The Beer Hall Putsch:
The Nazi party, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, attempts to start a revolution and overthrow the Weimar Republic. Along with high ranking officials and armed supporters, Hitler storms a beer hall and yells:
The national revolution has broken out! The hall is filled with six hundred men. Nobody is allowed to leave. The Bavarian government and the government at Berlin are deposed. A new government will be formed at once.
The movement went nowhere and was put to an end a day later. At one point during the Putsch, Hitler himself came close to death when the man who he was locking arms with, in defiance of authorities, was shot and instantly killed.
For his part in leading a failed revolution against the state, Hitler received a five year prison sentence but ended up serving just over one year behind bars. His trial helped attain national publicity for himself and the Nazi party.
During his time in prison he dictated his book Mein Kampf to Rudolf Hess, another participant. Hitler also received lots of fan mail from his supporters as well as preferential treatment from prison guards, and even bought a Mercedes limousine.
November 8, 1923 - 88 years ago today.
