Editing Beer Hall Putsch (section)

== Background ==
In the early [[20th century]], many of the larger cities of southern Germany had [[beer hall]]s, where hundreds, and sometimes thousands, of people would socialise in the evenings, drink beer and participate in political and social debates. Such beer halls also became the hosts of occasional political rallies. One of Munich's largest beer halls was the {{lang|de|[[Bürgerbräukeller]]}}, which became the site where the putsch began.

After the [[Treaty of Versailles]], which ended [[World War I]], Germany declined as a major European power. Like many Germans of the period, Hitler, who had fought in the [[Imperial German Army|German Army]] but still held [[First Austrian Republic|Austrian]] citizenship at the time, believed the treaty to be a betrayal, with the country having been [[Stab-in-the-back myth|"stabbed in the back"]] by its own government, particularly as the German Army was popularly thought to have been undefeated in the field. For the defeat, Hitler scapegoated civilian leaders, Jews and [[Marxists]], later called the "November Criminals".{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=61–63}}

Hitler remained in the army in Munich after the war. He participated in various "national thinking" courses, organised by the Education and Propaganda Department of the [[Bavarian Army]] under Captain [[Karl Mayr]],{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=72–74}} of which Hitler became an agent. Captain Mayr ordered Hitler, then an army {{lang|de|Gefreiter}} (not the equivalent of lance corporal, but a special class of private) and holder of the [[Iron Cross]], First Class, to infiltrate the tiny {{lang|de|Deutsche Arbeiterpartei}} ("[[German Workers' Party]]", abbreviated DAP).{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=75}} Hitler joined the DAP on 12 September 1919.<ref>{{Citation| last=Stackelberg| first=Roderick|title=The Routledge Companion to Nazi Germany|year=2007| publisher=Routledge| location=New York|isbn=978-0-415-30860-1|page=9}}</ref> He soon realised that he was in agreement with many of the underlying tenets of the DAP, and rose to its top post in the ensuing chaotic political atmosphere of postwar Munich.<ref>Sayers, Michael and Kahnn, Albert E. (1945), ''The Plot Against the Peace''. Dial Press.</ref> By agreement, Hitler assumed the political leadership of a number of Bavarian [[revanchist]] "patriotic associations", called the {{lang|de|[[Kampfbund]]}}.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=124}} This political base extended to include about 15,000 members of the {{lang|de|[[Sturmabteilung]]}} (SA, literally "Storm Detachment"), the paramilitary wing of the NSDAP.

On 26 September 1923, following a period of terror and political violence, Bavarian Prime Minister {{lang|de|[[Eugen von Knilling]]|italic=no}} declared a state of emergency, and {{lang|de|[[Gustav Ritter von Kahr]]|italic=no}} was appointed {{lang|de|Staatskomissar}} ("state commissioner"), with dictatorial powers to govern the state. Along with {{lang|de|von Kahr|italic=no}}, Bavarian state police chief Colonel {{lang|de|[[Hans Ritter von Seisser]]|italic=no}} and {{lang|de|Reichswehr|italic=no}} General {{lang|de|[[Otto von Lossow]]|italic=no}} formed a ruling triumvirate.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=125–126}} Hitler announced that he would hold 14 mass meetings beginning on 27 September 1923. Afraid of the potential disruption, one of {{lang|de|Kahr|italic=no}}'s first actions was to ban the announced meetings,{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=125}} placing Hitler under pressure to act. The Nazis, with other leaders in the {{lang|de|Kampfbund}}, felt they had to march upon [[Berlin]] and seize power or their followers would turn to the communists.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=126}} Hitler enlisted the help of World War I general {{lang|de|[[Erich Ludendorff]]|italic=no}} in an attempt to gain the support of {{lang|de|Kahr|italic=no}} and his triumvirate. However, {{lang|de|Kahr|italic=no}} had his own plan with {{lang|de|Seisser|italic=no}} and {{lang|de|Lossow|italic=no}} to install a nationalist dictatorship without Hitler.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=126}}