Chapter 4

As Adolf Hitler presented his ideas to the high-ranking Bavarian officials, Lossow and Seisser, who flanked the leader, mimicked him with forced gestures. Though they remained silent, they nodded in apparent agreement. However, Hitler's speech failed to convince everyone. His words, laden with nationalist fervor, faded into the air, receiving only scattered applause from the stormtroopers. The hostages, temporarily subdued, watched with skepticism. To them, Hitler's promises sounded hollow, almost ridiculous.

Had he been addressing ordinary citizens, Hitler would have been met with an ovation. For many Germans, the country was a constant disappointment, and the Nazi leader represented a hope, however distorted. But in that room, there were no ordinary people. These were prominent figures of Munich, men content with the status quo, unwilling to be swept away by the rants of a fanatic. How could they follow Hitler and risk everything they had built?

No one believed it. At that moment, someone had to take the first step.

It was then that Alex, a man with a cold gaze and unyielding determination, positioned himself behind Lossow. With a discreet but firm motion, he struck Lossow's back with the butt of his weapon and whispered, "Applaud!"

Lossow felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. The man behind him was not someone he could reason with. In situations like this, survival depended on submission. So, with trembling hands, Lossow began to clap. But his applause was weak, almost imperceptible.

"Shout: 'Heil, long live Adolf Hitler!'" ordered Alex, his voice low but laden with threat.

The dim lights of the room concealed the scene. No one saw the weapon Alex wielded, nor the look of terror in Lossow's eyes. They only saw a man sweating profusely on a cold night, his trembling voice breaking the silence: "Heil, long live Adolf Hitler!"

The exclamation shook the room. The stormtroopers, intoxicated by the moment, chanted in unison: "Heil Hitler!" The cry spread like an echo, gaining strength with each repetition. Outside the beer hall, a crowd gathered, drawn by the fervor emanating from within. The applause from outside surpassed that from inside, and Hitler's speech gained new momentum.

Hitler, his voice strident, denounced the weakness of the current government. "Germany does not need democracy! It needs a strong leader!" he proclaimed. His words resonated like thunder, fueling the fire of revolution.

Half an hour later, General Erich Ludendorff burst onto the scene. Though initially displeased at being dragged into the rebellion without his consent, he couldn't help but feel satisfied with the chaos Hitler had unleashed. After a brief debate, Ludendorff decided to join the cause. His disillusionment with the government led him to believe that, perhaps, Hitler was the answer.

That night, no one slept. The celebrities of Munich, now hostages in the beer hall, realized their fates were no longer in their hands. Lossow, forced to shout slogans under threat, was a symbol of their helplessness. Men who hours earlier felt invincible were now reduced to mere pawns in Hitler's game.

Meanwhile, Hitler, Ludendorff, and their followers plotted in the darkness. Berlin was the ultimate goal, and the mobilization of the people, their tool. In a corner of the room, Alex kept watch over the key prisoners. His loyalty and efficiency did not go unnoticed. Hitler, finishing his speech, approached him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Well done," he said, with a smile that hid a thousand intentions.

Alex, though a minor figure in the grand scheme of the Beer Hall Putsch, had played a crucial role. His intervention had altered the course of events, diverting history from its original path. That night, Germany changed forever. The country that awoke the next day was no longer the same. The specter of Nazism had come to life, and the world, unknowingly, was heading towards one of the darkest chapters in history.

. . .

On the other side of Munich, amidst the chaos and tension enveloping Germany, two of Adolf Hitler's most loyal followers, Heinrich Himmler and Ernst Röhm, fiercely led the armed group of the National Socialist German Workers' Party, known as the Reichskriegsflagge (Imperial War Flag). Together, they spearheaded the bold takeover of the Ministry of the Army in Munich, a move that marked the beginning of their rise within the Nazi machinery.

Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, a man with a cold gaze and boundless ambition, was as devoted to Hitler as he was feared by his own allies. Unlike other leaders, Himmler did not stand out for his charisma but for his cunning and his ability to weave webs of power in the shadows. His name became synonymous with fanatical loyalty, but also with a notoriety that would follow him to the end of his days.

From a young age, Himmler had dreamed of military glory. He enlisted in the German army during World War I, but the war ended before he could see action. This failure deeply marked him, fueling his obsession with power and control. After the war, he joined the Freikorps (Free Corps), a militia composed of veterans and far-right volunteers, where he attempted to rejoin the regular army. However, his efforts were in vain.

It was Ernst Röhm, an influential figure within the Nazi Party, who extended a hand to Himmler. Thanks to his recommendation, Himmler joined the national organization of the Reichstag and became the party's standard-bearer. This was the first step towards his participation in the famous Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, a failed coup d'état that, while not achieving its immediate goals, solidified Himmler as a key figure in the Nazi movement.

Over time, Himmler climbed the ranks with calculated coldness. He held positions of immense influence: captain of the SS, imperial commander of the SS, head of the Gestapo, chief of police, and minister of the interior. Additionally, he simultaneously commanded the German Reserve Army Group, the Upper Rhine Army Group, and the Vistula Army Group. Each title was another step in his quest for absolute power.

But Himmler was not just a ruthless bureaucrat; he was the architect of some of the worst atrocities in history. Under his command, the SS and the Waffen-SS carried out the Holocaust, a genocide that claimed the lives of six million Jews, hundreds of thousands of Roma, and other persecuted groups. He was also the main driver of the General Plan East, a macabre project aimed at German expansion at the cost of exterminating and enslaving millions of Slavs in the Soviet Union.

However, Himmler was not a blind idealist. He was an opportunist who always calculated his moves. He knew his rise depended on his loyalty to Hitler, but he was also willing to betray him if the situation demanded it. When World War II reached its critical point and Germany began to lose ground, Himmler saw the end approaching. In an act of desperation, he secretly attempted to negotiate with the Western Allies, seeking a separate peace agreement with Britain and the United States. But Hitler, upon learning of the betrayal, stripped him of all his positions and declared him a traitor.

Himmler, now a cornered man, fled in disguise, trying to escape his fate. However, his luck ran out when he was captured by British forces. In a final act of cowardice, he chose to take his own life rather than face trial for his crimes. On May 23, 1945, Heinrich Himmler bit into a cyanide capsule, ending his dark legacy.

But even in death, Himmler's shadow persists. His name remains a reminder of the horrors that fanaticism and unchecked ambition can unleash. And in the annals of history, his struggle for power and his ultimate downfall serve as an eternal warning.