1923: The Crisis of German Democracy in the Year of Hitler's Putsch

How Germany's fledgling democracy nearly collapsed in 1923-and how pro-democracy forces fought back

In 1923, the Weimar Republic faced a series of crises, including foreign occupation of its industrial heartland, rampant inflation, radical violence, and finally Hitler's infamous “beer hall putsch.” Fanning the flames of anti-government and anti-Semitic sentiment, the Nazis tried to violently seize power in Munich, only failing after they were abandoned by like-minded conservatives.

In 1923...