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THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 5, 1989.
WHEN HITLER "HELD-UP" GERMANY
The Beer Hall Rising
A Man Next to the Fuehrer Fell With a Bullet Between the Eyes
my
Never in Ruhr. I make a putsch! The French were in the
a.life!" He then wept and fell on Germans waged Sullenly the guerilla war, such as Sinn Fein had his knees and guaranteed no trouble. just carried out against the British In the end the Conference was per- in Ireland and the Arabs are prac- mitted. tising against us in Palestine now.
The
retaliated
by “GIVE ME GUNS,
into
the JUST FOR A DAY”
The British had putting the Black-and-Tans
French. put Ireland. Blacks into Germany. The land seethed under the insult of Negro' troops. General strike the Ruhr. entire Reich.
а vague Hitler
May Day came round, and Hitler paralysed demanded the weapons his Brown- for Chaos spread over the shirts had drilled with "just
one day, to clean up the red scum." The mark broke loose from all Von Lossow, the Reichswehr com-
printing presses mander, had given him moorings. The poured out million-mark notes day promise, but now refused. and night. They were still to slow. ordered the Brownshirts to take the BILLION were weapons from the barracks. When The words ONE stamped in red across the milliard they did so, regular troops prompt- mark notes-a kind of stop press ly surrounded and disarmed them. Hitler foamed, but could do nothing edition.
Hitler thun- about it. Down in Munich dered: "The Ruhr war is a maraud-
By September storm blew up all It looked like civil ing expedition of the Jewish Bourse
German over Germany.
The Communists prepared for Dictatorship against the
and war. people!" As for the French their black janissaries: "An enemy Red Days. At Hambung they open- street fighting. In like this cannot be prayed to death, ed fire and were only suppressed in nor yet worked to death, still less three days'
have Bavaria, something like a Dictator
set
The up. Triumvirate idled to death! We weapons!"
three were Herr Von Kahr, State Commissioner, General Von Lossow, Reichswehr Commander, and Colonel Seisser, police chief.
*
* *
must
Now began the tortuous intrigue which was to lead to the Beer Hall Rising. The Reichswehr generals Hitler's storm had made use of troops.
was
Everywhere now in Nationalist
the on Berlin.
יזי
'was:
GENERAL LUDENDORFF,
who marched with the Nazis
at Munich right into a hail of bullets. He is seen here with former Marshal von Blomberg, leaving his home at Tutzing.
* ***
State Com-
The
began.
Govern-
"You are machine-gun was set up. on Ludendorff!
long you keep They armed and trained circles there was talk of marching war! German troops will never fire time, Goering took charge.
The only doubt
General Von Lossow was almost quite all right so service against them for
But the Reichswehr kept What would the Reichswehr in Ber-
Would they stay loyal to persuaded. "Only give me a 51 per quiet," said he. "And, after all, you
cent. probability of success and. I have your beer!” French.
Or
But Von Kahr receiv- In the side room Hitler strict control of the weapons. They lin do?
the Republican Government?
ed news from the north which made "Nobody leaves the room alive with- He then announ- 'did not trust Hitler.
In join the Counter-revolution, where will march.
him hesitate.
out my leave!" Nor did the civil authority.
up. Hitler resolved to force a show- ced that a new Bavarian January the Bavarian Home Secre- their heart really lay?
Hitler had it all weighed
ment had been set up. "Regent- the military re- down. tary forbade the Nazi Party Con-
Von Kahr! Also a new German Na- Head-Hitler! ference, fearing that Hitler would They must start
tional Government. At this Hitler volution from Bavaria How would
War Office organise a putsch.
Army-Ludendorff! leapt to his feet and shouted. "Herr the Prussian generals take that?
Von Lossow! Police-Seisser!" He had Minister, I give you my word of "Easy. We will put Ludendorff in
Getting no answer he threatened honour that never in my life will command, the hero of the world missioner, patted his stomach and 3000 of them there in the big beer
"I have hall, solid, decent citizens, come to death to deserters and, for the first witness him lash the Reds-with time, suicide for himself.
four shots left, three for my his tongue.
they desert me, one He put the pistol to "Unless I am vic- the torious to-morrow I shall be dead!” He then turned to Graf and shout- ed. "Bring me a quart of beer!" Von Seisser
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Herr Von Kahr.
beamed on his audience.
Hitler also put on his best suit colleagues if that evening. Over the top of it for myself!" he put a long overcoat with the Iron his forehead. Cross on the breast, and in pocket of the overcoat he put a gun. He drove to the beer hall.
At the door he met half a dozen His throat was dry.
would not. lorry loads of storm-troopers. They reproached him for making a putsch "It is jumped down and brought a cople after promising he of machine-guns into the entrance. "Forgive me," said Hitler. Hitler stamped into the hall, leapt for the sake of the Fatherland!”
Ludendorff then arrived. He had on to a table and fired two shots
vague Uproar broke been fetched and was very into the ceiling. out. He rushed towards the plat- about the whole affair and not best form, followed by Goering and Graf, pleased to find Hitler self-nominated
mounting it, as No. 1. his bodyguard, and- ye.de..:
·
heavily armed men..
a blind
However, they were ap- parently all in it, so better make the They all shook "The National Revolution has be- best of the job. gun! This hall is covered by 600 hands on it,
Unless there Hitler rushed back to the" beer- is ailence at once there will be a hall, radiantly happy, and harangued The the crowd. "I now fulfil the vow machine-gun in the gallery! Bavarian Government is deposed! I made five years ago as The German National Government cripple in the army hospital--never is deposed! The barracks of the to rest until the November criminals
OC (the Government) had Reichswehr and the police are cupied Reichswehr and police are al- thrown and Germany could again splendid! ready advancing under the swastika arise, great, free, and
Amen!" The others spoke less flags!"
The crowd streamed Then, turning to Von Kahr, who rapturously.
home watched open mouthed, and to Gen- out, and the new "Provisional Gov- eral von Lossow and Colonel Seisser, ernment of Germany" went who stood near, he ordered them to for the night.
Mean- follow him to a side room.
been over-
· (Continued on Page 3)....