Chapter 3: A Clear Observer

One of Munich's most famous beer halls, the Bürgerbräukeller, is located across the Isar River, about half a mile from the city center. It is a sprawling building with gardens on either side and numerous restaurants and bars inside. The main hall, one of the largest in the city after the "Jägerkas" and the "Krona," contains many sturdy wooden tables capable of seating 3,000 people.

Before November 8, 1923, the Bürgerbräukeller's reputation was limited to Munich, but after that day, its name spread across Germany and even the world at lightning speed, closely associated with one name - Adolf Hitler.

The Munich morning was bleak, with overcast skies. In the biting cold wind, columns of stormtroopers with ski caps and various weapons hurried through the streets. Strange-looking armed individuals lingered in groups at major intersections and in front of buildings. Cars carrying stormtroopers raced by on the streets, and the train station was crowded with soldiers from the Alpine League coming down from the mountains.

For some time now, Zhang Hainuo had been staying in a small hotel a block away from the National Socialist Party headquarters. He got up at 6 a.m. every day and walked to the party headquarters after washing up. Unless he was traveling, Hitler would show up in his office at 7 a.m. sharp. However, Zhang Hainuo and the Fuhrer didn't have much in common - in Hitler's eyes, he could keep up with nationalism, but he was not a qualified anti-Semite. In private, Edwin revealed that the Fuhrer had commented several times that he needed to "hone his skills in this regard, much like Goering did when he first joined the National Socialist Party. Only by recognizing the evil face of the Jews and hating them from the heart can one better fulfill one's mission."

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Hainuo could only feel sorry for the Fuhrer. Unless brainwashed, he was never going to instill that kind of anti-Jewish sentiment in his own head. Jews could indeed be cunning, and the conscience of some was clouded by greed, but it had to be acknowledged that not only in the business world but also in the scientific community, they had many outstanding representatives. It was not frightening to get rid of these people; it was more deadly to make them defect to the enemy.

Despite hearing Hitler's rants almost every day, Zhang Hainuo preferred to talk to other people in the office, including Rudolf Hess. Although the Fuhrer's private secretary maintained astonishing ideological alignment with him, he was modest, eager to learn, witty, and disdainful of power. Economics, which he studied at Munich University, became his main topic of conversation with Zhang Hainuo, although he was more interested in the other two subjects he studied - history and geopolitics.

After several weeks of interaction, Zhang Hainuo didn't dare to say he knew Hess very well. Like many others, he was curious about the bizarre and mysterious case of "flying alone to negotiate with Britain" in history and tried to find answers from him. As far as the current situation was concerned, Zhang Hainuo felt that his idealism was likely the source of the solution to the puzzle. However, whether life in Alexandria, Egypt, under British rule during his childhood had a significant impact on this, he did not know.

In addition to Rudolf Hess, Ernst Hanfstaengl, who often came to the office, was also one of Zhang Hainuo's conversational partners. Hanfstaengl came from a noble family, was tall, with a long and pointed chin, and graduated from Harvard University in the United States. His wife, Helena, was a German-American of German descent. Zhang Hainuo had met her several times - tall, with no brown in her hair, skin, or eyes, warm, beautiful, and generous. The young couple had been living in Munich for a long time, with an apartment in the city and a newly built villa in the suburbs.

When they were together, Zhang Hainuo would talk to Hanfstaengl about American life and exchange his views on American economics, finance, and systems - except for music, as Zhang Hainuo was almost completely ignorant in this regard, and he often suffered ridicule from Hitler and Hanfstaengl for it: "Our poor baron can't even tell Chopin from Mozart!"

Hitler both envied and scorned the wealth and industrial strength of Americans. He knew well the terrifying aspect of being enemies with such a country with enormous war potential, but he always mocked "cowboys who don't understand discipline." He believed that in a fair fight, a German soldier could outdo a group of cowboys.

The first time Zhang Hainuo visited Hanfstaengl's apartment with Hitler, he found a very interesting phenomenon. Hanfstaengl's two-year-old son, Egon, obviously liked his "Uncle Adolf" very much. Whenever Hitler entered, Egon would run to the door to greet him, but he once bumped into a chair and cried. To comfort the child, Hitler "playfully beat the chair," and after that day, every time Hitler came, Egon would urge him, "Uncle Adolf, please beat the naughty chair."

What surprised Zhang Hainuo was that Hitler always showed a rare relaxation in the Hanfstaengl couple's home. To amuse everyone, he often mimicked Goering or Rommel's actions or played with Egon on the floor. He would drink coffee with chocolate and chat for hours. Sometimes he would drink "Johannisberg wine," adding "a full spoonful of sugar."

In Zhang Hainuo's view, this warm and comfortable apartment was undoubtedly Adolf Hitler's favorite place to stay in Munich during his leisure time. However, his intimate relationship with the Hanfstaengl couple did not last long, just like his relationship with his best friend Küster in his youth. This led Zhang Hainuo to draw a conclusion - in the Fuhrer's heart, even the best friendship was only temporary, and only a combination of public and private affairs, like Goering's, could maintain a close relationship for a long time.

On the morning of November 8, when Zhang Hainuo arrived at the National Socialist Party headquarters, Hitler sat on his chair with a painful expression. Hess told him that the Fuhrer had a headache, and what was even worse was that his toothache was drilling into his heart. He advised the Fuhrer to go to the hospital, but he refused.

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Hainuo knocked on the door and asked him, "Honorable Fuhrer, shall I invite a dentist to come here for you?"

"No!" Hitler quickly rejected his suggestion, "The decisive revolution is imminent, and I cannot be distracted by other things! If I die of illness, it can only mean that my destiny has come to an end!"

After a while, Hitler asked him if the Naval Assault Division could participate in the revolution "with the most determined determination" today, and Zhang Hainuo nodded "yes."

"Tonight!" Hitler gritted his teeth, as if resisting the invasion of toothache, and as if making his final determination. Finally, he said, "Hainuo, you will lead the Naval Assault Division to act with my Adolf Hitler Assault Division!"

"An honor!"

Zhang Hainuo replied truthfully, witnessing the Munich beer hall uprising was the most important purpose of his return to Europe this time. Whether the coup d'état would unexpectedly succeed or suffer defeat as scheduled, he was prepared for it firsthand.

In his memory, the beer hall uprising was divided into two stages - the beer hall incident on the evening of November 8 and the police's shooting to prevent the march to the Bavarian Army Command on November 9. The riot ended after the second stage, but the seeds of failure had long been sown.

Around noon, Goering began issuing orders to the captains of various stormtrooper units, instructing them to assemble their troops at various beer halls such as Azberg, Hoblauf, and Lowenbrau after dark and wait there for orders. The elite "Adolf Hitler Assault Division" and some reliable stormtroopers would gather near the Bürgerbräukeller.

In addition, the Alpine League and the Battle League also used small beer halls near the Bürgerbräukeller as assembly points.

By phone or in person, Zhang Hainuo would gather all 39 members of the Naval Assault Division before 5 p.m., and the Fuhrer's other directly subordinate guard - the Adolf Hitler Assault Division - would act just as swiftly. These strong and ferocious warriors wore gray leather jackets with elastic bands around their waists and cuffs, ski caps on their heads, armbands with the word "millions," and belts with pistols. They seemed born adventurers, ready to pounce on the enemy at any moment, while Zhang Hainuo's men were still somewhat confused; they were eager and full of fighting spirit, like a group of lions ready to pounce into the midst of the enemy.

As the sky darkened, and with still no official orders from Hitler, Zhang Hainuo couldn't explain the situation to his men. They made do with sausages and bread bought from nearby restaurants for a meal. At 6 p.m., Goering arrived with five trucks and delivered the Fuhrer's orders: the Naval Assault Division was to immediately proceed to the Löwenbräu Beer Hall and await further instructions, deferring to Romm's command until new orders were given.

Seeing Goering's smug expression, Zhang Hainuo guessed the situation. Instead of arguing or calling Hitler, he led his men on foot to the Löwenbräu Beer Hall. As they left, Goering was directing members of the Adolf Hitler Assault Division onto vehicles.

Half an hour later, Zhang Hainuo and his assault division arrived at the Löwenbräu Beer Hall, one of the focal points of the SA's activities. Across the Isar River from here, a mere fifteen-minute drive by car, was the Bürgerbräukeller.

Despite having a capacity of over 800, the hall was now packed with nearly 2,000 people. Some wore the brown uniforms of the SA, while others sported various outfits representing the "Battle League." Bands played with uncoordinated rhythms amidst the noisy hall. As Zhang Hainuo and his men entered, Romm squeezed through the crowd to shake his hand, informing him that the Fuhrer had called earlier, placing the Naval Assault Division under Romm's command until new orders arrived.

The wavering of Hitler at the last moment and the distrust shown didn't discourage Zhang Hainuo. Since he had initially declined to join the Workers' Party, he had no intention of becoming part of its inner circle. He merely felt regretful that he wouldn't witness the world-famous "revolution" happening in the Bürgerbräukeller.

Adhering to the proverb "not in his place, not planning his job," Zhang Hainuo calmed down and settled his men in a corner of the beer hall. He then spent 300 billion marks to buy forty bottles of beer—perhaps tomorrow, the price of each bottle would skyrocket to 15 or even 20 billion marks. As they drank, they watched the bustling hall. After a while, Romm took to the stage and, with his limited oratory skills, began his speech, "calling for revenge against traitors and thieves who plunder our people..."

While Romm's speech might not have matched Hitler's, it garnered support in the hall. At 8:40 p.m., news finally arrived from the Bürgerbräukeller. Romm quieted the crowd, then loudly announced, "The Carl government has been deposed, and Adolf Hitler has declared a nationwide revolution!"

Soldiers in the beer hall tore off the republic's insignia, climbed onto tables and chairs, and cheered loudly. SA members hugged each other, and the band played the national anthem. After the noise subsided, Romm began announcing the next tasks: he would personally lead his troops to occupy the Munich University, while SA members would go to St. Anna Square to retrieve 3,000 rifles hidden in the monastery basement and fortify positions in Giesing. Members of the "Obelisk League" would head to the Bürgerbräukeller.

The orders didn't mention Zhang Hainuo and his Naval Assault Division. Romm believed he could capture the military district headquarters without firing a shot—having worked there for years, he knew the place inside out. So, he suggested Zhang Hainuo lead his men to the Bürgerbräukeller or assist the SA in road and bridge blockades.

After some consideration, Zhang Hainuo chose the latter—whether Hitler had intentionally or unintentionally forgotten his assault division, it showed that both his position and the strength of his Naval Assault Division were inconsequential in such a coup. It wouldn't be wise to rashly use his forces to alter the outcome of the event, especially since, as he had previously stated, "Germany's current situation cannot support a revolutionary path akin to marching on Rome."

Under Romm's lead, soldiers, SA members, and fighters from the Battle League marched out of the beer hall in groups, shouting slogans. The commotion on the streets prompted many citizens readying for bed to peek out their windows. Upon hearing that the nationwide revolution had begun, many supporters of the NSDAP boldly joined the SA's ranks.

After leaving, Zhang Hainuo, with his "excited-by-the-surrounding-atmosphere men," followed the main group for a while before turning onto another street corner.

Meanwhile, at the Bürgerbräukeller, Hess was detaining "enemies of the people" to serve as hostages. Standing on a chair in the hall, he called out officials and officers by name, including the Bavarian Prime Minister Neurath, Munich Police Chief Mantel, and Rupprecht's political advisor. The named individuals obediently stepped forward, like unruly schoolchildren—except for Judge Gantner, who fled but was promptly brought back. Initially, Hess detained them in a small room upstairs, but later, orders came to move the hostages to a house near Lake Tegernsee south of Munich for strict supervision.

Hitler's inner circle each had their tasks: Max Amann, the diminutive yet fearsome street thug, seized a bank to serve as the new government's central office. Schneericht, Esser, and Hanfstaengl led their respective groups to patrol the streets and check on the progress of the revolution. They found the city in utter chaos. Many were jubilant, many confused, and some furious. Few knew what was happening—including those involved, as contradictory orders continued from the Bürgerbräukeller.

At 11 p.m., while stationed near the NSDAP headquarters, Zhang Hainuo unexpectedly ran into "Hans Lomister," his close friend Edwin, leading a group of SA members toward the party headquarters. From him, Zhang Hainuo learned that, until that moment, the coup had been going smoothly. That night at the Bürgerbräukeller, Hitler, flanked by his bodyguards, entered the hall and fired a shot into the ceiling with his Browning pistol, loudly declaring, "The NSDAP revolution has begun! The hall is surrounded! No one is allowed to leave!" SA members set up machine guns at the beer hall's entrance and blocked all passages. Afterward, Hitler, with the Bavarian triumvirate in tow, entered a booth in the hall, where he pressured them to support him. However, the triumvirate resisted until Rudolf arrived and persuaded them personally, after which they reluctantly agreed to support the revolution.

At this point, Hitler's plan seemed half-successful, but in the next two hours, a comical mistake ruined the entire plan. In the army engineering camp, a group from the Battle League, known as the Highland League, clashed with regular army troops. Hitler personally drove to the camp to resolve the dispute, leaving the beer hall's command to Rudolf. Once he left, the shrewd Bavarian garrison commander, Lossov, convinced Rudolf that he needed to issue necessary orders at the army headquarters. Naively believing "a German officer wouldn't lie," Rudolf let Lossov go. Soon after, the Bavarian Prime Minister Karl and Police Chief Seisser also found excuses to slip away.

The escape of the triumvirate was one reason for the coup's failure, while another unforgivable mistake was due to the lack of organization—the SA had failed to occupy key sectors within Munich, especially the telegraph office. The uprising's telegrams originated from there, and orders to suppress the uprising were transmitted to various army barracks near Munich. Shortly afterward, the triumvirate issued a statement to quell the uprising:

"Von Kahr, State Commissioner, Colonel Seisser, and General Lossov have successfully suppressed Hitler's uprising. Support expressed under duress is null and void. Do not misuse the above names."