Hitler led around 2000 SA troopers in an attempted coup at a meeting of 3000 Bavarian officials in a Munich beer hall. He took over the meeting at gunpoint and demanded the Bavarian leaders support him in marching on Berlin. However, the next day the leaders withdrew their support when Hitler was no longer threatening them. Hitler stubbornly continued with a smaller group but they were met by police and 14 of Hitler's men were killed along with 4 police. Hitler was arrested and sent to prison, appearing to end his political career, though he would later regain power.

2. 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.

3. WHAT HITLER THOUGHT WOULD HAPPEN

4. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
8 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

5. 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

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

7. 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.

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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED
HITLER 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