What if Adolf Hitler's Beer Hall Putsch was successful and he took over the government?
What if the Beer Hall Putsch was successful?
- Thread starter A Piece of History
- Start date
I've wondered this myself and its been asked a few times here.
The consensus is that any sort of Hitler-Ludendorf march on Berlin would incur the wrath of most of the remaining Reichsarmee. However, if we can wave this away, the new regime would be more like a military dictatorship, lead by the gravitas of Ludendorf more than Hitler.
How would the ex-entente react to a militarist/fascist Germany rising in 1924? I can't imagine them being very open to the idea.
Ruhr most likely gets permanently occupied which will cripple the economy. And we might see a German-Polish conflict flare up over Danzig in the late 20s.
The combination of which would probably collapse the regime.
Deleted member 92121
But that's considering that the former entente would be hostile to them. A stable anti-communist germany under a military government could actually be very attractive in the 1920's, instead of a unstable social democratic republic constantly on the verge of a communist-nationalist civil war. As long as the Hitler Ludendorf duo didn't actively threaten the Entente, they could be supported in the long run. Maybe concessions in the Ruhr, in exchange for a non agression pact.
If by some ASB handwave Hitler and Ludendorff actually reach Berlin with the Reichswehr looking the other way, shooting their way through already armed and mobilized communist militias in Thuringia ...
... their goverment would most likely last not very much longer as the "reign" of Wolfgang Kapp and Lüttwitz, though ending probably more bloodily than the latter.
The "lefts" from trade unions to SPD to commies would shut them down with general strike, together with most of the civil servants also, practically shutting down any govermental work at all ("well trained" already in 1921 with Kapp), followed by the almost unavoidable fighting between armed commies and the "national forces" aka Freikorps and what might flock towards Hitler and Ludendorff in the streets.
After watching from the sidelines after a couple of days the Reichswehr would finally mop up any remnants regardless if left or (extreme) right.
Deleted member 92121
The problem with this scenario is aways, as pointed out above, the difficulty in the Coup succeding. I think that the key would be to gain support among the Freikorps(wouldnt be that hard) and, more importantly, the Reichswehr. Maybe Ludendorf former reputation could tempt enough of the Reichswehr to the Nazis side. Then you still have the left to appease or crush. Either way, it will be very bloody.
https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/if-the-beer-hall-putsch-was-sucessful.404630/
I asked that some time ago
I asked that some time ago
Similar starting OP ... until "hijacked" by @Intosh
, turning it into a variant "Bavaria first" (and only) without the planned march on Berlin.For the coup to succeed it would actually have to accomplish something. It was basically a poorly planned March on Berlin, which failed to garner the support of the Generalstaatskommissar and his allies in the local military and police. They would need complete help from all the paramilitary groups, but were only able to corral a few into the kampfbund. To really succeed you would need a powerful Kampfbund, including support from troops who had intended to fight in the Kapp Putsch.
raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
What if Ludendorff consults with Hindenburg and gets his support. Hindenburg's moral support turns the tide of establishment opinion.
It really becomes more the Ludendorff-Hindenburg putsch, with Hitler a lower level player in the new regime at best, and possibly dispensed with.
It really becomes more the Ludendorff-Hindenburg putsch, with Hitler a lower level player in the new regime at best, and possibly dispensed with.
Highly unlikely, as you would have to convince Hindenburg to embroil in ... politics.
Hindenburg was from DNA upwards first and for all : soldier ... of her majesty the Kaiser.
That's at least how he saw himself.
Even in 1925 it took a real big effort to get him as candidate for Reichspresidency.
At the point of the Beer-Hall Putsch he had turned away from publicity at all, disgusted.
Also : Hitler at that point was far from promising anything near a reinstallation of monarchy, what might have been the only arguement, if supported with whatever king of concept to do, to convince him to take part.
But I have quite some trouble seeing Hitler marching with the yell of : "Für den Kaiser !" towards the Feldherren-hall in Munich.
raharris1973
Gone Fishin'
What got Ludendorff to mix himself up with Hitler? Obsessive political stewing and radicalization since the armistice?
To an extent. Add in some anti-Semitism and you have a good frame of his psyche