Chapter 37 Chapter 6 Beer Hall Uprising (3)

By this time, the Bavarian government under Chancellor von Niering was governed by three "von" political magnates: Karl, Lossow, and Colonel Hans Ritter von Seisser.Seisser was the head of the Bavarian State Police, and around him he gathered a group of able and young staff officers.These people are young and don't have to worry about their positions.In the sense of the caretakers of ancient Rome, these three political giants seemed like an autocratic government. While the trio represented a wide variety of ultra-conservative figures and right-wing radicals, they all agreed that Hitler's revolutionary tactics were not for the good of the masses to be properly directed or brought to justice. On October 30, the split broke out.That day Hitler made it clear to a rapturous audience at Zilkas Krona that he was ready to march on Berlin. "As far as I am concerned, the German problem will only be solved when the swastika flag of black, white and red is flying in the air over the Berlin Palace!" he shouted. "We all feel that the time has come. Like soldiers on the battlefield Similarly, we will never shirk our responsibilities as Germans. We will follow orders and move forward in neat steps!"

In order to create a split among the three political titans, Hitler demanded a meeting with Colonel von Seisser. On November 1, they met at a veterinarian's house.The veterinarian was the leader of a pseudo-military nationalist organization called the Oberland League.Hitler tried to convince Seisser that Karl was nothing more than a pawn of the Bavarian government.He went on to suggest, as he had suggested a week before, that Sessel and Lossoff join himself and Ludendorff.But Sessel again declared that he wanted nothing to do with the World War admirers, nor would any senior officer in the Army do the same.Hitler admitted that although the generals opposed Ludendorff, officers below the rank of major would support him regardless of their superiors."Now is the time," Hitler warned, to act. "Our people are under enormous economic pressure. We must act, or they will fall to the side of the Communists."

Although both Seisser and Karl considered the Nazis to be nothing more than "a bunch of crap," both took action. On November 6, the three political giants met with representatives of various nationalist organizations for consultations.The most urgent task, Carr said, was to install a new national government.They unanimously agreed to overthrow the Weimar government, but it must be overthrown by everyone, not by themselves, as some organizations do.Although he did not name them, everyone knew he was referring to Hitler.Carr said it was doubtful that Streisemann would be removed by normal means. "A special approach has to be prepared. The preparation has been done. But if there is a special approach, everyone has to cooperate. Everyone has to follow a well-thought-out and well-prepared plan, and they need to work together."

It was Losov who spoke next.He supported Karl and his determination to use force to suppress any uprising. "I am prepared to support the dictatorship of the Right if it is possible to succeed," the general said.If there is a 51% chance of success, he will participate. "However, if it only turns from harassment to an uprising, and it will end in failure within five or six days, then I will not cooperate." The conclusion is that he and Colonel von Sessel will focus on asking the "combat alliance" to cooperate— —or do something else. That evening, Hitler met with several of his advisers at Schebner Richter's home in order to draw up his own plan of action.It was unanimously agreed that a national uprising would take place next Sunday, November 11.There are two reasons for choosing this day as the day of the incident: historical and realistic.That day was the fifth anniversary of Germany's surrender; it was another holiday, all offices were closed, there were few military police, the traffic in the city was relatively light, and the SA could advance unimpeded.

The next morning, the conspirators met again, with the elderly leader of the "Battle League".Ludendorff may have also been present at the meeting, but he later denied it.To be sure, Hitler, Goering and Schebner Richter were there.They made the final arrangements for the uprising: occupying the railway stations, post offices, telephone offices, radio stations and public facilities, city halls and police stations of major cities in Bavaria; arresting communist and socialist leaders, trade union leaders and store managers .In Munich, Hitler had the upper hand: 4,000 armed insurgents against 2,600 military and police.

Earlier that night, Hitler called a second meeting.There were two other participants: former police chief Bonner and Hitler's former aide Wilhelm Frick, who was still in the police station and secretly protected Hitler and his followers.The conspirators discussed a new development which necessitated a drastic change in the original plan.It turned out that Commissar Karl suddenly announced that a mass "patriotic demonstration" would be held at the Bergbräu Tavern the next evening.Its purpose is ostensibly to illuminate the main goals of his regime.But it is very likely that he was trying to prevent the National Socialists from forming a joint action among the government officials, military generals, and respected citizens.Hitler was invited to this convention, but it became clear that this invitation could be a trap.Perhaps, the three political giants are preparing to announce the secession of Bavaria from Berlin and the restoration of the Wittelsbach dynasty.

Hitler argued that this was a godsend.The three political giants, Chancellor von Niering, and other important government officials will all gather together in a presidium.Why not bring them into a room, convince them to submit, take part in a coup, or if they are recalcitrant, imprison them?There is no doubt that Hitler was talking about effects.He knew very well that without the full support of the three political giants, he could not successfully carry out the uprising.He had no intention of seizing power in Bavaria, but merely attempted to arouse the Bavarians by violent actions in order to effectively counter Berlin.In fact, he didn't have a long program, he just wanted to try his luck and resign himself to fate.

His co-conspirators would not resign themselves to fate.In this way, the debate continued for several hours.Hitler stood still.In this way, at 3 o'clock in the morning on November 8, everyone reluctantly accepted Hitler's suggestion: to hold an uprising at the Bergbrau Tavern that night.As soon as the guests walked out into the cold morning wind, Schebner handed the servants a stack of letters to important publishers—as soon as the offices opened. The next day, the weather was bitterly cold and windy.That year, Bavaria was cold early, and snowflakes had already fallen in the southern mountainous area of ​​Shinan.On the most important day of Hitler's life, he had a headache and a terrible toothache.His colleagues once persuaded him to go to the hospital to see a dentist, but he replied that he "has no time, and the revolution that will completely change everything is imminent".He must resign himself to fate.Hanf Stangel asked him what would happen to their careers if his illness worsened?Hitler replied: "If this is the case, or if I die of illness, it only means that my stars have reached their end of life and my task has been completed."

It was almost noon, and the order to the stormtroopers was issued-either by phone, by letter, or by sending someone to tell everyone in the stormtroopers to get ready for action.No details, no explanation.In addition, even many of Hitler's closest associates remained in the dark that the plan had been changed.At noon, Rosenberg (in a purple shirt and red tie) was discussing the day's issue of the Volksobserver with Hanf Stangl in his small freshly painted office.The front page of the newspaper carried a photograph of the general who led the Prussian army to the Russian side to face Napoleon at Thlogen."In an emergency, can we find another General York?" the caption said. Despite their mutual disdain, the two men discussed the possible consequences of the photo.At this time, they heard someone stomping outside and asking in a hoarse voice: "Where is Captain Goring?" The door was pushed open.Hitler appeared at the door in military overcoat and belt, whip in hand.He rushed in, "face livid with excitement".

"You swear not to mention this matter to anyone," Hitler said urgently. "The time is up. We act tonight!" He asked these two people to be his personal escort, asked them to bring pistols, and held a beer meeting at 7 o'clock. Meet outside.Hanf Stangl hurried home and asked his wife to take his son Egon to the villa that had just been built in the countryside.Afterwards, he informed many foreign journalists, including Nika Boca, that they should not miss that evening's convention "whatever it takes." In the afternoon, Hitler had reined in his excitement, sitting in Café Heck, chatting with his old friend the photographer Heinrich Hoffmann, as if it were just another ordinary day.Suddenly, he suggested to see Esai, who was suffering from jaundice.While Hoffmann waited outside, Hitler revealed to Esser that he was going to declare a national revolution that night.He needs help.At 9:00 p.m., Esser was to fly a banner and rush up to the podium of the Rowan Brau Tavern—where the nationalist conference was to be held—to announce that the National Socialist Party was about to carry out a national revolution.

After Hitler came out, he told Hoffmann that Esser felt much better.So, the two of them walked aimlessly on Shilin Street.After a while, Goering stepped forward.Hitler took him aside, and the two talked for a while.When he came back, he said that he had a terrible toothache and had to leave right away.At this moment, Hoffman was in a fog.He asked, what was Hitler going to do that night?He replied furtively that he was "very busy, with a very important job".After speaking, he returned to the headquarters of the National Socialist Party. Meanwhile, the stormtroopers were shedding their smocks and donning their stormtrooper uniforms—gray leather jackets with elastic at the waist and cuffs, swastika armbands, gray ski caps, and pistol belts.They are about to go to the assembly point.Carl Kessler of the Second Company was instructed to report to the Arzberg Tavern; Joseph Richter, a shoemaker, was sent to Hofbrau. Members of the "Oberan Alliance" were also dispatched.Instead of swastika armbands, they wore thin snow hoods and steel helmets on their heads.The key force, the Führer's Centurion, assembled at Tobrau.Their leader, a leaf-smoking leader, was lecturing loudly: "Whoever is not wholehearted, go now." He said that whatever happened at the Bergbrau Tavern that night, their task was to bear the brunt. "We're going to throw the government out!" After dark, a car stopped in front of Schibner Richter's door.It was Ludendorff who got out of the car.He chatted with Schibner Richter for a few minutes and left.After a while, Richter and his servant also drove away. "Hansl," said Schebner Richter, "if things don't go well today, tomorrow we'll all be in jail." They met Hitler and the other party leaders at party headquarters.After a while of discussion, a group of people boarded two small cars and headed to the Bergbrau Tavern.It was about 8:00 p.m.The beer hall is located on the other side of the Isar River, about half a mile from the center of Munich.This is a messy building, with a garden on the left and right sides, and there are many restaurants and bars in it.The main hall is the largest in the city except for "Zikas" and "Krona". There are many solid wooden round tables inside, which can accommodate 3,000 people.Knowing there might be trouble, officials brought in 125 police officers from the city early to control the crowd.In addition, a troop of cavalry and a number of officers were placed among the audience.In the event of an emergency, a company of state troopers in green uniforms stood by at the barracks a quarter of a mile away. When Hitler's convoy crossed the Isar River, the gate of the hall was closed, and no one was allowed to enter except important officials.Because all the seats were occupied, Hanf Stangl was unable to bring a small group of foreign journalists into the arena. At 8:00, Hitler's red car "Messertis" and the car of Schebner Richter following behind arrived at the beer hall.The crowd was turning around, which worried Hitler quite a bit.Could his convoy of trucks get through the crowd?Two small cars approached the front door slowly.The gate is guarded by a group of police officers.In order to let the troops arriving soon pass, Hitler hurriedly persuaded the police to leave.After that, he led the crowd into the gate of the beer hall - Hess was guarding the door.As a result of a dispute, as soon as Hitler entered, the door was closed, and Hanf Stangl, who was leading an American female reporter, was shut out.He warned the police that there would be chaos if foreign journalists were kept out.But it was actually American journalists smoking American cigarettes, a rarity in Germany, who cleared the way.Next to the living room, Hitler stood near a large column, watching the dense crowd near the lectern.On the stage, Karl was speaking in a monotonous voice.He denounced Marxism and called for a struggle for German revival.He had the air of an old pedant, as if he was giving a lecture rather than a lecture.The audience listened politely, drinking beer from time to time. Hanfstangel thought to himself that Hitler would have to drink beer to be more in line with the environment.So he spent 3 billion marks to buy three bottles of beer at the service desk.Hitler waited impatiently for his browncoats, taking occasional sips of wine.Trucks full of other stormtroopers were already waiting outside, ready for action only after eight-thirty.At last the guards in steel helmets arrived—the signal for action.The truck was empty; armed Nazis surrounded the building.The policemen, who were at a disadvantage in numbers, were dumbfounded when they saw this scene.Unprepared for political warfare, they were helpless. Göring's guards, armed with repeating pistols, poured into the building.Hitler's bodyguard, Ulbrich Graf, was waiting in the cloakroom for the guards to arrive.At this moment, he approached Hitler.Hitler has taken off his military overcoat, only wearing a Bavarian-style long-tailed black dressing gown.Graf whispered something in Hitler's ear.According to a bystander, it was like a customer begging the Taipan to find a good table. More than 20 policemen blocked the way.The captain of the guard shouted: "Get out of the way—go over there!" The policeman turned back obediently, and walked out the front door with a neat step like an American policeman. Hitler put aside his beer and drew his Browning.Amid the shouts of "Heil Hitler" from the S.A., Hitler led the one-time butcher Graf, Schebner Richter (who was squinting nearsighted in the smoky interior), his loyal servant, the Harvard University graduate Hanf Stangl, ex-police agent and business manager Max Ammann, and geopolitics student and active idealist Rudolf Hess entered the hall.This group of heroes in mixed clothes waved their weapons, pushed a way out of the crowd, and walked straight to the podium.At this time, the brown shirts had blocked the fire exit, and another group of gangsters had set up their machine guns, ready to shoot the audience.Many tables were overturned in the chaos.A cabinet member ducked under the table to hide.Some cabinet members were stunned and rushed towards the fire escape, but were warned to go back.Those who resisted were whipped or kicked. Hitler and his gang were blocked.In the confusion, he climbed onto a chair and, brandishing a pistol, shouted, "Quiet!" But order remained chaotic.He fired a round of bullets at the ceiling.People were too scared to make a sound.Hitler said: "The National Socialist revolution broke out! The hall has been surrounded! No one is allowed to leave the hall."Sweat poured down his pale face.To some, he was crazy or drunk; to others, he was amused—this pistol-wielding revolutionary wore such ill-fitting dressing gowns.Ridiculous as it may seem, Hitler was unusually serious.He ordered the three political magnates to follow him to an adjoining house to ensure their safety.The three of them remained motionless.Karl took a step back as Hitler moved across a table towards the podium.Sessel's adjutant, a major, stepped forward.He put one hand in his pocket, as if about to draw a pistol.Hitler pointed the pistol to his forehead and said, "Get your hands out!" Hitler assured the triumvirate and the audience that everything could be resolved within 10 minutes.At this time, the three political tycoons, plus two aides, followed Hitler into the house. "Pretending," Losov whispered to his colleagues.Once inside, Hitler was even more excited. "Forgive us for this," he said, "but I have no other choice." Sessel accused him of reneging on his promise not to revolt.Hitler apologized to him, saying: This is for the benefit of Germany.He told them that Bonner, the former police chief, would become Chancellor of Bavaria; that the New National Army, based on the right-wing militant group "Battle League", would be under the command of Ludendorff, who would lead the army towards Berlin.Hitler promised that after the rebels took power, the three political giants would exercise greater power: Karl would be Regent for Bavaria; Lossov would be Reich Minister of War; Seisser would be Reich Minister of Police. The three refused, and Hitler drew his pistol (he later testified that it was all a joke). "It's got five rounds in it," he said gruffly, "four for the traitor and one for myself—if I fail." He handed Graff the pistol—he already had one. Machine pistol.In this case, life and death are meaningless, Karl replied coldly.What interested him was General Ludendorff's role in the matter.Hitler was helpless.He hastily took a few sips of wine, apologized to Karl repeatedly, and then strode out of the house.Outside, the audience was in chaos, and it seemed uncontrollable.Someone shouted: "Acting!" Another shouted that it was a Mexican-style revolution.There were harsh whistles and jeers in the hall, and it was not quiet until Göring followed his master's example and shot the ceiling.He shouted that their operation was not aimed at Karl, the Reichswehr, or the police this time.After the defense failed, he brought out humor: "Don't you have beer?" He shouted, "What are you worrying about?" The chaos in the hall did not discourage Hitler.Despite the yelling and cursing, Hitler pushed through the crowd and made his way to the podium.The hall was still noisy.He shouted angrily: "If you don't calm down, I will order the machine guns in the attic to fire!" Suddenly, he was no longer the object of people's teasing. "Immediately thereafter," recalled the conservative historian Professor von Müller, "Hitler delivered a brilliant speech that would have made any actor envious. He spoke calmly and without complaining." His The speech seemed to be triumphant.He assured his audience that he had full confidence in Karl and would make him Regent of Bavaria.He also assured that the army would be placed under the command of Ludendorff; Lossov as Minister of War; Sessel as Minister of Police. "The task of the German Provisional National Government is to lead the march to the evil Babel - Berlin - to save the German people!" (*Babel, the name of the city in "Bible Genesis". - Annotation) From the very first sentence, Hanfstange recalls, this ridiculously dressed little man, this Hitler who resembled the "provincial bridegroom" displayed in the dusty window of a photo studio in the Bavarian countryside, became a superman. "It's like a Stradivari violin in a box. It's just a few boards and a few guts; if played by a famous teacher, it will produce beautiful music." Throughout his life, von Professor Miller can no longer recall a situation in which "the attitude of the crowd changed so rapidly in a matter of minutes, even seconds."Affirmatively, "Many people haven't been completely converted, but most people feel completely transformed. Hitler turned them completely in just a few words, like one turns a glove. It's almost like a mantra , It was like magic again. Then there was applause, and the voice of opposition was no longer heard." "Karl, Lossow, and Seisser are outside," said Hitler sincerely, "and they are trying to decide. Can I tell them that you support them?" "Yes! Yes!" roared the crowd. "In a free Germany," Hitler said enthusiastically, "there is room for an autonomous Bavaria! I can tell you this: Either the German revolution will start tonight, or we will all die at dawn tomorrow!" After leaving the crowd, Hitler turned back to his room and called up the three political giants. The person who can solve the problem is running towards the Bergbräu Tavern in Hitler's "Mercedes".This person is General Ludendorff.He was sitting in the back seat with his stepson (a fiery rebel) and Schebner Richter.Although the fog was thick, his car still drove from the inner city at an alarming speed and passed the bridge.As soon as General Ludendorff appeared at the door of the beer hall, the people shouted "Long live!" Ludendorff was "stunned and very unhappy" when he discovered that things had gone so far.Hitler quickly came out of the living room to shake hands with him.After they exchanged a few words briefly, Ludendorff frowned and agreed to persuade the three political giants.They disappeared into the side room. Although Hitler's unilateral actions angered him, Ludendorff used the force of his position and personality on two of his colleagues. "Well, gentlemen," he said to them, "come with us. Hold out your hand." The first to respond was the general.Lossov held out his hand and said, "Okay." Then, the colonel also extended his hand to Ludendorff.Clerk Karl was the last to yield.But when everyone returned to the podium, he was the first to speak.He stood erect, his face expressionless.He announced that he would serve the Bavarian dynasty as regent.The applause that interrupted the sober speech was "frenzied," according to a police officer who was present. Hitler was overjoyed to see the audience so enthusiastic.He said with emotion: "5 years ago, I was a blind patient in an army hospital. I made an oath to myself: November sinners will not overthrow or rebuild a strong, free and The splendor of Germany, I will not rest. It seems that I am fulfilling this vow." Then Ludendorff, pale and gloomy, made a brief speech earnestly.Professor Miller got the impression that Ludendorff understood that "this is a question of life and death, perhaps more than life."After completely controlling the situation, Hitler shook hands with everyone in cheers and said goodbye one by one.The audience couldn't help cheering up because of the excitement and the beer at work.The earlier sneers and even anger had been forgotten.The audience stood up and sang "Germany Above All".Many were in tears; some were even too emotional to sing.But the man standing next to a state trooper turned around and said, "The only thing missing is a psychiatrist!"