly intervene in negotiations with Russia in 1917 and Wilhelm II has to reconcile the military negotiators with the political. But in November 1918 the situation is different: now Hindenburg entrusts the signing of the armistice to the politician Matthias Erzberger.
Both peace negotiations are pressed for time. In Brest-Litowsk the parties urge the fast completion of negotiations because the troops should be moved to the West. The negotiations of Versailles are focused on the termination of the economic blockade of Germany and the recovery of the world economy. In 1919 many heads of state stay in Paris for several months. With serious decisions to be made the situation is often tense, but it is also a time for leisure and sightseeing. Prime ministers, kings, journalists and lobbyists often engage in personal conversation during breaks.
