Above: 8 November 1923, Munich, Germany. On the Marienplatz during the Beer Hall Putsch, a massive crowd of people, in front of the Munich City Hall (New Town Hall today), listening to a speaker. The Marienplatz is a central square in the city centre of Munich, where it has been the city's main square since 1158. Photo licensed to War History Network. Click to enlarge.

Left: 1 April 1924. Defendants in the Beer Hall Putsch trial. From left to right: Heinz Pernet, Friedrich Weber, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Kriebel, Erich Ludendorff, Hitler, Wilhelm Bruckner, Ernst Röhm, and Robert Wagner. Note that only two of the defendants (Hitler and Frick) were wearing civilian clothes. All those in uniform are carrying swords, indicating officer status. For documentary purposes the German Federal Archive often retained the original image captions, which may be erroneous, biased, obsolete or politically extreme. Hochverratsprozeß gegen die Teilnehmer am Münchener Putsch vom 9. Nov. 1923; München 1924. File source: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-00344A / Heinrich Hoffmann / CC-BY-SA 3.0. Photo in the Public Domain, click to enlarge.

Few events in modern European history have had an effect as tumultuous as Adolf Hitler's failed putsch, or secret plot to overthrow the government of Germany's Weimar Republic. Hitler's failed attempt resulted in a five-year prison sentence in Landsberg Prison, where he was later released in 1924 after only nine months. In his prison stay at Landsberg Prison, he dictated his infamous Mein Kampf, or My Struggle, what was his vision of a future Nazi Germany.  After his release, Hitler redirected his focus on achieving political power through legitimate means. By 1932, the Nazi Party held the most seats in the Reichstag, but did not have a majority. 

Former chancellor Franz von Papen and other conservative leaders persuaded President Paul von Hindenburg to appoint Adolf Hitler as chancellor on 30 January 1933. The Reichstag passed the Enabling Act of 1933, starting the process of transforming the Weimar Republic into Nazi Germany. On 2 August 1934, Hindenburg died and Hitler replaced him as the head of state and government.

Above: Munich, Germany, modern day: The Marienplatz, or "Mary's Square." The New Town Hall is at right (gothic elevation with clock tower). Photo licensed to War History Network, click to enlarge.

Further reading
The historiography and vast body of literature on Adolf Hitler grows. His rise to power is fascinating study. A few works to consider are Ian Kershaw's Hitler: 1889-1936 Hubris is an excellent read on the rise of Adolph Hitler, published in 1998 by W.W. Norton & Company. Also a National Bestseller, Hitler: Ascent 1889-1939 by Volker Ullrich. His work was translated from German and published by Vintage Books in 2016. Lastly, Frank McDonough's The Hitler Years: Triump, 1933-1939 was published in 2019 by St. Martin's Press.

Multimedia: Video, Web, and Discussion
Video: The Sinister Origins of the Nazi Party  |  The Rise and fall of the Nazis

Web: National WWII Museum: How did Adolf Hitler Happen?  |  History Channel: Adolf Hitler: Rise to Power

Discussion: D-Day and the War in Europe