Hitler 1889-1936: Hubris

November was the date which Lossow had in mind for the Bavarian Reichswehr’s march on Berlin (Hans Hubert Hofmann,
Der Hitlerputsch. Krisenjahre deutscher Geschichte 1920–1924,
Munich, 1961, 135, 141).
    227 . Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
63–4, 68. Kahr, together with Seißer and Lossow, did have a meeting that day with Ludendorff, at which there were sharp differences of opinion (Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
68).
    228 . Gordon, 259.
    229 . Gordon, 259–60; Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
66.
    230 . Gordon, 260. It has been estimated that around 4,000 armed putschists would have confronted about 2,600 state police and army troops in Munich (Gordon, 273)
    231 . Hofmann, 146; Franz-Willing,
Putsch, 66
(based on oral testimony from 1958). Gordon, 259 n.63, mentions that there may have been an alternative plan to move on 10 or 11 November, but does not amplify. Deuerlein,
Putsch, 99;
Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
192, refer to plans only for 8 November.
    232 . Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
64, 67–9, accepts that such a proclamation to restore the monarchy was feared; Hofmann, 147, is sceptical, presuming they feared instead an independent strike by Kahr against Berlin. For Lossow’s comment, see Deuerlein,
Putsch,
99, 258.
    233 . Deuerlein,
Putsch, 99;
Hofmann, 147. According to Hanfstaengl, Hitler later acknowledged that Kahr’s manoeuvrings had forced him to take immediate action ‘to get the situation in hand again’, and that he had in any case been compelled to act in order to fulfil the expectations that had been aroused among his supporters (Hanfstaengl, 15
Jahre,
167–9).
    234 .
VB,
10 November 1937, p. 2: ‘…
Unsere gegnerische Seite beabsichtigte, umden 12. November herum eine Revolution, und zwar eine bajuvarische, auszurufen… Da setzte ich den Entschluß, vier Tage zuvor loszuschlagen
…’ Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
64 n.166, has slightly different wording.
    235 . Graf testimony, IfZ, ΖS-282/52, 60.
    236 . Hanfstaengl, 15
Jahre,
129.
    237 . Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
71, 73–4.
    238 . Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
71, has Esser also left uninformed, but Maser,
Frühgeschichte,
443–4, has him being told in mid-morning.
    239 . Franz-Willing,
Putsch,
72–3.
    240 . Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
192–3; Müller,
Wandel,
160–66; Gordon, 287–8; Franz-Willing,
Futsch,
78–9.
    241 .
JK
, 1052. The police report has Hitler himself firing the shot. Müller’s testimony at Hitler’s trial (Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
193) mentioned two shots fired, the first by Hitler’s guard, the second, minutes later, by Hitler himself. Probably Müller was mistaken. No one else recalled a second shot, or noted anyone other than Hitler firing the alleged first shot.
    242 .
JK,
1052. Hanfstaengl, 15
Jahre,
133, also has Hitler making this remark after his first entry to the hall. Müller (Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
194) has the remark made after Hitler’s re-entry.
    243 .
JK,
1052.
    244 . Hanfstaengl, 15
Jahre,
134; Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
193–4.
    245 .
JK,
1053.
    246 .
JK,
1054–5. The police reporter evidently understood Ludendorff’s designated position to be Reich President (
JK,
1054), though it seems unlikely that Hitler used those words.
    247 .
JK,
1054–5; Müller,
Wandel,
162–3 (trans., Gordon, 288).
    248 . Müller,
Wandel,
162
(‘ein rednerisches Meisterstück’);
also, Müller’s trial testimony in Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
194 (
‘rednerisch ein Meisterstück’).
    249 . Gordon, 288–9.
    250 . Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
195–6; Gordon, 288–9.
    251 . The above based on Gordon, 290–94.
    252 . Gordon, 289–90.
    253 . Deuerlein,
Aufstieg,
196–7.
    254 .
JK,
1056–7.
    255 . Maser,
Frühgeschichte,
454. The proclamation appeared in the
Münchner Neueste Nachrichten,
which had rushed out its morning edition of 9 November with the banner headline ‘Establishment of a National Directory’ (Μ
ΝΝ
, 9 November 1923, reproduced in Hellmut Schöner (ed.),
Hitler-Putsch im Spiegel der Presse,
Munich, 1974, 34–7).
    256 .
JK,
1058 (Dok.600); the authenticity of the accompanying Dok.599 (1057–8) is extremely doubtful. Hitler’s authorization was dated 8 November. In his Nuremberg trial, Streicher stated that it was given after midnight, with the implication that Hitler was by then resigned to failure (see Maser,
Frühgeschichte,
453). The dateof 8 November suggests, however, that Hitler at the time of his authorization still believed in success.
    257 . Gordon, 316–20; Toland, 164,
    258 . Frank, 60; Gordon, 324–7.
    259 . Gordon, 327.
    260 . Graf testimony, IfZ,