G ott lie b ▁von ▁Hi ppel ▁( 1 9 ▁January ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁– ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 7 7 ) ▁was ▁the ▁German ▁Army ▁and ▁intelligence ▁officer ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁formation ▁and ▁training ▁of ▁the ▁Brandenburg ers ▁comm ando ▁unit . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁and ▁inter war ▁period ▁On ▁October ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁out break ▁of ▁the ▁First ▁World ▁War , ▁Hi ppel ▁volunte ered ▁for ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁Schutz tr u ppe ▁for ▁German ▁East ▁Africa , ▁where ▁he ▁served ▁under ▁General ▁Paul ▁von ▁L ett ow - Vor beck ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁African ▁theatre , ▁where ▁L ett ow - Vor beck ▁had ▁conducted ▁a ▁gu err illa ▁campaign ▁against ▁Al lied ▁colonial ▁troops . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁Hi ppel ▁earned ▁a ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁state ▁econom ics ▁( Dr . ▁r er . ▁cam ., ▁Dok tor ▁der ▁Staats wirtschaft sk unde ) ▁from ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁T üb ingen . ▁Hi ppel ▁re enter ed ▁the ▁army ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 5 . ▁ ▁On ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 3 7 , ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁German ▁military ▁intelligence ▁service ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Ab wehr . ▁▁ ▁In sp ired ▁by ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁L ett ow - Vor beck , ▁Hi ppel ▁proposed ▁that ▁small ▁units , ▁trained ▁in ▁in fil tr ation ▁and ▁sab ot age ▁and ▁fl uent ▁in ▁foreign