[quote Commander Ikari]Anubis knows her history.[/quote]

I should do, I’m a history teacher! But thanks Ikari :)

On November 8, 1923 Adolph Hitler led his Nazi followers in an abortive attempt to seize power in Munich in what became known as the “Beer Hall Putsch”. Although the plan failed, and Hitler was imprisoned, the notoriety the Nazi leader gained laid the groundwork for the rise of the Nazi party. While in prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kamp, the book that described his political philosophy and planned conquest of Europe.

At the time of Hitler’s attempted coup, Germany’s Weimar Republic - which had been established at the end of World War I - was in chaos. Gangs of opposing political groups fought each other in the streets - Communists, Socialists, Nazis, and others resorted to violence in order to promote their political agenda and silence their opponents. Assassinations of unpopular political leaders were a common occurrence. Germany’s economy was a shambles. Uncontrollable inflation reduced the value of the money in a worker’s
Adolph Hitler
at the time of the putsch
wallet to next to nothing. Before the start of World War I, just over four German Reichmarks were equivalent to one U.S. dollar. At the beginning of 1923, the exchange rate had risen to 18,000 marks per dollar by July it had reached 350,000 marks and by September, a staggering one hundred million marks per dollar.

In the midst of this turmoil, Hitler saw an opportunity to grab political power in Munich, rally popular support behind him and topple the German national government through a march on Berlin. The Nazi leader was inspired by the success the previous year of Mussolini’s March on Rome which installed a Fascist government in Italy.

On the evening of November 8, 1923 leaders of the Bavarian government were holding a rally at a Munich beer hall before 3000 spectators. Suddenly, Hitler burst into the hall, fired a pistol in the air and announced that the building was surrounded by 600 of his stormtroppers. The Nazi leader whisked the stunned Bavarian officials off the stage and into a back room where he vowed to hold them hostage until they expressed support for his revolution. The hostages soon acquiesced. Unfortunately, the spontaneous enthusiasm Hitler expected from the local population was not immediately forthcoming. By dawn the following day, the coup attempt was running out of steam, riddled with confusion and lack of direction.

However, Hitler had promised a march on Berlin and despite the dwindling chance of success, he led a column of approximately 2,000 armed followers through the streets of Munich. Entering a city square, the marching rebels were confronted by a police unit. Shots rang out and fourteen Nazis were killed in the ensuing bedlam. Hitler escaped only to be arrested two days later. Tried and convicted of treason, the Nazi leader was sentenced to five years of confinement under reasonably comfortable conditions, but actually served only eight months.

The experience taught Hitler that power was to be achieved not through armed conflict but through manipulation of the existing political system.