THE MUNICH PUTSCH-1923

NAME GRADE HISTORY

BACKGROUND INFORMATION• HYPERINFLATION AND THE FRENCH OCCUPATION OF THE RUHR. • DISCONTENT IN GERMANY.• STRESEMANN WOULD STOP THE UNREST. HITLER NEEDED TO ACT BEFORE

THAT.• STRESEMANN CRACKING DOWN ON EXTREMIST LEFT-WING GROUPS. HITLER

COULD SEE RIGHT-WING GROUPS COMING NEXT.

WHAT HITLER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN 8 November 1923 – meeting of 3000 officials of Bavarian government in Burgerbrau (beer hall) in Munich. Hitler bursts in dramatically with 600 storm troopers.To add to this incredibly dramatic scene, he would release a shot into the ceiling and declare the German government his.The three leaders – von Kahr, von Lossow and von Siesser – would see how influential, well-rounded and charming he is. They would undoubtedly agree to support him.Then he would march on to take over the government of Bavaria, Munich and then Germany.

Tada!

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED8 NOVEMBER 1923 – MEETING OF 3000 BAVARIAN OFFICIALS IN IN BURGERBRAU, MUNICH.

THREE MAIN SPEAKERS:

• VON KAHR – LEADER OF BAVARIAN GOVERNMENT• VON LOSSOW – HEAD OF ARMY IN BAVARIA• VON SEISSER – HEAD OF BAVARIAN POLICE GUSTAV KAHR

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED• HITLER BURSTS IN WITH 600 STORM TROOPERS, BRANDISHING A GUN

• IT IS SAID THAT HITLER, ONCE ON THE SPEAKER’S PLATFORM, SHOUTS OUT THE FOLLOWING:

“THE NATIONAL REVOLUTION HAS BROKEN OUT. THE HALL IS SURROUNDED.”

• WHEN HITLER DOES RETURN TO THE MAIN HALL, IT IS IN SUCH DISARRAY THAT HE FIRES A SHOT FROM HIS PISTOL INTO THE CEILING AND THREATENS TO PUT A MACHINE GUN IN A GALLERY IF THE PEOPLE IN THE HALL DO NOT SETTLE SO THAT THEY CAN HEAR HIM.

• CLAIMS THAT AFTER TAKING CONTROL IN MUNICH HE WILL MARCH AGAINST THE GERMAN GOVERNMENT ITSELF.

• SUPPORTED BY THE FAMOUS GERMAN GENERAL ERICH VON LUDENDORFF

• THE THREE LEADERS TAKEN OFF INTO A ROOM WHERE, INTIMIDATED BY HIS GUNS AND MEN, THEY AGREE TO SUPPORT HIM

The SA troopers outside the beer hall

HTTP://WWW.EYEWITNESSTOHISTORY.COM/PUTSCH.HTMAT LAST HITLER ARRIVED BELOW THE PLATFORM, GRABBED A CHAIR, MOUNTED IT, AND FIRED A PISTOL SHOT AT THE CEILING. THERE WAS A SUDDEN SILENCE IN THE HALL. HE JUMPED FROM THE CHAIR AND LEAPT UP THE STEPS TO THE PLATFORM. A POLICE MAJOR, HAND IN POCKET, TRIED TO BAR THE WAY. HITLER PUT HIS PISTOL AT THE OFFICER'S HEAD AND SHOUTED, 'TAKE YOUR HAND OUT OF YOUR POCKET!' THE MAN OBEYED.

HITLER WAS NOW IN FRONT OF THE TRIUMVIRATE KAHR, LOSSOW, AND SEISSER [THE THREE BAVARIAN LEADERS]. HE TURNED TO THE AUDIENCE AND DECLARED IN A HOARSE, EXCITED VOICE: 'THE NATIONAL REVOLUTION HAS STARTED. THE BUILDING IS GUARDED BY SIX HUNDRED HEAVILY ARMED MEN. THE BARRACKS OF THE REICHSWEHR [ARMY FORCES] AND POLICE HAVE BEEN OCCUPIED. REICHSWEHR AND POLICE ARE NOW ON THE MARCH UNDER THE SWASTIKA BANNER!'"

Hitler at the Beer Hall in Munich

HTTP://WWW.EYEWITNESSTOHISTORY.COM/PUTSCH.HTM"IF I AM NOT VICTORIOUS BY TOMORROW, I SHALL BE A DEAD MAN."HITLER WAS BLUFFING. THE NAZIS DID NOT HAVE CONTROL OF THE LOCAL ARMY NOR THE POLICE. HITLER FORCED THE THREE POLITICAL LEADERS INTO A SMALL ROOM BEHIND THE STAGE WHERE HE ATTEMPTED TO EXTORT THEIR ALLEGIANCE TO HIS PLOT:

"THE THREE LISTENED IN SILENCE, ANXIOUSLY WATCHING THE EXCITED MAN WITH HIS PISTOL AND THE ARMED GUARDS BARRING THE WAY OUT. HITLER ENDED WITH THE THREAT: 'ANYONE WHO REFUSES TO COLLABORATE WITH ME HAS NO RIGHT TO LIVE. I HAVE FOUR BULLETS IN MY GUN THREE FOR MY COLLABORATORS IF THEY ABANDON ME AND THE LAST FOR MYSELF.' HE PUT THE BARREL TO HIS TEMPLE: 'IF I AM NOT VICTORIOUS BY TOMORROW, I SHALL BE A DEAD MAN.'

KAHR WAS THE FIRST TO ANSWER. 'YOU CAN HAVE ME SHOT OR SHOOT ME YOURSELF,' HE SAID CALMLY, 'OR JUST LOCK ME UP. A LIFE MORE OR LESS MAKES NO DIFFERENCE.'

SEISSER: 'BUT HERR HITLER, YOU PROMISED ME A FEW DAYS AGO THAT YOU WOULDN'T STAGE A PUTSCH!'

HITLER: 'YES, I PROMISED. BUT I HAD TO DO IT, FOR THE GOOD OF THE FATHERLAND.' HE CALLED HIS BODYGUARD TO GET HIM ANOTHER GLASS OF BEER.

HTTP://WWW.EYEWITNESSTOHISTORY.COM/PUTSCH.HTMSUDDENLY HE SEEMED TO GET RATTLED AS HIS PRISONERS DID NOT DECLARE THEIR ENTHUSIASTIC ALLEGIANCE. HE JUMPED UP AND RAN OUT ON TO THE PLATFORM.

GOERING APPEARED JUST IN TIME TO TAME THE THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE IN THE HALL WHO WERE GETTING RESTLESS, DESPITE THE THREATENING MACHINE-GUNS AND PISTOLS AROUND THEM. WHAT, THEY WANTED TO KNOW, WAS HAPPENING IN THAT BACK ROOM? 'DON'T WORRY,' GOERING TOLD THEM. 'NO HARM WILL COME TO HERR VON KAHR, TO LOSSOW AND SEISSER. THEY ARE HOLDING PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS FOR THE FORMATION OF A NATIONAL GOVERNMENT WHICH ALL OF YOU WANT.'

'YOU DON'T NEED MACHINE-GUNS AND HUNDREDS OF ARMED MEN FOR THAT,' CRIED SOMEONE, AND THERE WAS A ROAR OF APPLAUSE.

'SHUT UP!' GOERING SNARLED ARROGANTLY. 'YOU'VE GOT YOUR BEER, HAVEN'T YOU?'

Hermann Goering

HTTP://WWW.EYEWITNESSTOHISTORY.COM/PUTSCH.HTM

NOW HITLER CAME DASHING BACK. THE EXCITEMENT IN THE HALL, FAR FROM ABATING, HEIGHTENED. HE SEEMED TO HAVE LOST. AGAIN HE DREW HIS PISTOL AND FIRED A SHOT AT THE CEILING. 'IF YOU DON'T KEEP QUIET,' HE SHOUTED, 'I'LL HAVE ANOTHER MACHINE-GUN PUT IN THE GALLERY!' AT LAST THERE WAS SILENCE, AND HE STARTED ANEW, CALMLY AND WITHOUT HIS USUAL MELODRAMATIC GIMMICKS. WHAT WAS HAPPENING, HE SAID, WAS IN NO WAY DIRECTED AGAINST KAHR, WHO WOULD REMAIN IN CONTROL OF BAVARIA. BUT A NEW REICHS GOVERNMENT HAD TO BE FORMED, WITH LUDENDORFF, LOSSOW, SEISSER AND HIMSELF. 'THERE ARE THESE THREE MEN IN THE BACK ROOM, WRESTLING WITH THEIR CONSCIENCE,' HE SAID, PUTTING ON A TOUCH OF EMOTION. 'CAN‘T I TELL THEM THAT ALL OF YOU WILL BE BEHIND THEM?'

Melodramatic Hitler

HTTP://WWW.EYEWITNESSTOHISTORY.COM/PUTSCH.HTM'JA, JA,' CAME THE THUNDEROUS ANSWER. HE HAD SUCCEEDED IN SWINGING THE MOOD OF THE CROWD ON HIS SIDE IN A MATTER OF MINUTES - IT WAS A DEMAGOGUE'S MASTERSTROKE. 'IN A FREE GERMANY,' HE WENT ON, NOW WITH PASSION, 'THERE WILL BE A PLACE FOR AN INDEPENDENT BAVARIA!' AND HE ENDED ON HIS FAVOURITE HEROIC NOTE; HERE WAS THE MAN OF DESTINY PLEADING FOR THE HEARTS AND SOULS OF THE PEOPLE: 'THIS I CAN TELL YOU, EITHER THE GERMAN REVOLUTION BEGINS TONIGHT, OR WE SHALL ALL BE DEAD BY TOMORROW MORNING.'" Hitler with some

companions

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED• HITLER RELEASES THEM• NEXT MORNING, HE HEARS THEY HAVE ALL CHANGED THEIR MINDS, BECAUSE IT’S EASY TO OPPOSE SOMEONE WHEN THEY ARE NOT PUSHING THEIR GUNS UP YOUR NOSE

• IT IS A MAJOR BLOW FOR HITLER:• THE SA ONLY HAS 2000 RIFLES, FAR FEWER THAN THE LOCAL POLICE AND ARMY FORCES

• HITLER STUBBORNLY PRESSES ON• HIM AND HIS KEY SUPPORTERS AS HIS SHOCK TROOP MARCH ON TO TOWN CENTRE TO DECLARE HIM PRESIDENT

Hitler with the SA members

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED• IN RESIDENZESTRASSE, THEY ARE MET BY THE STATE POLICE WHO OPEN FIRE

• GRAF, A BODYGUARD, THROWS HIMSELF IN FRONT OF HITLER AND IS HIT BY SEVERAL BULLETS

• GOERING FALLS WITH A BULLET IN HIS THIGH• HITLER IS DRAGGED TO THE GROUND WITH SO MUCH FORCE THAT HIS LEFT ARM DISLOCATES

• 14 OF HITLER'S SUPPORTERS AND 4 POLICE ARE KILLED• LUDENDORFF IS ARRESTED• OTHER REBELS FLEE, ONE GROUP ENTERS A LADIES’ ACADEMY AND HIDE UNDER THE BEDS.

Ludendorff ‘s trial

WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENEDHITLER WOUND UP AT THE HOME HIS FRIENDS, THE HANFSTAENGLS, WHERE HE WAS REPORTEDLY TALKED OUT OF SUICIDE. HE HAD BECOME DEEPLY DESPONDENT AND EXPECTED TO BE SHOT BY THE AUTHORITIES. HE SPENT TWO NIGHTS HIDING IN THE HANFSTAENGLS’ ATTIC. ON THE THIRD NIGHT, POLICE ARRIVED AND ARRESTED HIM. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE PRISON AT LANDSBERG WHERE HIS SPIRITS LIFTED SOMEWHAT AFTER HE WAS TOLD HE WAS GOING TO GET A PUBLIC TRIAL.

WITH THE COLLAPSE OF THE NAZI REVOLUTION, IT NOW APPEARED TO MOST OBSERVERS THAT HITLER'S POLITICAL CAREER AND THE NAZI MOVEMENT ITSELF HAD COME TO A CRASHING, ALMOST LAUGHABLE END.http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/putsch.htm

Hitler at his arrest

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!