In 1939 a failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler, Goering and Goebbels left 7 dead NAZI supporters and another sixty three injured
German Carpenter Johann Georg Elser claimed he was not against Nazism itself but the extreme radicalism of its leadership which he could see in the autumn of1938 would lead to war. He decided that he must do something to change the course of Germany’s future and planned the assassination of its main three leaders.
Every year Hitler, Goering and Goebbels attended a celebration of the Beer Hall Putsch (see below) in Munich, called the Bürgerbräukeller, and this was Elser’s chosen venue for his plan. On the 8th of November 1938 Elser arrived in Munich and visited the beer hall. He surveyed the building deciding on the best point to place explosives and decided on a pillar near to Hitler would be giving his annual speech in the huge venue.
Later he got a labouring job on a quarry giving him access to explosives which he slowly accumulated for his dead. He continued to plan and by August 1939 Elser began sneaking into the Bürgerbräukeller at night and building a hidden cavity in the pillar where he would hide the explosives.
The 8th of November soon arrived and the bomb was in place and set ready to take out Hitler during his speech. But unknown to Elser the commencement of WWII had almost prevented Hitler from attending the annual celebration. Although Hitler did attend he gave an uncharacteristically short speech and left with his entourage to head for Berlin where he could continue his War plans. Just thirteen minutes after Hitler’s speech ended the bomb exploded killing 7 NAZI supporters and injuring another 63.
Elser was captured at the Swiss border almost an hour before the explosion with plans and detonators on his person. He was interrogated by the Gestapo and spent several years before his execution.
In 1923 Hitler led some 2,000 NAZI supporters on ‘the Beer Hall Putsch’.
When the German government resumed paying reparations to France and Great Britain for World War I many people in Germany were angered. This played into the hands of the Nazi party and its leader, Adolf Hitler. As support for the Nazi party grew Hitler saw an opportunity to begin an uprising against the German government. On the 8th of November, Hitler and 2,000 Nazi members marched through Munich and into Munich Beer Hall. Hitler took over the meeting that was being held there by important Bavarian politicians and made claims that he would overthrow the German Government and with their help place them at the heart of government. On the 9th of November Hitler again began to march through Munich but they were met by armed police and the uprising was quashed. Hitler was arrested for the Act that would later be called ‘the Beer Hall Putsch’ and sentenced to 5 years which began on the 1st of April 1924 in Landsberg Jail.
