Ben Wilson

And so the Bavarian triumvirate, these three leaders of the German state of Bavaria, that's State Commissioner Kahr, along with General Otto von Lassau, commander of the army in Bavaria, and Colonel Hans Ritter von Cesar, leading the state police,

had been moving to consolidate power in Bavaria and showing increased resistance to the Berlin government.

So these three leaders are already kind of in the attitude for a coup.

They're not really out of step with Hitler.

But they're moving too slow for Hitler.

He really senses the moment.

And so he wants to force their hand.

So that's what he has in mind when he marches into this beer hall.

I'm going to force these three men who, you know, Hitler held no office.

Right.

So he really isn't coming from a position where he can expect to be the head guy.

So he says, that's OK.

I don't want to be the head guy, but I can use these three guys.

to accomplish what I want to.

And so when he comes in to the beer hall that night, he makes his announcement.

He shoots his gun into the ceiling and then he marches these three men into a side room at gunpoint.

In that back room, with two loaded pistols on the table, Hitler made his pitch.

He told Kahr, Lassau, and Caesar that a new national government was being formed right now, tonight.

The legendary World War I general, Erich Lutendorff, would be the ultimate leader, the figure of gravitas the right wing needed.

Kahr would be the regent of Bavaria, so kind of the political leader.