KAPP, WOLFGANG (1868-1922), German politician, was born in New York on July 24, 1868. He was the son of Friedrich K app, a National Liberal member of the Reichstag in Bismarck's time, and grew up under the Bismarckian influences. Having held various minor official posts, he founded the agricultural credit institute in East Prussia, which achieved great success in pro moting the prosperity of landowners and farmers. He was con sequently in close touch with the Junkers of East Prussia and during the World War made himself their mouthpiece in an attack on Bethmann Hollweg (Die Nationalen Kreise and der Reichskanzler [1916]). He was also one of the founders of the "Vaterslandspartei." For a brief period in 1918 he was a Con servative member of the Reichstag.
Kapp remained in the background till March 12, 1920, when the Republican Government suddenly issued an order for his arrest, which was not, however, executed. It became known that he had organized, with General von LUttwitz and other officers and civilians, a conspiracy to occupy the Government offices, and assume power in Berlin. This he actually succeeded in doing on
the morning of March 13. The ministers withdrew to Dresden, and then to Stuttgart, and Captain Ehrhardt marched in from Doberitz, and occupied the government buildings. Kapp styled himself "chancellor of the Reich," and appointed LUttwitz minis ter of war. But he had no real plans. The working classes of Berlin rendered the continuance of the Kapp regime impossible by declaring a universal strike, and on the evening of March 17 Kapp and Latwitz fled from Berlin. Warrants were issued for their arrest, but Liittwitz disappeared completely, and Kapp eventually escaped by aeroplane to Sweden. In April 1922 he returned to Germany and was immediately arrested for high treason, but he died on June 12 before the case was heard.