Was the Munich Putsch a total disaster?

Was the Munich Putsch a total disaster?

The Munich Putsch took place in 1923 and was the Nazis’ attempt to take over Germany by force. Its aims were to take over Munich and Bavaria and then the rest of Germany. Hitler and his party were planning to create a thousand year Reich in Germany. The Putsch failed. Policemen killed 16 Nazis and Hitler was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison although he only served 9 months in the end. It would seem that the Munich Putsch was a total disaster for the Nazis. None of the stated aims of the Putsch were achieved, the Nazi party collapsed without the leadership of Hitler and their presence in the months and years after the Putsch was minimal. It seemed the end of the road for the Nazis. However by looking at the longer-term effects of the Putsch it is clear to see that the Putsch had many benefits to the Nazi Party and could be considered to be instrumental in their rise to power.

Hitler’s arrest, although seemingly catastrophic for the Nazis, was actually of great benefit to them. Hitler was put on trial, which meant extensive publicity for the Nazi Party. Hitler used his trial as a propaganda tool to get the message of the Nazi Party across, he knew that the trial judge would be lenient on him because of an earlier incident he’d been involved in. This gave Hitler the freedom to express his ideas to the national press without fear of damning himself in court. This was particularly beneficial to the Nazis as they were able to reach people who had previously never heard of them. The trial meant the Nazi party ideals were reaching all corners of Germany and the ears of millions of potential new members.

Hitler was sent to jail, but this too had long term benefits for the Nazi Party’s success. During his time in jail, Hitler wrote his book Mein Kampf or My Struggle. This summed up the Nazi ideals in one place. The thoughts and philosophies of the Nazis’ leader were written down in one volume soon to become the bible of the Nazi movement. Also during his time in prison, Hitler made possibly the most important decision in the history of the Nazi Party. He moved the focus of the Nazi Party from taking control by force to working to achieve power by democratic methods. Although against the principles of the Nazis, Hitler knew that if he were to continue to allow the Nazis to try to gain power by a violent revolution, they would fail. He recognised that the path to power lay in the Reichstag and legal methods. This meant the reorganisation of the Nazis tactics and methods. This was extremely important to the long term plans of the Nazis as it was through legal methods that they found power in 1933. Ultimately the change in the Nazis methods had enabled the rise of Hitler to Chancellor and the eventual dictatorship over Germany. In this way, the Munich Putsch is a success. Its aims had been achieved and its initial failure rendered unimportant.

After Hitler was released he set about reorganising the structure of the Nazi Party into a democratic machine. This was extremely important as the Nazi Party would have to be a professional efficient political party if their electoral campaigns were to be taken seriously. He initiated annual rallies of the Nazi Party, a practice that attracted many supporters and became one of the key methods of attracting voters and strengthening membership. Hitler also formed the SS, a private Nazi army owing allegiance to the Führer, which was another key factor in the success of the Nazi Party at the polls.

In conclusion, the initial failure of the Munich Putsch appeared to be a very great disaster for the Nazis, none of their aims were achieved and the party ended up fragmented with its leaders in jail. However, the long term benefits of the Putsch and the way that Hitler managed to turn the events to his advantage show that the Munich Putsch cannot be considered a total disaster. The Nazi Party got in to power due to the changes made in the aftermath of the Putsch.