Kahr, Dr. Gustav Ritter von.

Kahr, Dr. Gustav Ritter von,  born on 29-11-1862, in Weissenurg, Bavaria.   the son of a senior Bavarian civil servant. After studying law in Munich he worked as a lawyer in Kaufbeuren. In 1902 Kahr joined the Bavarian State Department where he had responsibility for art and monuments. Kahr held right-wing, nationalist views and was eventually elected leader of the Bavarian People’s Party . In the final stages of the World War I Kahr became head of the provincial government of Upper Bavaria. During the German Revolution Kahr was ousted from power. In May, 1919, Friedrich Ebert, the Chancellor of Germany, ordered the German Army and the Freikorps into Bavaria. Ebert died age 54, on 28-02-1925. They quickly gained control and over the next few weeks an estimate 700 men and women were captured and executed. Eugen Levine, Levine, like the Bolsheviks had done in Russia, established Red Guard units to defend the revolution, was arrested and after being found guilty of being involved in the execution of the eight spies, was shot by a firing squad, age 36.

     

          Friedrich Ebert.                                                                                                     Eugen Levine.               Otto von Lossow.

The following year Kahr became new prime minister of Bavaria. Political violence continued and after the assassination of several political leaders Kahr was appointed general state commissioner in September, 1923. He immediately uses his new powers to ban left-wing newspapers in Bavaria. Despite Kahr’s right-wing nationalist views, Adolf Hitler (did you know) was unimpressed with his government. On 08-11-1923, the Bavarian government held a meeting of about 3,000 officials. While Kahr was making a speech, Hitler and armed storm troopers entering the building. Hitler jumped onto a table, fired two shots in the air and told the audience that the Munich Putsch was taking place and the National Revolution had began. leaving Hermann Goering (did you know) (see Goering Peter)-(Goering–Fock) and (see Goering-Sonnemann) and the Sturm Abteilung (SA) to guard the 3.000 officials, Hitler took Kahr, Otto von Lossow, the commander of the Bavarian Army, von Lossow died age 70, on 25-11-1938 and Hans von Seisser, the commandant of the Bavarian State Police into an adjoining room. Hitler told the men that he was to be the new leader of Germany and offered them posts in his new government. Aware that this would be an act of high treason, the three men were initially reluctant to agree to this offer. Hitler was furious and threatened to shoot them and then commit suicide: “I have three bullets for you, gentlemen, and one for me!” After this the three men agreed. While Hitler had been appointing government ministers, Ernst Röhm ,

 leading a group of storm troopers, had seized the War Ministry and Rudolf Hess (see Ilse Hess ) was arranging the arrest of Jews and left-wing political leaders in Bavaria. Hitler now planned to march on Berlin and remove the national government.  Surprisingly, Hitler had not arranged for the storm troopers to take control of the radio stations and the telegraph offices. This meant that the national government in Berlin soon heard about Hitler’s putsch and gave orders for it to be crushed. The next day Adolf Hitler, Erich Ludendorff,

   Hermann Goering and 3,000 armed supporters of the Nazi Party marched through Munich in an attempt to join up with Röhm’s forces at the War Ministry. At Odensplatz they found the road blocked by the Munich police. As they refused to stop, the police fired into the ground in front of the marchers. The storm troopers returned the fire and during the next few minutes 21 people were killed and another hundred were wounded, included Hermann Goering.  Kahr’s unwillingness to take part in Hitler’s attempt to gain power lost him the support of right-wing nationalist forces in Bavaria and he was forced to resign from office in February, 1924.   After serving as president of the Bavarian administrative court (1924-27), Kahr retired from public life.

 Adolf Hitler had never forgiven Kahr for his failure to support the Nazis during the Munich Putsch and his name was added to the list of people to be murdered during the Night of the Long Knives. The seventy-one year old Gustav von Kahr was murdered by members of the Schutz Staffel (SS) on 30-06-1934. Von Kahr is buried with his wife Ella, on the North cemetery of Munich, close by the grave of the graves of Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s personal photographer, his daughter Henriette “Henny” von Schirach

  Hoffmann and Baldur von Schirach, Dr. Gustav von Kahr President of the Bavarian court in 1923 during the Putz and some further the youngest secretary of Hitler, Traudl Junge -Humps and Hans, the General der Flieger, Kommandeur Luftwaffe Hongaria, Kuno Fütterer, Bernd Freytag von Loringhoven and Generalleutnant der Artillerie, Commander of the POW in Wehrkreis IV,  Erich von Botzheim, the Troost couple Paul Troost  and Gerdy, Generalleutnant der Infanterie, Commander of the Reichs Institute for Military Air Protection of the Luftwaffe, Wilhelm von Stubenrauch, Hitler’s driver and founder of the SS Oberführer, Emil Maurice, Hitler’s doctor SS Obersturmführer, Dr. Ludwig Stumpfegger and Generaloberst der Gebirgstruppe, Kommandeur der 3^th Gebirgs Division

  Eduard Dietl, he crashed with several other Generals short after visiting Hitler’s Wolfschanze.  Two soldiers of the 3^th Gebirgs Division, Matthäus Hetzenauer  an Austrian sniper was credited with 345 kills. On multiple occasions he served with fellow sniper Josef Allerberger . They were able to inflict heavy casualties on Soviet infantry. Hetzenauer was captured by Soviet troops the following month, and served 5 years in routinely appalling conditions in a Soviet prison camp. He died on 03-10-2004, age 79 in Brixen im Thale, after several years of deteriorating health. Allerberger died old age 85, on 01-03-2010 in Wals Siezenheim, Austria.