Beer Hall Putsch

The Beer Hall Putsch (German Hitlerputsch) occurred November 8, 1923 when Adolf Hitler and his Nazis along with General Erich Ludendorff and his conservative nationalists tried to gain power in Munich. Hitler planned to use Munich as a base against Germany's Weimar Republic government in Berlin; however, their support failed to materialize and policeman and troops crushed the attempt the next day. The name of the beer hall was Bürgerbräukeller.

It did give the Nazis their first taste of national attention and a propaganda victory. For the Putsch, Hitler was sentenced to five years in prison for treason. While serving this prison sentence he and Rudolf Hess wrote Mein Kampf (see Mein Kampf).

On November 8, 1939 Hitler narrowly escaped an assassination attempt while celebrating the 16th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich.