Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Hitler’s 1923 Beer Hall Putsch

Hitler tried to take over Germany in November 1923, the so-called “Beer Hall Putsch” that became a German national holiday once Hitler succeeded in taking power in 1933.  This article from the 9 November 1923 issue of the Milwaukee Sentinel takes the confused Associated Press reports and suggests Hitler was on the way to power.  In fact, the Putsch rapidly collapsed. Hitler received a remarkably brief prison sentence, using the time to write Mein Kampf.  The full newspaper is available on Google News.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

The Great German Inflation of 1923-1924

One of the classic examples of inflation comes from Germany after World War I.  This article from the Dawson Daily News reports the situation, providing numbers incomprehensible even today. Still, these kinds of inflation do recur.  Recently, Zimbabwe issued banknotes for 100 trillion dollars before reissuing the currency,