Editing Hermann Hoth (section)

===Early career===
Born on 14 April 1885 in [[Neuruppin]],{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}} Hoth grew up in [[Demmin]] which like Neuruppin was located in [[Prussia]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=36}} His parents were Hermann Hoth, a Prussian [[Oberstabsarzt|staff officer surgeon]], and Margarethe Hoth ([[née]] Hübener).{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}} He attended the ''[[Gymnasium (Germany)|Gymnasium]]'' in Demmin from 1894 to 1896,{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}} followed by the [[Cadet Corps]] at [[Potsdam]], and the {{lang|de|[[Preußische Hauptkadettenanstalt]]}} (Royal Prussian Military Academy) from 1900 to 1904.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=41, 44}}{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}} During his preparation and training to become an officer, Hoth developed what he later recognised was a strong [[authority bias]], something that he did never entirely discard even after the conclusion of his education.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=45–46}} The educators at the Cadet Corps also instilled [[monarchism]] and the rejection of [[social democracy]] in Hoth.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=66}} He was [[officer (armed forces)|commissioned]] as a {{lang|de|[[Leutnant]]}} in the [[Prussian Army]] in 1903, but his rise in the ranks was slow.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=53, 634}} He attended the [[Prussian Staff College]] from 1910 to 1913,{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=53, 56}} where he learned [[Russian language|Russian]],{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=57}} and was appointed {{lang|de|[[Oberleutnant]]}} in 1912 and {{lang|de|[[Hauptmann]]}} in 1914.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=53}} At this point, he was working at the [[German General Staff]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=58}} His first son, Hans Joachim, was born in 1913.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}}

Hoth spent almost all of [[World War I]] as a staff officer on higher headquarters and only four weeks on the front line.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=73}} As a result of his skill in Russian, he was assigned to the [[8th Army (German Empire)|8th Army]] on the [[Eastern Front (World War I)|Eastern Front]]{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=81}} in August 1914.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}} In this role, he witnessed the [[Russian invasion of East Prussia (1914)|1914 Russian invasion of East Prussia]]. This campaign left a deep impact on Hoth,{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=81}} as he saw the Russians waging war with what he regarded as "bestial cruelty".{{sfn|Stahel|2009|p=45}} He served under {{lang|de|[[Generalfeldmarschall]]}} [[Paul von Hindenburg]] during this period, including during the [[Battle of Tannenberg]],{{sfn|Showalter|2004|p=291}} and came to greatly admire his superior.{{sfn|von der Goltz|2009|p=61}} In June 1916, he was moved to the [[Western Front (World War I)|Western Front]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=635}} During the war, Hoth held positions at the German General Staff, various armies, and units, including the {{lang|de|[[Luftstreitkräfte]]}} (air arm of the Imperial German Army).{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=634–635}}{{sfn|LeMO|2016}} He was awarded both classes of the [[Iron Cross]] during the war.{{sfn|Heiber|2004|p=938}}

When [[History of Germany during World War I#Defeat and revolt|Germany surrendered in 1918 amid growing internal turmoil]], Hoth felt more loyalty to Hindenburg than the newly formed democratic government in [[Berlin]].{{sfn|von der Goltz|2009|p=61}} In the [[German Revolution of 1918–1919]], Hoth served as a {{lang|de|[[Reichswehr]]}} officer and helped to put down left-wing uprisings at [[Halle (Westfalen)|Halle]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|pp=89, 635}} This period hardened his hatred for any form of [[Communism]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=94}} Hoth also believed that the failure of the right-wing [[Kapp Putsch]] proved that the military had to prevent its misuse in politics.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=93}} He also married Lola Schubering in 1918. Hoth's second son, Hermann, was born in 1923.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=634}}

He remained in the {{lang|de|Reichswehr}} (the armed forces of the [[Weimar Republic]]) in the interwar period,{{sfn|Heiber|2004|p=938}} serving at the organization department of the General Staff.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=104}} He was promoted to ''[[Major (rank)|Major]]'' in 1924.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=635}} Three years later, Hoth was sent to the [[Soviet Union]] as part of [[Germany–Soviet Union relations, 1918–1941#Treaty of Rapallo 1922 and secret military cooperation|secret military cooperation missions]].{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=105}} In 1929, he was promoted to {{lang|de|[[Oberstleutnant]]}}.{{sfn|Hürter|2007|p=635}}