"Proud, arrogant, bitter, no doubt, as lived, died as the Cadets of Gascogne.
They were cadets, the last-born of noble fathers who struggled to preserve their heritage, a more or less dilapidated castle flanked by a piece of the vineyard, to pass it on intact to the eldest. So that became another, second, third, fourth male? They were given a large felt tip pens floating a rapier, a pair of big boots, the famous leather knapsack, and, at best, a brave horse to extract the stable father. They could then take the road and look elsewhere. And that's what did the younger son of knights became knights of fortune. To although they only had the nobility in their blood, but knowing that all the ignorant out of them, they arrogated to themselves as challenge by a particular point of honor. They went around the world, their spurs jingling, looking grim and suspicious, ready at any moment to pull the sword from the scabbard rickety. [...]
We met them on all roads of Europe, because what were the cadets of Gascony galliard, the noblemen were for Spain, "Schlachzigs" for Poland. Throughout these troubled times gave the same harvest. And this particular kind of golden youth, this knighthood over the years become an incubator of troopers and a national scourge "
- Ernst von Salomon, Cadets -
submarine commander and intelligence officer during the First World War. Loyal to the monarchy, he participated in the liberation of Berlin and the repression against Spartakists in January 1919. Captain Pabst on charge of encouraging the formation of the Freikorps in southern Germany. He joined the staff of the 3rd Marine Brigade von Lowenfeld. Member of council of war to try the murderers of Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, he will be accused of having favored the escape of one of them. Cabinet Member Noske. Favorable to the putsch Kapp, it will briefly imprisoned after his defeat. Charge of a reconnaissance mission to Japan in 1924, he was appointed Chief of Army Intelligence (Abwehr) in 1935. It uses and protects several former members of the Brigade Ehrhardt, hostile to the Third Reich. He is preparing an attack against Hitler in 1938. He was relieved of his command in February 1944 and participated in the "conspiracy of July 20, 1944. Hanged April 9, 1945. 
