Kampfbund
Encyclopedia
The Kampfbund was a league of patriotic fighting societies and the German National Socialist party in Bavaria
, Germany, in the 1920s. It included Hitler's NSDAP party and their Sturmabteilung
or SA for short, the Oberland League and the Reichskriegsflagge
. Its military leader was Hermann Kriebel
, and its political leader was Adolf Hitler
. It was Captain Ernst Röhm
who proposed that Hitler be the political leader of the Kampfbund.1
The Kampfbund conducted the Beer Hall Putsch
of 1923 in Munich, Germany.
Kampfbund is German
for "Battle League". The league was created on 30 September 1923 at Nuremberg
, where Hitler joined other patriotic nationalist leaders to celebrate German Day, which marked the anniversary of the Prussian
victory over France in 1870. The purpose was to consolidate and streamline their agendas and also prepare to take advantage of the split between Bavaria
and the central government. The impetus of this consolidation was the ending of the clandestine Ruhr war by the Berlin central government which infuriated the freebooters and nationalists.
), grew from a fringe sect to Bavaria's most powerful political force of 70,000 members. The SA, the private army of the Party, was about 15,000 strong. It was led by Ernst Röhm
. A subgroup of the NSDAP was the Stosstrupp, an elite bodyguard unit under the command of a tobacconist Josef Berchtold. Another group was the party's youth group Jungsturm led by Adolf Lenk.
The Oberland League was a paramilitary organization led by Dr. Friedrich Weber. It had 4,000 armed troopers, practically all disgruntled war veterans. This unit was a Freikorps
body.
The Reichskriegsflagge (Reich's Battle Flag) shortened to RKF society, was another private army of combat hardened veterans led by Captain Röhm who was a staff officer of Lt. General Otto von Lossow
commander of the Seventh Division headquartered in Munich.
meanwhile on 5 October 1923 closed the Nazi paper, Völkischer Beobachter for ten days. On top of this, von Kahr announced a surprise speech at the Bürgerbräu Keller. Afraid that von Kahr was going to define the struggle without him, Hitler decided to act and "coax these people into complicity".
The putsch was planned on 7 November in a hasty decision in Kreibel's apartment. Not all members were notified either. For the purpose of communicating, the party used two pieces of paper; one colored red meaning "the real thing" and the other white signifying a practise run. They chose to pass the white tag out. At the time of the putsch, only 3000 members of the Kampfbund were in Munich. Adolf Hitler was very secretive about many things and would tell one part to one member and later would tell a second part to another member, or he wouldn't say anything to another, thus leading to much confusion and lack of coordination on the day of the putsch.
2nd Battalion Edmund Heines
3rd Battalion Hans Knauth
10th Company Friedrich Mayer
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Germany, in the 1920s. It included Hitler's NSDAP party and their Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
or SA for short, the Oberland League and the Reichskriegsflagge
Reichskriegsflagge
Reichskriegsflagge was the official name of the war flag used by the German armed forces from 1867 to 1945. A total of seven different designs were used during this period.-Imperial Germany:...
. Its military leader was Hermann Kriebel
Hermann Kriebel
Hermann Kriebel was a retired lieutenant colonel and former Bavarian staff officer....
, and its political leader was Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
. It was Captain Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
who proposed that Hitler be the political leader of the Kampfbund.1
The Kampfbund conducted the Beer Hall Putsch
Beer Hall Putsch
The Beer Hall Putsch was a failed attempt at revolution that occurred between the evening of 8 November and the early afternoon of 9 November 1923, when Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler, Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff, and other heads of the Kampfbund unsuccessfully tried to seize power...
of 1923 in Munich, Germany.
Kampfbund is German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
for "Battle League". The league was created on 30 September 1923 at Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, where Hitler joined other patriotic nationalist leaders to celebrate German Day, which marked the anniversary of the Prussian
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918. Until the defeat of Germany in World War I, it comprised almost two-thirds of the area of the German Empire...
victory over France in 1870. The purpose was to consolidate and streamline their agendas and also prepare to take advantage of the split between Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
and the central government. The impetus of this consolidation was the ending of the clandestine Ruhr war by the Berlin central government which infuriated the freebooters and nationalists.
Member affiliations
At this time, the German Workers Party (DAPDAP
Dap or DAP may refer to:*Dap greeting, a form of greeting in which two people slap and grasp hands briefly; also called a 'fist bump'*Delivered at Place, one of the rules defined by Incoterms 2010 for general modes of transportation...
), grew from a fringe sect to Bavaria's most powerful political force of 70,000 members. The SA, the private army of the Party, was about 15,000 strong. It was led by Ernst Röhm
Ernst Röhm
Ernst Julius Röhm, was a German officer in the Bavarian Army and later an early Nazi leader. He was a co-founder of the Sturmabteilung , the Nazi Party militia, and later was its commander...
. A subgroup of the NSDAP was the Stosstrupp, an elite bodyguard unit under the command of a tobacconist Josef Berchtold. Another group was the party's youth group Jungsturm led by Adolf Lenk.
The Oberland League was a paramilitary organization led by Dr. Friedrich Weber. It had 4,000 armed troopers, practically all disgruntled war veterans. This unit was a Freikorps
Freikorps
Freikorps are German volunteer military or paramilitary units. The term was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of the 18th century onwards. Between World War I and World War II the term was also used for the paramilitary organizations that arose during...
body.
The Reichskriegsflagge (Reich's Battle Flag) shortened to RKF society, was another private army of combat hardened veterans led by Captain Röhm who was a staff officer of Lt. General Otto von Lossow
Otto von Lossow
General Otto von Lossow was a Bavarian Army and then German Army officer, who played a prominent role in the events surrounding the attempted Beer Hall Putsch by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in November 1923....
commander of the Seventh Division headquartered in Munich.
Putsch planning
Pressure was applied to Hitler from the youth and young men to do something. They were restless. Gustav von KahrGustav Ritter von Kahr
Gustav Ritter von Kahr was a German right-wing conservative politician, active in the state of Bavaria...
meanwhile on 5 October 1923 closed the Nazi paper, Völkischer Beobachter for ten days. On top of this, von Kahr announced a surprise speech at the Bürgerbräu Keller. Afraid that von Kahr was going to define the struggle without him, Hitler decided to act and "coax these people into complicity".
The putsch was planned on 7 November in a hasty decision in Kreibel's apartment. Not all members were notified either. For the purpose of communicating, the party used two pieces of paper; one colored red meaning "the real thing" and the other white signifying a practise run. They chose to pass the white tag out. At the time of the putsch, only 3000 members of the Kampfbund were in Munich. Adolf Hitler was very secretive about many things and would tell one part to one member and later would tell a second part to another member, or he wouldn't say anything to another, thus leading to much confusion and lack of coordination on the day of the putsch.
SA unit and leaders
1st Battalion Karl Beggel2nd Battalion Edmund Heines
Edmund Heines
Edmund Heines was a Nazi Party leader and Ernst Röhm's deputy in the SA.-Life:Heines served in World War I as a volunteer, and was discharged in 1918 as a lieutenant. In 1925, he joined the Nazi Party and the SA . In 1929, he was convicted of murder, but soon received an amnesty...
3rd Battalion Hans Knauth
10th Company Friedrich Mayer