Munich Putsch
The unsuccessful attempt by Adolf Hitler and his new Nazi party to seize power in
the early stage of the National Socialist movement. On the evening of 08th November
1923, some 3,000 Germans were present in the Burgerbrau Keller, a large beer hall
in Munich, to hear a speech by Gustav Ritter von Klar, state commissioner of Bavaria.
On the platform with him were two local dignitaries such as Gen. Otto von Lossow,
commander of the armed forces in Bavaria, and Col. Hans von Seisser, chief of the
Bavarian State Police While Von Klar was delivering his talk, the hall was silently
surrounded by 600 Storm Troopers. The SA men set up a machine gun outside with
its muzzle pointed at the front door. In the darkness the Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler,
surrounded by his followers, hurried down the aisle, jumped on a chair, and fired a
shot at the ceiling, and in a sudden silence cried out "The national revolution has
broken out." To the astonished audience he added: "The hall is filled with 600 armed
men. No one is allowed to leave. The Bavarian government and the government at Berlin
are hereby deposed. A new government will be formed at once. The barracks of the Reichwehr
and the police barracks are occupied. Both have rallied to the swastika."
Hitler then turned to the podium and gruffly ordered Von Kahr, Von Lossow, and Von Seisser
to follow him to a small side room. Here he denounced his prisoners and informed them that
together with Gen. Erich Ludendorff, the war hero, was forming a new government. The three
leaders of the Bavarian regime, still nervous but beginning to recover their wits, started
to berate Hitler and demanded to know what he mean't by this confounded nonsense. Hitler
flew into a rage. He dashed back to the hall and shouted to the still-muttering crown:
"Tomorrow will find a national government in Germany, or they will find us dead!"
The huge crowd, puzzled by the spectacle, did not know what was coming next. At this
critical moment a great cheer went up when General Ludendorff, known to everyone in the
audience, appeared on the scene. Ludendorff at once denounced Hitler for presuming to
start a revolution without clearing the matter with him in advance. Hitler, sensing
enthusiasm in the audience ignored the slight. Once again he mounted the podium turned
to the crowd, and informed it that victory was his. "I have at last fulfilled the oath
I swore five years ago as a blind cripple in a military hospital."
What seemed to many in the crowd to be a comic opera being played before their eyes
continued through the night. The struggle for control went on behind the scenes. One by
one Von Kahr, Von Lassow, and Von Seisser managed to escape Hitler's SA men. When the news was flashed to Berlin, Gen. Hans von Seeckt Commander of the Reichsweher, pledged that he would smash the rebellion if the Munich authorities failed in their responsibilities. By
early morning Hitler began to feel that his Putsch had misfired, but Ludendorff insisted
that there be no retreat.
At 11 A.M. the assembled Nazis, bearing Swastika banners and war flags, began a
demonstration march toward the Marienplatz in the centre of Munich. At the head were
Hitler, Ludendorff, Herman Goring and Julius Streicher. At first the marchers pushed aside
the small police contingents sent to stop them. As the parade came to Odeonplatz near
Feldherrn Halle the way was barred by a stronger detachment of police bearing carbines.
About 100 police confronted 3,000 Nazis. Hitler called on the police to surrender. The
response was a hail of lead. In seconds 16 Nazis and 3 policemen lay dead on the pavement,
and others were wounded. Goering, who was shot through the thigh, fell to the ground. Hitler,
reacting spontaneously because of his training as a dispatch bearer during World War I,
automatically hit the pavement when he heard the crack of guns. Surrounded by comrades, he
escaped in a car standing close by. Ludendorff, staring straight ahead, moved through the
ranks of the police, who in a gesture of respect for the old war hero, turned their guns aside.
One the surface the Beer-Hall Putsch seemed to be a failure, but actually it was a brilliant
achievement for a political nobody. In a few hours Hitler catupulted his scarcely known unimportant political movement into headlines throughout Germany and the world. Moreover, he learned an important lesson: direct action was not the way to political power. It was necessary that he seek political victory by winning the masses to his side and also by attracting the support of wealthy industrialists. Then he could ease his way to political supremacy by legal means.
The sixteen early followers of Hitler who were killed by the police on 09th November 1923, after the unsuccessful Beer-Hall Putsch. On 16th October 1924, Hitler, while in prison at Landsberg am Lech, dedicated the first volume of Mein Kampf to these Nazi martyrs. "So called national authorities denied a common grave to these war heros."
1 April 1924. Defendants in the Beer Hall Putsch trial. From left to right: Pernet, Weber, Frick, Kriebel, Ludendorff, Hitler, Bruckner, Röhm, and Wagner. Note that only two of the defendants (Hitler and Frick) were wearing civilian clothes. All those in uniform are carrying swords, indicating officer status.
The Nazi members shot by the police during the Beer-Hall Putsch:-
Felix Alfarth, Merchant (b. 05th July 1901).
Andreas Bauriedl, Hat maker (b. 04th May 1879).
Theodore Casella, Bank official (b. 08th August 1900).
Wilhelm Ehrlich, Bank official, (b. 19th August 1894).
Martin Faust, Bank official, (b. 27th January 1901).
Anton Hechenberger, Locksmith, (b. 28th September 1902).
Oskar Korner, Merchant, (b. 04th January: 1875).
Karl Kuhn, Headwaiter, (b. 26th July 1897).
Karl Laforce, Student engineer, (b. 28th October 1904).
Kurt Neubauer, Servant, (b. 27th March 1899).
Klaus von Pape, Merchant, (b. 16th August 1904).
Theodore von der Pforden, Counsel on the State Supreme Court, (b. 14th May 1873).
Joh. Rickmers, retired Calvary captain, (b. 07th May 1881).
Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter, Doctor of engineering, (b. 09th January: 1894).
Lorenz Ritter von Stransky, Engineer (b. 14th March 1899).
Wilhelm Wolf, Merchant, (b. 19th October 1898).
Beer-Hall Putsch Trial.
A Trial for high treason of the leaders of the Beer-Hall Putsch in 1923 in Munich.
The proceedings, which began on 24th February 1924, and lasted twenty four days, were
held in the Infantry Officers School in Munich. The building was protected by barbed
wire and patrolled by helmeted guards. The court consisted of two professional judges
and three laymen (two insurance men and a dealer in stationary). There were ten defendants,
including Hitler, Gen. Ludendorff, Ernst Rohm, and Wilhelm Frick. All were accused of
conspiracy to commit treason. The chief witnesses for the prosecution were Gustav Ritter von Kahr, General State Commissioner of Bavaria, Gen. Otto von Lossow, commander of the German armed forces in Bavaria, and Col. Hans von Seisser, Chief of the Bavarian State Police. The trial
aroused attention throughout Germany and around the world. At least 100 reporters sat at
the press table, and large crowds attempted to find seating space in the courtroom.
The accused Hitler wore a cutaway suit with the Iron Cross (First Class) pinned to
the left breast. He dominated the proceedings from the start. For the first time the
zealous young politician had an audience outside Bavaria, and he took full advantage of
the opportunity. He later said: "As though by an explosion, our ideas were hurled over
the whole of Germany." Each day the country listened with increasing excitement as the
Nazi leader converted the trial into a triumph for himself and his party.
His plan was simple: instead of apologizing of admitting his guilt, he took the initiative
and in long impassioned speeches presented his case to the German people. He told the court
that in all justice his accusers -- Von Kahr, Von Lossow, and Seisser must have been committing
high treason along with us, for during all these weeks we talked of nothing but the aims of
which we are now accused." He took full responsibility upon himself. "But there is no such
thing as high treason against the traitors of 1918. I feel myself the best of Germans who
wanted the best for the German people."
By this time all of Germany were listening to the leader of the National Socialist movement.
"The greatest gain of the 08th November 1923 is this: that it did not lead to depression and
discouragement, but contributed to lifting the people to the greatest heights of enthusiasm.
I believe that the hour will come when the masses on the streets who to-day stand under our
banner, the hooked cross, will unite with these who shot at us on 09th November. I believe
this: blood will not separate us forever. One day the hour will come when the Reichsweher
will be standing at our side, officers and men." Hitler sought to convince his German
audience that the Putsch was actually a success. He touched on all the German miseries
in the Weimer Republic -- the Dolchstosstgeorie, the stab in the back theory, the revolution,
the inflation, Marxism, decadent Berlin. "I accuss Ebert Scheidemann, and company of high
treason. I accuse them because they destroyed a nation of 70 millions."
When he was rebuked by the court for going too far, he paid no attention and went on in
the same vein for four hours. His words became even more dramatic:
I aimed from the first at something a thousand times higher than being a minister.
I wanted to become the destroyer of Marxism. I am going to achieve this task, and, if
I do, the title of minister will be an absurdity as far as I am concerned....
At one time I believed that perhaps this battle against Marxism could be carried on
with the help of the government. In January 1923 I learned that, that was just not possible.
The hypothesis for the victory of Marxism is not that Germany must be free, but rather Germany
will only be free when Marxism is broken. At that time I did not dream that our movement
would become great and cover Germany like a flood.
The army that we are building grows from day to day, from hour to hour. Right at this
moment I have the proud hope that once the hour strikes these wild troops will merge into
battalions, battalions into regiments, regiments into divisions. I have hopes that the old
cockade will be lifted from the dirt, that the old colours will be unfurled to flutter again,
the expiation will come before the tribunal of God. Then from our bones and from our graves
will speak the voice of the only tribunal which has the right to sit in justice over us.
Then gentlemen, not you, will be the ones to deliver the verdict over us, but that verdict
will be given by the eternal judgment of history, which will speak out against the accusations
that has been made against us. I know what your judgement will be. But that other court will
not ask us: Have you committed high treason or not? That court will judge the quartermaster-general of the old army, its officers and soldiers, who as Germans wanted only the best for their people and Fatherland, who fought and who were willing to die. You might just as well find us guilty a thousand times, but the goddess of the eternal court of history will smile and tear up the motions of the state's attorney and the judgement of this court: for this she finds not guilty.
It was one of Hitler's best speeches, and it was effective. Newspapers that had never
mentioned Hitler before now devoted columns to him. Millions of Germans were electrified by
the man of action who was playing a hero's role in the courtroom at Munich.
The verdict was handed down on 01st April, 1924. Ludendorff was acquitted, but the rest
were found guilty. The maximum penalty for high treason was life imprisonment, but Hitler was
given the minimum, five years' fortress arrest, considered to be the most lenient and dignified
of all forms of detention. Hitler served nine months of his sentence at Landsberg am Lech.
Richard Hanser, Putsch 1971.
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