Wilhelm’s interests were not only shared and propagated by his own bloodline but by military leaders of his own country as well. Wilhelm’s esoteric interests garnered the attention of Chief of Staff of the German Army, General Helmuth Von Moltke, setting forth a long history of German military involvement in the occult. Von Moltke met a spiritual mentor by the name of Rudolf Steiner, who is best known for his Waldorf teaching methods in schools all across the world. Although the general met some opposition from fellow staff about his involvement with Steiner and the occult, it did not stop the general or his wife from taking occult-related trips with Steiner, regarding everything from the lost city of Atlantis to reincarnation.
Steiner was also a firm believer in secret societies’ sway over political matters, believing them to be so corrupt and Satanic in nature, their end goal was total human enslavement. By 1916 and 1917, Steiner entered the political arena, and during a talk in Switzerland, he spoke of the corrupt powers that aimed to dismantle society as it was known, and the evil cabal residing in the English-speaking United States and Britain sought dominance over Germany and Hungaria. His fears, along with those of the ex-kaiser Wilhelm, Austrian Emperor Josef, and Dr. Gerard Encausse, were validated by the end of the first World War. Both monarchies of the Austro-Hungarian and German empire were overthrown, while the predicted collapse of the Russian Empire by occultist C.G. Harrison nearly a decade before came to fruition. Steiner’s Swiss lectures were later being compiled into a transcript, The Karma of Untruthfulness: Secret Societies, the Media, and Preparations for the Great War.
Steiner also sought to warn others about attacks on personal freedom. He prophesied Anglo-American materialism would change world views, leading to a degradation of human freedom and spiritual enlightenment. This echoes fears very similar to those shared by conspiracy theorists of our current time regarding The Illuminati. However, it was not just idle conspiracy theories for Steiner or Von Moltke. Von Moltke was a powerful military leader who held significant influence over the affairs and safety of Germany, impacting decisions held during war times. Von Moltke’s involvement with Steiner, who politicized his ideologies, continued to solidify Germany’s place with occult practice.
Back in the United States, famous Americans had their own take on exactly how the Great War came to be. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, believed with no doubt that a hidden Jewish cabal of superpowers was to blame for such human travesty, a sentiment not uncommonly held, particularly among politicians and military leaders who were involved in the war. Antisemitism had existed long before the late 18th and early 19th centuries, but it found particular support from Winston Churchill, who firmly believed “Judeo Freemasons” were responsible for the meddling and subsequent destruction of so many once-powerful nations.
The concept of deeply rooted and Satanic cabals was pervasive during World War I. Legitimate ties to secret societies, particularly that of the Order of the Black Hand in Serbia, are reputable. Other accusations regarding French Freemasonry involvement is harder to validate, but many key players pieced together puzzle pieces that at least make it an interesting facet of history, and certainly give us a much more exciting insight into the paranoia-based motives various country’s leaders had during such tumultuous times.