GESSLER, OTTO KARL (1875— ), German statesman, was born at Ludwigsburg on Feb. 6, 1875, and entered the legal department in Bavaria in 1905. He was burgomaster of Regens burg in 1911, and of Nuremberg in 1914-19. He was a member of the German Democratic Party and was minister of reconstruc tion in the Reich from 1919-2o, and from 192o-28 minister of defence. After the entry of German troops into the demilitarized zone in 192o, and the consequent occupation by French troops of Frankfurt, Darmstadt and Hamburg, General Noske resigned, and Gessler, following him, began his tenure of office as minister of war, faced with the necessity of allaying the suspicion of the Allies. He had as his colleague General von Seeckt and in spite of difficulties succeeded in reorganizing the Reichswehr. Gess ler became increasingly unpopular with the parties of the Left, and the social democrats asserted that relations were main tained between the patriotic unions and the Reichswehr. He resigned on Jan. 12, 1928.