Today: Headlines from 25 April 1925
Today 100 Years Ago
On 25 April 1925 the world was catching its breath between wars, experimenting with democracy, and devouring newsprint at an almost frantic pace. One story, however, dominated front pages across Europe and quickly rippled out to the wider world.
1. Germany Votes – and Hands the Keys to Paul von Hindenburg
[STORY_1_IMAGE]
Date of event: 26 April 1925 — just one day after our time-portal date, well within our ±1-day window.
By the evening of 26 April 1925, telegraph wires from Berlin were sizzling: Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, the white-moustached hero of Tannenberg, had been elected President of the Weimar Republic.
• The Back-story – Germany’s first democratically elected head of state, Friedrich Ebert, died in February, leaving a fragile republic searching for legitimacy. The first round of voting in March produced no majority. In round two, aging conservative icon Hindenburg was persuaded to run against centrist Catholic candidate Wilhelm Marx.
• The Day Itself – Berliners lined Unter den Linden to grab special editions as church bells tolled and factory whistles pierced the Sunday quiet. Hindenburg captured roughly 48 % of the vote, edging Marx by about two million ballots.
• Immediate Reactions – International capitals were polite but wary. In London and Paris, diplomats remembered the iron-willed general of 1914. In Moscow, Pravda sneered at “the old Junker’s return.” Inside Germany, nationalist newspapers rejoiced while Social Democrats sighed; many feared the republic had just invited its own gravedigger into the presidential palace.
Through a 2025 Lens
A hundred years later, Germany is the engine of a united Europe and its presidents are largely ceremonial. Yet Hindenburg’s win reminds us how fragile democratic institutions can be when charismatic—or nostalgic—figures promise stability above all. In an age of AI-driven campaigns and instantaneous polling, it is worth recalling how a single paper ballot in 1925 could pivot an entire century.