Wednesday, August 19, 2015

How significant was the Munich Putsch to Germany's history?

The Munich Putsch, or "Beer Hall" Putsch of 1923 was a miserable failure in one sense. Hitler and his co-conspirators were foiled in their attempt to spark a national revolution by seizing control of the government of Bavaria in Munich. Several were killed in a shootout in Munich, and the leaders, including Hitler himself, were arrested. So the Putsch itself was an unmitigated fiasco for Hitler. But he was able to shape the aftermath of the Putsch into a victory. Hitler's trial for treason was widely followed by the German people, and he used it to publicize key aspects of his message. During his trial, he spoke at length about the humiliations of the Treaty of Versailles, the incompetence and corruption of the Weimar government, and the looming threat of communism. These themes resonated with the German people, and elevated Hitler from an upstart in Bavarian street politics to a national political figure. He was found guilty, but received a light sentence, and served less than a year in prison. So the significance of the Munich putsch was that it made Hitler into a political force and served as a sort of founding moment in Nazi Party history.

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