Franz Joseph Hermann Michael Maria von Papen, Erbsälzer zu Werl und Neuwerk was a career German diplomat and politician, most famous for his role in the rise of Adolf Hitler to the German Chancellery. As a young ambassador he managed to get himself expelled from the United States in 1915 for a variety of dirty play across the North American continent before serving on the Western Front and in Turkey. Rising to prominence in the Weimar Government, von Papen was the next-to-last Weimar Chancellor; while he initially opposed Hitler and his NSDAP, after losing power to Kurt von Schleicher he started trying to use Hitler as a weapon against his opponents, engaging in intrigues to help him gain the Chancellor post (he sold it to von Hindenberg as a way to "contain" Hitler). For his aid, he was made the first and only Vice-Chancellor under Hitler, where he continued to play both sides in an attempt to "tame" Hitler. As a result, he was taken into "protective custody" during the Night of the Long Knives, and came close to being summarily executed. After this brush with death, he returned to diplomatic work, most famously in Austria and Turkey. In Austria, von Papen was a prime mover in the erosion of Austrian independence, paving the way for the Austrian Anschluss, while also taking time to interfere with the Saarland Plebiscite. In Turkey, he worked against the Allies to secure Turkish military neutrality and economic cooperation. While generally successful (Turkey maintained economic and diplomatic ties until 1944) he did return to some of his old tricks, trying to sell himself to the Allies as a post-WWII leader for Germany (the pitch was rejected, but he didn't get caught making it). Returning to Germany in late 1944, he was briefly considered for an appointment to Vatican City, but instead went home to private life. Originally returning to his Wallerfangen estate in the Saarland, he fled east as the Western Allies advanced, eventually being captured near Meschede (see "The Capture of a War Criminal" by Bart Hagerman within "War Stories: The Men of the Airborne" edited by Hagerman). Tried at Neuremberg, his actions were found to be immoral but insufficient to merit a "conspiracy to commit crimes against peace" conviction, though he would be sentence to eight years of hard labor by a West German court. An included 1977 notarized letter from Chief Warrant Officer Raymond L. Hughes states he: "did personally capture this Krupp-Stahl 16 gauge shotgun along with a French limousine and other valuable firearms hidden under the back seat of the car in the forest near the estate of Franz Von Papen near Meschede, Germany in 1944 while detached from the 41st Armored Regiment of the 2nd Armored Division, and attached to a Military Government unit in the area." Raymond L. Hughes retired from the Army on September 2, 1946. Also includes a "TIME" magazine Volume XX, Number 1 from 1932 with von Papen on the cover, and his autobiography "Memoirs." "F. Von Päpen" is marked inside the forearm. The matte rib has a steel bead front sight, and "KRUPP/STAHL" is marked on each barrel at the breech. The bottom of the barrel has "10.22" among the German proof marks. The scalloped box lock action has a scene with a fox and two birds on the right, oak leaf patterns, two dogs and two birds on the bottom, and five deer on the left. The manual safety has "sicher" and "frei" markings. The trigger guard, grip cap, and serrated buttplate are horn. The stock and forearm are also checkered, and the stock has a shadow line cheek piece. Length of pull is 14 1/8 inches.