The Beer Hall Putsch (8-9 November 1923) was a failed coup attempt by the Nazi Party to seize power in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The coup was spurred on by the Bavarian government's intention to declare independence from the Weimar Republic, and its failure would, ironically, give the Nazi Party worldwide recognition, lead to the Bavarian government confirming its loyalty to the Weimar government, and allow for Hitler to deliver his party platform at the courtroom where his trial was held.
History[]
Following World War I and the Treaty of Versailles, Germany fell into political and economic crisis. From 1918 to 1919, the violent German Revolution raged on, with communists and fascists battling each other in the streets of Berlin. During this period of instability, the Nazi Party was founded in Munich, Bavaria in the south of the country. Its leader was Dietrich Eckart, but Eckart's protege Adolf Hitler soon rose to become the party's new leader, eclipsing his mentor due to his charisma and his oratory skills. Thanks to the help of former army officer Ernst Rohm, the Nazi Party soon developed its own 30,000-strong militia, the Sturmabteilung (SA), which had brown-shirted uniforms and military equipment. The Nazis would gain popularity among the cosmopolitan elite of Munich under Eckart, but they soon gained widespread popular support due to Hitler's messianic image.
In 1922, massive hyperinflation set in, having a deeply traumatizing effect on the German people. Many Germans lost their accumulated fortunes, and the government had no choice but to default on its Versailles repayments to the Allies. As a result, French and Belgian troops occupied the industrial Ruhr region, insulting the German people. For SA leader Hermann Goering and the rest of the Nazis, this was a call to arms. With the complete collapse of the economy and the ruin of the middle classes, it was time for the Nazis to seize power. The party coffers were hit hard by the crisis, and the SA militia became restless. Rohm chose to resign from the army and gamble everything on a successful Nazi coup, and he insisted that much of the army would support a Nazi seizure of power.
Hitler, inspired by Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's March on Rome months earlier, decided not to wait for electoral or popular support, instead hoping to seize power and then justify it. He planned to take Bavaria first, before marching on the national government in Berlin. At the time, control of Bavaria rested with State Commissioner Gustav von Kahr, police chief Hans von Seisser, and General Otto von Lossow, and Hitler sought their support for his coup. Hitler decided to enlist a temporary figurehead with nationwide appeal, Erich Ludendorff, who was a hero of the Imperial German Army during World War I and an enormously respected figure across Germany. When the Nazis discovered that Von Kahr and the heads of the military and police were going to hold a speech in front of 3,000 people at the Burgerbraukeller beer hall in Munich on the evening of 8 November 1923, they knew that they had to move fast, as they feared that Von Kahr would declare Bavarian independence from Germany.
Coup[]
The Nazis attempting their coup
Goering mobilized his SA stormtroopers, and Goering and Rudolf Hess would lead an assault on the Burgerbraukeller, hijack the meeting, and capture the three Bavarian leaders in one fell swoop. Then, Ernst Rohm and Heinrich Himmler's squads would take over the key military and police buildings around Munich. Goering and 100 of his SA shock troops entered the hall, while 600 surrounded the building. The local police force believed that the uniformed Nazi stormtroopers were actual soldiers, and they allowed for them to enter the hall. The Nazis smashed through the doors of the hall and set up a Maxim machine-gun in the main room, holding the crowds hostage. Then, Hitler fired a shot in the air and declared a "national socialist revolution". The three state leaders then spoke with Hitler, and they refused to join Hitler's coup. Ludendorff had not arrived yet, depriving Hitler of some of his negotiating power. Back in the main hall, Hess kidnapped some senior political opponents as Goering kept control within the main beer hall by showing his World War I medals and joking around with the patrons of the beer hall.
Early success[]
Rohm and his men during the coup
With the beer hall locked down, Rohm had his men march on the Bavarian War Ministry, with Himmler carrying the old imperial war banner and playing a soldierly role for the first time in his life. Across the city, SA troops closed in on their targets, but Hitler's negotiations continued to be in stalemate. He made an impassioned speech to the crowd, telling them that the government agreed to back him, and Ludendorff arrived at the perfect time, convincing the Bavarian leaders to join the coup. Hitler then decided to leave Goering and Ludendorff in charge to check on Rohm's progress, embracing him and telling him that the new Reich government was being formed. However, Ludendorff made a grave error back at the beer hall, as Von Kahr persuaded Ludendorff to let him go, assuring him that he would not betray him. He walked past Goering's drunken troops and left, and he proceeded to rally the Reichswehr army against the Nazis. By the next morning, the Nazis faced a showdown with the army.
Failure[]
Ludendorff, Hitler, and Goering during the coup
The next morning, Ludendorff seized the initiative and ordered the Nazis to march on the city center of Munich. Goering, Hitler, Ludendorff, and Max Erwin von Scheubner-Richter got in line and linked arms as they marched, but the Reichswehr was waiting for them in the center. The Germans shot Scheubner-Richter dead, and Hitler was pulled to the pavement with a dislocated shoulder. The Reichswehr continued to fire on the Nazis, and Goering was wounded in the leg, crawling to safety before he was taken away by other Nazis. A bullet nearly missed Hitler, who ran for his life and fled to the countryside. 16 Nazis died during the coup, which was quickly put down.
Aftermath[]
Hitler's escape
Goering and Hess fled into Austria in exile, while Himmler returned to his mother's house. Rohm turned himself in to the authorities, and he was jailed alongside Hitler. The Nazi Party was disbanded, and its leaders were either imprisoned or driven into exile. In the years to come, the putsch was seen as a triumphant struggle, however, creating a bond between future senior Third Reich figures. Eckart died just six weeks after the failed coup, with years of alcohol abuse killing him.
At his trial, Hitler decided to use the free publicity to deliver his platform to the judge and jury, and the jury applauded his nationalist views. The judges, impressed by Hitler's views, decided to give him only five years in prison. During these years, he wrote Mein Kampf with the help of journalist Joseph Goebbels, and he would be treated as a hero upon his release. Ultimately, Hitler would be seen as a messiah who could save Germany from its troubles.