Oskar Ernst Karl von Sperling was a German major general who served during the Baden Revolution and the Second Schleswig, Austro-Prussian, and Franco-Prussian wars. He was the father-in-law of Paul von Hindenburg and maternal grandfather of Erich von Manstein.

Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg was a German field marshal and statesman who led the Imperial German Army during World War I. He later became president of Germany from 1925 until his death. During his presidency, he played a key role in the Nazi seizure of power in January 1933 when, under pressure from his advisers, he appointed Adolf Hitler as chancellor of Germany.