Summary

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  Hitler plotted with Kahr and Lossow

  At first, the Nazis were just a terrorist group. Hitler assembled a large group of unemployed young men and former soldiers, known as the storm troopers (the SA), which attacked other political groups. Hitler hoped to take power by starting a revolution [revolution: A complete or radical change. In political terms, revolution involves a radical change in government. ].

  During the crisis of 1923, therefore, Hitler plotted with two nationalist politicians - Kahr and Lossow - to take over Munich in a revolution.

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  Hitler is angered as Kahr and Lossow call off the rebellion

  Hitler collected his storm troopers and told them to be ready to rebel.

  But then, on 4 October 1923, Kahr and Lossow called off the rebellion. This was an impossible situation for Hitler, who had 3,000 troops ready to fight.

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  Hitler waved a gun at Khar and Lossow

  On the night of 8 November 1923, Hitler and 600 storm troopers burst into a meeting that Kahr and Lossow were holding at the local Beer Hall. Waving a gun at them, Hitler forced them to agree to rebel - and then let them go home. The SA took over the army headquarters and the offices of the local newspaper.

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  16 Nazis were killed in the scuffle

  The next day, 9 November 1923, Hitler and his Nazis went into Munich on what they thought would be a triumphal march to take power.

  However, Kahr had called in police and army reinforcements. There was a short scuffle in which the police killed 16 Nazis.

  Hitler fled, but was arrested two days later.

Why did Hitler attempt the Munich Putsch in 1923?

1. By 1923, the Nazi party had 55,000 members and was stronger than ever before.
2. The Weimar Republic was in crisis and about to collapse.
3. In September 1923, the Weimar government had called off the general strike, and every German nationalist was furious with the government.
4. Hitler thought he would be helped by important nationalist politicians in Bavaria.
5. Hitler had a huge army of storm troopers, but he knew he would lose control of them if he did not give them something to do.
6. Hitler hoped to copy Mussolini - the Italian fascist leader - who had come to power in Italy in 1922 by marching on Rome.

Results of the Munich Putsch

The Munich Putsch was a failure. As a result:

1. The Nazi party was banned, and Hitler was prevented from speaking in public until 1927.
2. Hitler went to prison, where he wrote 'Mein Kampf'. Millions of Germans read it, and Hitler's ideas became very well-known.
3. Hitler decided that he would never come to power by revolution; he realised that he would have to use constitutional means, so he organised:
   • the Hitler Youth
   • propaganda campaigns
   • mergers with other right-wing parties
   • local branches of the party, which tried to get Nazis elected to the Reichstag
   • the SS as his personal bodyguard, which was set up in 1925 It was this strategy of gaining power legitimately that eventually brought him to power.

Revision tip and answer preparation

Revision tip

To become familiar with these events, identify the facts and arguments you would use to support these statements about the Munich Putsch:

• 'It was a squalid little failure that we would ignore nowadays if Hitler hadn't eventually come to power.'
• 'Hitler would have had no chance of ever gaining power without the failure of the Munich Putsch.'

Answer preparation

As part of your revision, think about the arguments and facts you would use to explain:

1. What happened in the Munich Putsch.
2. Why Hitler attempted the Munich Putsch in 1923.
3. How the Nazi Party was affected by the Munich Putsch.

Now try a Test Bite