OOC: Guys, I need some advice. Which writing style do you like better? The broad narration or the personal, dialogue-driven storyline? Should I drop the dialogue? Also, I think there might be ONE MORE update after this one before gameplay begins.
One for the History Books
The World As It Was
Chapter II: The Beer Hall Putsch
Deutschland, while by far the worst struck by the various peace settlements, was not the only nation left with a bad taste in its collective mouth. The victorious Entente Cordiale, headed by Britain and France, transferred smoothly into a League of Nations that re-drew the map of Europe. Austria, once one of the foremost Empires on the Continent, was shorn of every bit of territory in which the population was not overwhelmingly German, and even a few that were, notably South Tirol to Italy and the Sudetenland to the newly-minted country of Czechoslovakia. In all, four new nations arose from the ashes of the Habsburg dynasty, while many others territorially benefited.
Europa reshuffled
Deutschland's defeat of the Russian Empire caused it to fragment as well, aided by an internal revolution much more bloody and violent than that which rooted in Germany. Russia became the Russian Soviet Republic, having lost vast tracts of territory to a newly-independant Poland, Ukraine, Bielorussia, the three Baltic States, Finland, and the Caucasus. As civil war swept across the steppe, the Bolsheviks emerged victorious. It didn't take long until they entered the capitals of nearly all the breakaway Republics to reclaim them for the new Russian Empire under the guise of Bolshevism, now called the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
This entity formed an incredibly dangerous base of power for revolutionaries throughout Europe. For years after the entrenchment of the Bolsheviks, revolutions raged across the Continent, even succeeding in places such as Hungary and Bavaria. Luckily for Germany, the Bavarian movement was crushed with the firm hand of the professional Reichswehr and around 30,000 members of the Bavarian Freikorps.
Italy was burned just as badly in the peace agreement. Having been lured into the Entente with promises of major territorial concessions in the Balkans and increased political influence around the entire Mediterranean, Italy recieved only South Tyrol and a smattering of insignificant islands. This left the Italian people incredibly bitter and sceptical of the former Entente and the new League which succeeded it. The blatantly imperialist manner in which France and England gobbled up the remnants of the Ottoman Empire served as a further slap in the face to the Italians and the Turks, though these actions were covered by “League Mandates” which gave them a veneer of altruism and legality.
The German government in these years was incredibly unstable, having to guard against external menaces and internal fragmentation...it hadn't been so very long ago that Germany had been a collection of dozens of smaller autonomous states, and many major powers—notably England and France again—weren't saddened by the idea of Germania returning to this state of affairs. Referred to by history as the Weimar Republic, it was contemporaneously known as
Das Deutsches Reich, the same name that had been used to refer to its legal progenator, the Kaiserreich. The first years of the Republic were shaky indeed; various parts of Germania attempted revolution, with many proclaiming themselves Soviet Republics. Nevertheless in the opening months of 1919 the government was incredibly active in the social sphere, codifying the eight-hour workday, helping to bring the hundreds of thousands of demobilized and decommissioned troops back into the workforce, and bringing leaping strides in nationalizing the healthcare system.
By 1923, the Republic had become politically stable through a pact with the Reichswehr, in which the civil government swore not to reform the military as long as the military held itself to protecting the State. This allowed the government some breathing space to deal with the harsh economic concerns wrought by Versailles. Even with the destitution that ravaged, a few of Germany's cities boomed in a cultural and social sense. Berlin was a prime example, becoming one of the most decadent centers of Europe for art and culture. Economically, however, the entire nation was caught in a negative loop of inflation and depression so bad that at one point, it became cheaper simply to burn money for warmth than to buy firewood.
A German woman burning money rather than spending it on wood
Such a climate was inimical to social peace, and while the outright revolts and mass demonstrations against the government had ended, the discontentment of the people hadn't. During this time, the government defaulted on a few payments mandated by Versailles, citing its inability to pay. In response, French and Belgian troops occupied the Ruhr region, Germany's most productive industrial core. Many mining companies were taken over in this action, and the German government could do nothing but encourage the people to strike in protest. The strikes lasted for eight long, brutal months, further crippling the Reich's ailing economy and infuriating the occupying Frenchmen. The strikers were paid benefits by the state, taking away its ability to make reparation payments all the more. The French became so desperate that many protestors were exiled from the region while others were simply executed.
The necessity to pay reparations and the striking workers fueled a period of incredible inflation, when the government simply printed more and more money to pay for its expenses. This devalued the currency immensely from its already sub-par rate of exchange until a new currency, the Rentenmark, had to be introduced. At the time of introduction one Rentenmark was equivalent to one trillion Papiermarks, which was the old currency. Conversely one US Dollar was worth just over four Rentenmarks. The innovation halted inflation almost completely, and while the economic outlook remained bleak, things seemed to get worse at a much slower rate.
1923 was a fateful year for Germany for many reasons, not least of which was the Beer Hall Putsch in which a fanatic from a fringe Rightist group attempted to sieze power in Munich. In order to trace the roots of this incident and properly understand its effects, we must revisit the young man we left in the last chapter confused and uncertain of his place in the world.
July, 1919
Caught among men more sure of themselves, perhaps more intelligent, and definitely more confident, the still-young Hitler counted himself lucky. Unassuming and quiet, he was always known for his paintings from the Front, though almost no one knew anything about him. He had been one of the 100,000 men retained in the Heer. For most of the first six months of that year, he languished in barracks with nothing better to do.
Then one morning he was awoken to a nameless officer handing him a slip of paper. Groggily he read it through once, uncomprehending. Halfway through his second read-through he sat up with newfound excitement. The paper in his hand told him to report immediately to the local
Aufklärungskommando, the Intelligence Command. The order might have frightened other soldiers, fearing an investigation into their sordid deeds of late. Hitler was excited to be relieved of the shiftless boredom which had haunted him ceaselessly since the cessation of hostilities with the Allied Powers.
He arrived at the designated location in Munich, proudly displaying his badges and his rank which he had earned in defence of the Fatherland. The office was small and crisp, occupied by an older man of similar stature and sharpness. The man's gaze took in the full measure of the Gefreiter when he entered, only offering the obligatory “Wilkommen” after a long moment of silence. He did not offer his name nor did he ask for proof of Hitler's.
“You must be wondering why you are here. Low of rank, without particular distinction. Without German citizenship...perhaps without any citizenship at all, considering your desertion from Austria and the collapse of the dynasty there. Tell me...why shouldn't I report you for deportation and trial for cowardice?”
The man's cold words sent an icy chill through Adolf. His composure sagged for an instant, but then he snapped to attention, his cobalt eyes filling with passion. “All I am, I am for Deutschland, Herr Hauptmann.” He addressed the man by his obvious rank rather than requesting a name. “While it is true I ran from conscription in the Austrian Army, I volunteered my service for Germany. As such...” Here he hesitated. Was he really prepared to gamble his life away? It only took an instant for him to decide. “As such I shall follow any order my Fatherland sees fit to give to me.”
The Hauptmann was impressed with this concise answer. “Very good. As it happens, you have nothing to fear. You have been selected for voluntary service to this office as a Verbindungsmann...a spy. The position could be dangerous; you would have to keep information on your fellow soldiers and try to influence them to our point of view. Occasionally you might be asked to do some work for us in the civilian population. You will have no contacts with any other members of Intelligence Command besides myself and you are sworn to complete secrecy. Do you need time to think it over?”
The swift change in the attitude of the anonymous Hauptmann reeled the Gefreiter. He swallowed hard, his mind taking several long seconds to catch up. “You could...use me? I wouldn't have to play cards all day?”
For the first time since Adolf laid eyes on him, the Hauptmann smiled. “Ja, Herr Hitler. The position is thankless. If you accept you will only receive written instructions from now on, and you must not breathe a word of your service.” The Hauptmann knew he was laying it on thick, but his job was to generate loyal spies. “I will be in this location for three days...if I have not received a reply, I will assume you have not volunteered and I will forget about this conversation. You would be wise to do the same.”
Adolf needed only another moment to compose himself. The whole idea was so exciting! “That will not be necessary, Herr Hauptmann. I will accept the position.”
“Good man. Return to your barracks and act with complete normality. While there, keep a record of any strange activity exhibited by your fellow soldiers and attempt to keep them from pursuing the wrong associates, if you get my meaning. Do not worry if you are collecting information on another spy. Periodically you will return to find your recordings gone, no matter how securely you hide them...this is normal. If further service is required of you, you shall be informed with written orders. Dismissed.” With that, the Hauptmann turned to continue his work on whatever he was doing.
Hitler reeled once more, his steps uncertain. It took him an hour to return to the barracks, and most of the rest of the day to sort out what he had agreed to do. For the next two months he faithfully served in his silent post, keeping notes on troublemakers and befriending certain soldiers who seemed likely to stray but who could be redeemed. By September he was beginning to grow bored again, and considered simply stopping his observations. He wondered how long it would take them to notice he wasn't collecting any more notes. He needn't worry long, however.
Halfway through the first week of September he awoke to a sealed envelope beside his bunk. It was completely unmarked, without even a stamp. After Adolf woke himself he found a solitary place to open it. His hands shook while he read the disjointed script.
H.H.,
A new political party has sprung up in Munich. Called Deutsch Arbeiterpartei, D.A.P. Infiltrate as a civilian and keep us informed. Your superiors have been notified.
Comprehension slowly came from several more readings, though Adolf had a lot of work to do. This party, the German Worker's Party, must be very new and unknown. He felt the thrill of excitement within him once again. After memorizing the name of the party he burned the paper, feeling like a real spy. It took him only a few days to find out more about the party. Late in the afternoon on the 12th of September, dressed as a civilian, Adolf dropped in on a meeting of the DAP in one of Munich's numerous beer halls. He listened to a rather dry and predictable speech by Gottfried Freder on the subject of economics, and very quickly decided the party posed no danger to the German martial and political establishments. As the speech wound down, Hitler got up to leave.
Before he reached the door, an anonymous man rose from the crowd to speak of Freistaat Bayern (Bavaria) seceding from das Deutsches Reich to join in union with Austria to form a new south-German nation. The idea was so preposterous that Adolf was forced to turn around and march almost up to the stage, bringing the man to silence. The words flowed from Hitler before he could examine them, fueled with a passion and incredulity that had built within him ever since the German capitulation.
“You are a traitor! Worse than a murderous Frenchman! Deutschland can never be broken in such a way; I have not given four aweful years of my life to this nation to see it fragmented from within by the likes of you...” He continued uninterrupted for a quarter of an hour, railing against the man as a Communist, a Monarchist, radical. He called him lower than a stinking English dog among other things. By the time he had finished he was panting for breath and the hall was in complete silence.
In the resounding silence that followed, Anton Drexler rose from his seat and rushed to Adolf. He introduced himself as one of the founding members of the DAP and gave Hitler a pamphlet entitled “My Political Awakening.” Still shocked at his own outburst, Adolf took the document in a daze and agreed to come back again.
The next morning Hitler laid on his cot, watching mice scurry around for crumbs he had left them. His dreams troubled him, filled with loud roars, monstrous metal behemoths and red devils from the East. He couldn't remember the details very well. He decided to thumb through the pamphlet, mostly out of boredom. What he found inside amazed him; Drexler's ideas were much like his own, strongly supportive of the military, harshly critical of both Capitalism and Marxism, and fiercely nationalistic.
Over the next few days, and unbeknownst to Hitler himself, Drexler and the other leading members—all six of them—of the DAP deliberated and schemed over the Gefreiter. Much like the Army, they underestimated Hitler's prowess and vision. They thought to use him, principally his persuasive speaking skills, to gain themselves power. Very shortly they would come to regret the postcard they sent him accepting him as a new party-member and inviting him to an executive committee meeting. As it happened, Hitler was incredibly undecided over the matter, ideas forming and fragmenting in his mind every passing hour after he received the invitation until he arrived at the meeting. He was greeted with such an enthusiasm that his vacillation over the matter was largely decided for him.
The condition Adolf found the party in was wanting. After the meeting adjourned he thought over the matter for another three days, taking into account all the pros and cons of his involvement. While the party leaders had in mind to use him as a low-level organ, Hitler's own ambition precluded such a lowly position. The Army was large enough even now to constantly look over him for promotion and deny him the glory he had always secretly sought, but in a budding movement such as the DAP, Hitler could have a free and inordinately influential hand.
A young Adolf Hitler
Hitler resolved to take the DAP with its 50-some members under his wing and form it into a force of reckoning in German politics. After formally joining the executive committee of the party, he spent every available moment organizing and professionalizing the party. He first focused on swelling the ranks of the party through professional-looking invitations. The tactics began working, but not quickly enough for Adolf's tastes. His next step was to insist on taking an ad out in a very nationalist local newspaper advertising the next public meeting of the party, to be held on the 16th of October. In anticipation of this he moved the meeting to a much larger beer hall, built to seat 100 patrons comfortably. Though other committee members were reluctant, Hitler's judgment was vindicated when just over 100 people showed up. Barely a month after joining, Hitler had literally doubled the party's attendance.
At this meeting Adolf was scheduled to speak in a feature role after another had warmed up the crowd for him. A few members of the committee doubted his ability, but when he let loose the raw emotional power within him he moved the audience to rapture. He spoke for half an hour unabated. He asked for sacrifice and selflessness, and earned donations totaling 300 Marks. This money, every cent, was funneled back into the party machine to make it sleeker and more attractive.
From then on Hitler became the feature attraction at public meetings, his electrifying speeches always railing against the injustices of Versailles and the November Criminals, as the civilian authorities who surrendered were derisively referred to. Always he looked for someone else to blame, some external threat or internal malcontent, someone who could be the focus of an honest German's ire. He had by this point stopped all spy activities, but even so he was encouraged by the military establishment to pursue his work with the DAP. He became the head of party propaganda and officially took charge of recruitment efforts, bringing in many friends recently discharged or still remaining within the Army.
The main rival for new membership in Munich was the KPD,
Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands. Firmly devoted to Marxism, the party presented a real fear of a general German Revolution on the order of the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Hitler played off of this fear in Munich, further building up support for the DAP. In February 1920 he urged the first mass-meeting of the Party. Much of the committee opposed him, but his sheer force of will prevailed, and in the end he won out. On the 24th, less than six months after first walking into a shady beer hall holding fifty people, Adolf Hitler stepped onto a stage in front of 1,000 individuals, including many Communists. Almost as soon as he began speaking, several brawls broke out in the crowd amongst the Marxists and the DAP supporters, though Hitler shouted above the din until he himself was drowned out by thunderous applause.
The meeting was an enormous success. Hitler outlined twenty-five points of the DAP's political platform, pausing after each one to receive the crowd's nearly-unanimous approval—even amongst the Communists. When the thousands-strong crowd dispersed, Hitler had succeeded in spreading his image in Munich and around Germany. The DAP was growing more and more by the day. That same night a committee meeting was held in which the name of the party was changed from Deutsche Arbeiterpartei to Nationalsozialistiche Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or NSDAP. Almost instantly the name was contracted to Nazi and the term became an easy epithet to use in identifying a member of the NSDAP.
By March of 1920, nearing 31 years of age, Hitler was honorably discharged from the Reichswehr. He threw himself unreservedly into the machinations of the party. By February 1921 Hitler delivered a firebrand oratory to more than 6,000 in Munich, and in the next few months he arranged to travel to Berlin with the hopes of beginning a branch of the NSDAP in northern Germany. During his absence, most of the executive committee conspired to tame Hitler's dictatorial nature in some fashion. Upon hearing this news, Hitler was outraged. He rushed back to Munich to tender his resignation fro mthe party as a bold first-move in the developing power-struggle.
Realizing that with the loss of Hitler they would have lost the party, the executive committee relented. The battle was not to be won so easily, however. Before withdrawing his resignation, Hitler demanded “complete and total control” of all the affairs of the party. This enraged the members of the committee, and the issue was put to a vote. After a fierce battle for the hearts and minds of the now-544 member body, Hitler won a resounding success with 543 voting “Ja” and only a single delegate voting “Nein”. At the next general meeting of the party, Hitler was introduced as “Der Führer der Nationalen Sozialistischen Partei,” signaling his supreme authority in the party.
For the next two years Hitler worked furiously, attracting a cadre of violent and fanatical supporters, many of whom became close personal friends—or at least assumed themsevles to be—of der Führer. Many members of the Munich Freikorps and other decommissioned soldiers joined the Sturmabteilung, the “Storm Division.” The SA acted as a paramilitary organization under Hitler's indirect control through Ernst Roehm. They protected meetings and acted as a general security force for party members; they also pursued a private war against opposing blocs such as the Communists, which often led to street fighting. The military sympathized with the SA, and so often overlooked these massive street fights and encouraged the civil authorities to do likewise.
Hitler's efforts to expand the party included assimilating other, smaller parties which were reflective of similar ideals but were independent of the Nazis. He made many contacts within high social circles, building friendships with industrialists and entrepreneurs, magistrates and judges, and even generals of the Reichswehr. Such early success led him to a glorious dream of a National Socialist Revolution. Inspired by the Italian Fascists' successful March on Rome, which had taken the country under the heel of Benito Mussolini, Hitler planned out 14 different mass meetings beginning on September 27th, 1923. The point of these meetings were to drum up supporters, both within and outside the NSDAP, for a “March on Berlin” and a successful takeover of the German Government.
In these short years Hitler had grown to such a stature in Bavarian politics that the very announcement of these meetings led to a State of Emergency to be declared by the Bavarian Prime Minister. Gustav von Kahr, Hans von Seisser, and Otto von Loslow were named dictators in order to restore order in the city on the brink of revolt. Unfortunately for the Prime Minister, the Triumvir (as the clique was called) had other plans. In the footsteps of the Reichswehr and the DAP before him, Gustav von Kahr sought to use Hitler and underestimated him greatly. Beginning in April and going throughout most of the summer, the two talked nearly every day.
The relationship began to sour when Hitler suspected Kahr's plot to install himself as the Kaiser of a reformed German Empire. By early November Hitler had decided to stop the charade and affect his March on Berlin, installing himself as the Führer of all Germany. On the evening of Thursday November the 8th, 1923, Hitler took 600 SA members to a beer hall where Kahr was speaking to 3,000 civilians.
In a flurry of action the entire procession burst through the doors and took over the hall, proclaiming the Nazi Revolution to have already taken place. This was an incredibly bold gambit for Hitler, who had always taken risks and had always been rewarded for them. At gunpoint Hitler, along with many of his closest lieutenants, brought all three members of the Triumvir into a small side room to begin negotiations.
“Gentlemen,” he began as he showed them his firearm. “There are four rounds in this pistol. One for each of you, and the last one for myself!” His eyes flashed dangerously as the gleaming grey of the gun flashed in the low light of the room. One look in those eyes would assure anyone of his sincerity. He immediately demanded the cooperation of the Triumvir in holding Bavaria as a base to march on Berlin.
Kahr, very calmly, replied that he could not be expected to collaborate. “I have been escorted here at the point of a rifle. Do you expect me to shake your hand when there is no longer one pointing at me? Shoot me now, for you would shoot me after I gave you my support.”
This sent Hitler into a spitting fury and he had to leave the Triumvir in the hands of his capable associates. Elsewhere around Munich, the SA was being mobilized to seize key buildings and the Nazis called on many contacts, including General Erich Ludendorff, to bring legitimacy to the movement. Hitler gave an extremely well-received speech to the crowd, which had been gripped with terror but turned to putty in Hitler's nimble fingers. While he spoke, the friends in whose hands he had left the three men attempted to bring them to the Nazi's point of view. Their efforts were aided by the riotous cheers which could now be heard from the main hall, though Kahr remained fixed in his resolve.
Ludendorff, the famous General from the Great War, arrived on the scene personally and talked the Triumvir into agreeing to back Hitler's March on Berlin. Hitler and Ludendorff accompanied the men back into the hall where all shook hands and gave speeches in support of the Nazi Revolution. Shortly after, the hall was allowed to be evacuated and Hitler mistakenly left the Triumvir in the custody of Ludendorff to deal with other issues which pressed around the city. Ludendorff released the three men, who all recanted their support and threw the budding Revolution into chaos.
The next morning, after bitter fighting between the SA and the now-wary Reichswehr, the movement was on the brink of collapse. Roehm's forces met with Hitler's, totaling just over 2,000 men, though no one had any idea how to proceed. Ludendorff finally cried out, “We will march!” And so they did. On a whim, Ludendorff led the procession to the Defence Ministry, where they were met with a detachment of about 100 soldiers. The two groups exchanged hails of gunfire, though the conflict ended when four soldiers and fourteen Nazis were killed.
Hitler's failed coup
Many Nazis escaped in the resulting confusion, but Hitler was arrested. He was charged with treason, and his high ambitions seemed to have all come to nothing. The Nazi Party was banned in Bavaria, as were its publications and surrounding satellite organizations. Hitler was hauled before a court, though the judge presiding over the case was sympathetic to him and the Nazis` cause. Once again, Hitler`s powerful oratory saved him and his closest friend, Rudolf Hess. They were each sentenced to five years` confinement in Landsberg Fortress; they would undergo no hard labor, have comfortable beds and meals every day, and would each share a cell. On top of this they were each allowed visitors for several hours each day.
Hitler Imprisoned
While together in prison, Hitler dictated an autobiography to Hess. This document was originally entitled `Four and a Half Years of Struggle Against Lies, Stupidity and Cowardice,` but upon publication the title was simply shortened to 'My Struggle,' or
Mein Kampf. The book outlined Hitler's rosy-lensed view of his own life and his own beliefs for the future of the German people.
The Cover of Mein Kampf
Because of exemplary behavior as well as sympathy from the officials in Bavaria, Hitler and Hess were pardoned and released from Landsberg in December of 1924. In all they had spent less than a year in prison. While there, however, Hitler completely reframed his beliefs about extra-legal changes in governments in the forms of uprisings or revolutions. He resolved to pursue NSDAP supremacy, and thus his own supremacy, over Germany utilizing the full range of the law. “Instead of working to achieve power by an armed coup we shall have to hold our noses and enter the Reichstag against the Catholic and Marxist deputies. If outvoting them takes longer than outshooting them, at least the results will be guaranteed by their own Constitution! Any lawful process is slow. But sooner or later we shall have a majority - and after that Germany."
As soon as he got out of prison, after an ill-fated suicide attempt, Hitler got in touch personally with Bavarian Prime Minister. After many hours of persuasive oratory Hitler convinced the leader of the Bavarian Government to lift the ban on the NSDAP with the promise of working within the rules of the democratic system.
He set to work reorganizing the ailing party. His nine-month absence had cost the Nazis dearly, with many cliques and feuds between them the very real threat of disintegration loomed. Hitler worked hard to re-take the reigns of power, and at the first public meeting after his release from prison he cemented his authority and forcefully settled many ongoing disputes. Unfortunately for him he lost control of his deeply-held desires, roaring on the crowd's energy and vocalizing threats to the established democracy. For this he was banned from speaking in a public setting for two years. This was a crushing blow, but not an insufferable one. Imbued with destiny, Hitler poured all of his efforts into increasing Nazi discipline and expanding the party. He formed the Schutzstaffeln, or SS, as his troop of personal bodyguards. They acted as a handy counterweight to the SA, which was growing almost too powerful for Hitler to properly heel.
The Nazis formed a shadow-government, expanding all across Germany and seperating it into districts known as
Gau. Each Gau would have a Gauleiter, in the beginning simply a Nazi Party organ to control party activities there, but modelled for the eventual smooth transition of Deutschland from an unstable Republic into a National Socialist sea of loyalty to Adolf Hitler.