Chapter 29 Chapter 4 The Birth of a Political Party (6)

The debate over the Protection of the Republic Act, and the widening rift between Weimar and Bavaria, gave birth to plans for another coup.The instigator of the coup was Dr. Otto Bittinger, an unknown health official in Munich.He planned to overthrow the Bavarian government and replace it with the dictatorship of former chancellor von Carl, relying on the aid of the National Socialist Workers Party and other nationalist organizations. So Kurt Ludke, Hitler's newest convert, was sent to the Berlin area to deliver final instructions to potential co-conspirators.He crossed North Germany, appeared “as the Paul Revere of Germany,” and wrestled nationalists out of bed—nothing happened in Bavaria, it turned out.He took the train back to Munich—late September 1922—and drove immediately to Pettinger's headquarters, just in time to meet the doctor. "Is this called a coup?" Ludek accused.But Pettinger, "with spectacles and a haughty air," ignored him and went on vacation in a Mercedes limousine to the Alps.His uprising died down.Only the Socialist Workers Party was ready to move on, while their leader was forced into hiding.

Ludek found Hitler in a broken attic.He is accompanied by a giant dog and the guard Graff. "I'm ready—and my men are ready!" he said to Ludek angrily. "From now on, I'm going to go alone*? It's over." Even if no one followed, he shot alone Horseback riding has to be done by myself. "No more Pettingers, no more fatherland society. One party, one party. These gentlemen, these dukes and generals—they can do nothing. I do. I alone Dry!" Earlier that year, Hitler had admitted to Arthur Moller Braque (who was writing a book called The Third Reich): "What you have I don't have. You created for the revival of Germany Food for thought, I'm just a drummer, a convener. Let's work together." Moller's proposal for a nationalist, socialist self-governing state rejected Hitler's demands.He told a colleague: "That guy will never get the hang of it. I'd rather kill myself than see him in the office."

The lessons learned from Bittinger's humiliating uprising convinced Hitler that, as Führer, he had to go his own way.The idea excited Ludek, and he suggested that the party adopt the techniques of Mussolini, who was trying to make himself the leader of Italy.His fascist movement was nationalist, but also socialist and anti-Bolshevik; his Blackshirts had recently captured Ravenna and other Italian cities.Ludek volunteered to go to Italy on behalf of Hitler to see if Mussolini could become a valuable ally. In Milan, Mussolini received Ludek with great ceremonies, even though he had never heard of Hitler.He agreed with Hitler on the Treaty of Versailles and international finance, but faltered on measures against the Jews.What impressed Ludek most was that when Mussolini was asked whether he would use force if the Italian government did not yield to his demands, he gave the most affirmative answer. "We will be the country," he said forcefully, as if he were the monarch, "because it is our will."

Ludek reported enthusiastically to Hitler.He said it was possible that Mussolini could take Italy within a few months.He also affirms that fascism bears a striking resemblance to National Socialism.Both were fiery nationalists, both were anti-Marxist and anti-parliamentary, and both were dedicated to the creation of a new order.Also, the two leaders are similar.Both come from the people, and both are battle-tested veterans. What interested Hitler most was Mussolini's proposed use of violence to seize power.Ludek recalled: "When he heard that the black shirts entered and occupied the Bolshevized cities, the local defenders remained neutral, and in some places even provided accommodation for the black shirts with magnanimity, he seemed to think about it." It proves how much can be won with guts!

Buoyed by Mussolini's success, and with growing support throughout Bavaria, Hitler resolved to show force that autumn.He chose a small town called Coburg in Upper Bavaria, about 160 miles north of Munich, as the site of the uprising.On that day, several local civic associations organized an event to celebrate "Germany Day", with the Duke and Duchess of Coburg as the guests of honor.Both were avowed nationalists, and the Duchess was a relative of the late Tsar. They invited Hitler to come with "a number of entourages".Before coming, he explained the invitation in a broad sense, and on the morning of October 14, 1922 (Saturday), he led nearly 600 stormtroopers (many of whom went there at their own expense), boarded a special train, and left Munich.The stormtroopers each brought dry food for two days, and they lined up on the train to the beat of wind and percussion music played by 42 people like a festival.

This group of people talked and laughed, as if they were going on a trip, and even Hitler's car was full of festive atmosphere.He was accompanied by seven people, his inner circle confidantes and right-hand men: an ex-sergeant (Max Ammann), a wrestler (Graf), a horse dealer and bar bouncer (Christine Weber). ), an ex-communist and pamphleteer (Esser), an architect (Rosenberg), a writer (Eckart) and a self-proclaimed old accident (Ludek).Ludek was most interested in two people: one was the impassioned Eckart, "a man whose outstanding talent and common sense make others dumbfounded"; the other was Rosenberg, the "ice cube!" looked at him dully as if he wasn't there.

The train stopped at Nuremberg for half an hour to allow more entourage to board.The band played again, the people in the car shouted and yelled, and swastika flags were waved out the windows.Curious passers-by came to watch, wanting to see what kind of circus it was.The Jews in another train parked nearby made faces at the swastika flag.The hilarity ended when Julius Schreck, who would later become Hitler's driver, "jumped into the Jewish crowd and killed him on all sides." By the time the train pulled into Coburg station, the number of stormtroopers had reached 800.Hitler stepped off the train with a grim face. He had chosen Coburg as a battleground because of the large number of socialists and communists there.He wanted to follow Mussolini's example and drive them out of the camp.The people of Coburg, who had only been Bavarians for two years, were surprised to see this group of people playing the tunes and flying the red flag, following Hitler to the podium.The band played a march, and the stormtroopers marched into town.Walking in the front were eight Bavarian burly men wearing only short leather shorts, carrying iron sticks on their backs, followed by the red flag and black flag team.Hitler and seven entourage walked behind the banner.Finally came the team of 800 people, who either held rubber clubs or large knives.Some of them wore faded and patched gray uniforms, others in their best clothes, the only common mark being a swastika armband on their left arm.Hitler himself was no different, except that he wore a military overcoat with a belt, a cocked hat, and hilarious calfskin high boots.

A group of workers rushed over from both sides, shouting: "Murderers! Robbers! Gangsters! Criminals!" The members of the Socialist Workers Party ignored this and continued to walk.The local police led the team to the Hofbrous Tavern in the city center and locked the gates, but Hitler insisted that his men stay at the shooting range.So, the stormtroopers beat the drums again, passed through the hostile crowd, and walked towards the outskirts of the city.At this time, pebbles hit like raindrops; Hitler swung his whip, and the stormtroopers immediately hit the attackers with rubber sticks without thinking.The crowd retreated in a hurry, and the team continued to move forward.They are proud, like troops that have won the first battle.The most proud is Ludek, who is meticulous in everything.He felt that he had been accepted by the lower classes. "Everyone fights bravely, good or bad. Seeing that, they forgive my tailor."

The next morning, Sunday, leftists staged a mass demonstration to "throw out the Nazis".The protest team is estimated to be 10,000 people and will gather in the square. However, the size of the opposition team made Hitler lose his boat.Determined to "eradicate the Red Terror forever in one fell swoop", he ordered the stormtroopers, who had reached about 1,500 at this time, to march towards Coburg Castle via the square.At noon, Hitler led a commando through the square and found only a few hundred protesters present.Yesterday the townspeople stood on the pavements watching the stormtroopers pass by in silent defiance; Partisans of the Socialist Workers Party, wearing strange markings, cheered.Today, they are heroes because they put an end to the rule of the Reds in the streets of Coburg. "This is typical of your bourgeoisie," Hitler told those marching beside him. "A coward in danger is a braggart afterwards."

Coburg proved to Hitler that he and his SA could keep pace with Mussolini.A little over two weeks later, Mussolini set another example. On October 28, Mussolini's Blackshirts marched to Rome (he himself took the train) and captured the city. Four days later, as usual, Esser announced in the banquet hall of Hofbraus in his capacity as Hitler's introducer: "Mussolini of Germany is named Hitler!"