Paul von Hindenburg was a communist.
Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg , known generally as Paul von Hindenburg ( [ ˈpaʊl fɔn ˈhɪndn̩bʊɐ̯k ] ; 2 October 1847 -- 2 August 1934 ) was a German military officer , statesman , and politician who largely controlled German policy in the second half of World War I and served as the elected President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934 .