Ben Wilson

How does one actually take power?

By November of 1923, Adolf Hitler had built a movement.

But many people start movements.

Any lunatic can get a few dozen followers together if he has a modicum of charisma.

At any given time in any given nation, there are dozens of new movements, whether religious, political, cultural, or artistic.

And yet, very few of them ever actually do anything.

And almost none of them actually take power.

So on part one, we looked at how Hitler built a movement.

And in this episode, we will look at the mechanics of how he actually took power for himself and for the National Socialist Movement.

When we left Hitler, he was still unknown to the majority of Germans.

When we end this episode, he will be the Fuhrer, the undisputed leader of all of Germany.

This episode is a warning.

It's obviously a look at one way, at least, that tyranny can overtake a nation.

But it's also a playbook because the rules for taking power are the same, whether you're a dictator or someone who is trying to do good in the world.

So let's look into how you can copy that playbook.

So let's get into it.

My name is Ben Wilson, and this is How to Take Over the World.

It's November 8th, 1923, a cold autumn night in Munich.

The Bürgerbräukeller was one of the largest beer halls in the city, and tonight it was packed.

3,000 people had crowded in to hear a speech from the state commissioner, Gustav von Kahr.