This Day in Crime History: APRIL 01, 1924 : BEER HALL PUTSCH SECURES HITLER’S RISE TO POWER

Adolf Hitler is sentenced for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch of November 8, 1923. The attempted coup in Munich by right-wing members of the army and the Nazi Party was foiled by the government, and Hitler was charged with high treason. Despite his conviction, Hitler was out of jail before the end of the year, with his political position stronger than ever.

Germany was in the midst of a national crisis in the early 1920s. After World War I, its economy was in shambles, and hyperinflation caused widespread discontent. Hitler and the Nazis stepped into this breach with often-racist demagoguery that attracted a significant following throughout the nation.

The failed coup turned out to be quite a boon for Adolf Hitler. His trial brought him more attention and publicity than ever before. With a crowd of thousands-including press from around the world-watching the proceedings, Hitler made the most of this opportunity by going on the offensive.

Taking every chance to turn the subject away from the putsch itself, Hitler frequently made speeches about Germany’s postwar plight. He blamed the Jews, Marxism, and France for all of the country’s problems, repeatedly returning to his theme of hypernationalism. The conservative-leaning judges did nothing to stop Hitler or keep the focus on the attempted coup. The prosecutors, who had been threatened by Hitler’s student followers, shrank from challenging the defendant.

It soon became evident that Hitler was winning the public relations battle by using the 25-day trial as a showcase for his extreme right-wing views, even if he was technically losing the case. In his closing argument, Hitler declared that he would ignore the court’s verdict because the “Eternal Court of History” would acquit him.

After his conviction, Hitler spent the remainder of the year in prison writing the first volume of Mein Kampf. By the time he was released, he had become more popular than ever, and within eight years he had taken over Germany.

Article Details:

April 01, 1924 : Beer Hall Putsch secures Hitler’s rise to power

• Author

  History.com Staff

• Website Name

  History.com

• Year Published

  2009

• Title

  April 01, 1924 : Beer Hall Putsch secures Hitler’s rise to power

• URL

  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/beer-hall-putsch-secures-hitlers-rise-to-power

• Access Date

  April 01, 2016

• Publisher

  A+E Networks

This Day in Crime History: MARCH 31, 1999 : EVIDENCE OF MURDER IS UNCOVERED IN NEW MEXICO

Law enforcement officers in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, began digging for evidence near the mobile home of David Parker Ray and Cynthia Lea Hendy after more evidence came to light about the couple’s activities. On March 22, a twenty-two year old woman was found running naked, except for a padlocked metal collar around her neck, down an unpaved road near Elephant Butte State Park. She told police that Ray and Hendy had abducted her three days earlier in Albuquerque before bringing her to the mobile home where she was raped and tortured.

As police delved deeper into Ray and Hendy’s background they became convinced that the woman was not the only victim. Upon hearing initial news reports, another woman called New Mexico police with her own tale of sexual torture at the hands of the couple. Then, an acquaintance of Hendy told investigators that she had previously spoken about Ray burying people near their home.

The woman escaped when Ray was at his job at the State Park. She got into a scuffle with Hendy and hit her on the back of the head with an ice pick. Hendy pled guilty to being an accomplice and then even more was revealed. Soon David Ray’s daughter Jesse was also charged for her participation in a similar 1996 attack. And the Ray’s friend Dennis Yancy was charged with the murder of a young woman who disappeared from in 1997 from an Elephant Butte bar.

Article Details:

March 31, 1999 : Evidence of murder is uncovered in New Mexico

• Author

  History.com Staff

• Website Name

  History.com

• Year Published

  2009

• Title

  March 31, 1999 : Evidence of murder is uncovered in New Mexico

• URL

  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/evidence-of-murder-is-uncovered-in-new-mexico

• Access Date

  March 31, 2016

• Publisher

  A+E Networks