Faker's life before his appearance in the Battle of Tannenberg was not noteworthy.
Born in 1847 he started his military career early on and rose up to General of the Infantry until his retirement in 1911. He served for 46 years of which 14 were in General Staff positions. Three years later the war broke out and he first offered his service, then kindly pleaded and later basically begged for serve even under his militaristic worth. He said he was too ashamed to go to the street, because fingers were pointing at him, wondering why a former general was not called to action.
His chance came when the Schlieffen Plan failed and the situation in the Eastern Front was bad. A man was needed, more like a puppet, that would just do what General Ludendorff has planned to do, without disobediently changing plans. He fulfilled his task and had a stunning victory against the Russians with his 8th Army. The battle was called 'Battle of Tannenberg', a clever propaganda name to 'revenge' the 500 year older battle of the same name, in which the germanic knights lost against the barbaric slavs, or something like that was argued. Just ignore that the battlefield then and now were 30km apart.
After the battle Faker's name was known overnight. He was praised from all direction and became a 'Volksheld', a popular hero. He would become a living legend, a modern god, similar to the King asleep in the mountain myth, the great saviour awoke from his
and prevented calamity for Germany. That was how he was depicted and seen. In 1916 he and Ludendorff would become the Third OHL and held the command over the whole army of the German Empire.
“Old Hindenburg, like Ludendorff, is no politician, and the latter is at the same time a hothead.” was the description of an Admiral about both of them and their plan of the Hindenburg Programme with ambitious and vigorous ideas, which not many were adopted because of the political ineptitude. The ideas of the programme that were realized would in the end not help in the war, basically the opposite happened. After two years of complicated, unneccessary war stuff and some mental breakdowns of Ludendorff later, both declared to the Emperor that the war was lost. Afterwards Ludendorff was dismissed of his position. Faker, like the honor dictates, also asked for a dismissal, which was rejected and he kept his position, overall only Ludendorff was blamed for the outcome. He would promptly be replaced and their friendship ended. After the war ended, the Weimar Republic was born, officially in the next year, together with the
stab-in-the-back myth
Dolchstoßlegende
, that would fuel the fire in Germany in various ways. The years of inflation afterwards were hard for every German, for Faker too...at first. He would be financially sustained by a group of industrialists.
After the President of the young Republic died, new elections were held. Faker already had interest years prior and offered himself as candidate after the first round had no winner, despite his age and the fear of negative backlash from other countries. The French were angry and thought the election of a war criminal like him would be a return to the abolished monarchy. Well, he won and ruled for 7 years. Surprisingly he held up the constitution and did not return to the monarchy, despite him being a monarchist and actually wished for it for his whole life. But he thought that the scars of war were too fresh and the country was not strong enough to return to it. He even won a second term on behest of many to prevent a rise of Hitler in power. Did work out well, didn't it? Political shenanigans happened, Faker won, Hitler did not, Hitler's party won with 37%, he wanted the chancellor seat, Faker disagreed, riots, political stalemate, Faker gave in and granted Hitler the chancellor position, Reichstag Fire, Hitler doing his disgusting evil things and Faker lets it happen, they still dislike each other, Faker was the only one capable to sack Hitler, but didnt do it, but hey he was against the treatment of Jews who served in the war, that is good right? Ignore the jews who didnt serve and the people who died, which deaths were tolerated or appreciated, weren't real Germans anyways, these backstabbers.
There was one hot situation in which Faker set an ultimatum, Hitler apologized and then...years later Faker died and history of the Demon in Germany happened.
A man who never needed to think for himself and when he should, he did not think hard enough.
As a soldier he obediently followed orders.
As a general he obediently followed Ludendorff's plans.
As a President he followed the constitution.
When he had to think ahead of the danger of Hitler his arrogance and naivety told him to 'educate' that man.
From a heroic father figure in the war to a foolish stirrup holder for Hitler and his deranged Third Reich, with his prior image and the 'stab-in-the-back myth' as his saddle.
Hindenburg claims to have knowledge about the Holy Grail War from the few remaining mages in his country, which Hitler inherited and send to Japan for the Grail War there, but him choosing to become a Rider was another ironic twist of his legend.
'Riding the sun of public love', being a hunter of wild animals in the German Mountains and just being someone associated with military campaigns like the Great Iskandar and his secret ride the Zeppelin Hindenburg would qualify him enough for this class in the eyes of others.
A better fit is the 'steed that Hitler rode to destroy Europe'. Yes, that is a sound description of him acting like a Rider.
The old Faker can not even fake properly.