Hans Paasche: Apr. 3rd 1881 – Mai 21st 1920
| 1899 |
- To naval academy at age 18- Influenced by Moritz von Egidy: his son was Hans’ commanding officer |
| 1901 |
- Naval officer at age 20 |
| 1904 |
- To Africa to serve on warship Bussard, Navigation Officer, May- Natural ease with Kiswahili language, Ngoma native dance- Pioneer in close-up animal photography |
| 1905 |
- Appointed commanding officer on the Rufiji river, Sept. 11- Six months’ brutal military experience, Aug. 1905 – Feb. 1906- Disillusionment with war, putting down native rebellion
- Personal decision against capital punishment
- Beginning of mystical engagement with Africa, 1905-06 |
| 1906 |
- Return to Germany, as naval lieutenant, first class, autumn |
| 1907 |
- Book on Africa with his photographs, “Im Morgenlicht” |
| 1908 |
- Reform advocate, publisher of “Die Abstinenz” |
| 1908 |
- Marriage to Ellen Witting, Dec. 19 |
| 1909 |
- Resignation from navy as Kapitänleutnant, 1909- Wedding trip to Africa, sources of the Nile, Nov. 1909-Aug. 1910.
Ellen Paasche was the first European woman to reach there, June ‘10 |
| 1912 |
- Co-publisher of crusading journal, “Der Vortrupp”, Jan.1912 – Mar. 1916 |
| 1913 |
- Epistolary satire Lukanga Mukara begins in “Der Vortrupp”, May- Visibility as supporter of organized pacifism, 1913 and before- More satirical letters from Lukanga Mukara, to a total of six
- Idealistic gathering of German youth, Hohe Meissner, Oct. 12 |
| 1914 |
- Return to naval service, commanding a remote lighthouse, Aug.- Lectures to sailors on temperance and peace; fraternizing- Ellen’s brother killed in Belgium amid German atrocities, autumn |
| 1915 |
- To command in Wilhelmshaven, openly advocating pacifism, June- Ellen writes on peace and the role of women in promoting it, Nov.- Refuses to act as judge in trial of antimilitarist sailor, Dec. |
| 1916 |
- Discharge from Navy, Jan. 31- Return to Waldfrieden, writing his novel- First signed postcard campaign why he opposes the war, Feb.
- “Fremdenlegionär Kirsch”, antimilitarist patriotic popular novel
- Joins outlawed Bund “Neues Vaterland” (est. Nov. 1914), spring
- Secret meetings of Bund take place in father-in-law’s apartment
- Founding member of “Zentralstelle Völkerrecht”, summer
- Elected to the board of “Zentralstelle Völkerrecht”, Dec. 2
- Complete estrangement from his parents |
| 1917 |
- Hospitable treatment of French prisoners of war at Waldfrieden- Anti-war postcard and pamphlet campaign begins, April- Laborious typing of peace postcards, 80 or so different sets
- Celebrates Bastille Day at his estate, French flag, La Marseillaise
- Call for general strike on Oct. 15, in postcard campaign
- German Secret Service penetrates Resistance courier system, Aug.
- Army High Command: writings “pacifist and treasonous,” Aug.
- Police search of Waldfrieden for incriminating material, Oct. 2
- Arrested for high treason and betrayal of country, Oct. 20 |
| 1918 |
- Examination, sentencing to mental institution in Berlin, July 24- “Military security detention” used to describe his confinement- Wave of revolution sweeps Berlin, freeing Paasche, Nov. 9
- Escorted to Reichstag, leaps to table, proclaims to worker and soldier councils: „My name is Paasche, I was a naval officer and am now a revolutionary”
- Confrontation with Empress Augusta, shaming her, Nov.
- To serve on executive committee, revolutionary government, Nov.
- Assumes responsibility for conditions for surrender |
| 1919 |
- Death of his wife Ellen, aged 29, Dec. 8- Official wreath-bearer in Liebknecht-Luxemburg funeral, Jan.- Writing “Meine Mitschuld am Weltkriege”, Jan.
- “Verlorene Afrika” in print, Dec. |
| 1920 |
- Murdered at Waldfrieden by Freikorps officers, May 21- Shock throughout Germany at the news of Paasche’s shooting- Article in New York Times on his death, May 26 |
| 1921 |
- “Lukanga Mukara”, censored during WWI, appears as book |
| 1922 |
- Gerhart Hauptmann mythologizes Hans Paasche as Amfortas, the wounded Fisher King, of the Parsifal legend, in “Till Eulenspiegel” |
| 1927 |
- Friedrich Wolf dramatizes Paasche as hero in “Kolonne Hund”, Apr. |
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- Memorial in E. Berlin, DDR, to victims of Weimar murders |
