hitler

91leader of the putschiests, had said, but First-Lieutenant Godinand Lieutenant Braun, in charge of the Reichswehr forceson the Odeonsplatz, were not of the same opinion. Theywere of the opinion that, Ludendorff or no Ludendorff, ordersmust be executed. They stood erect, like twin statues, infront of the former royal residence. No muscle moved ontheir faces; they had no part in the crying revolution. Theywere machines, responsive to the pushing of a button, andwhen the crowd surged onward they raised their swords andin voices that might have belonged to automatons, shouted:“Fire.”A tall man in a black overcoat fell, next to Hitler, hisface streaming with blood. There arose a terrible sound, –not the howl of an infuriated animal but of a frightened mob.Soon eighteen men were lying in front of the Residence, deador dying. There was a stampede, firearms were flung down,and hundreds skipped, jumped, leaped into the Hofgartenand into the small streets nearby. Hitler threw himself tothe ground. Ludendorff walked on. It had not been hewho fell, as Hitler had thought. His face set like a mask,indescribable contempt written on it, he walked toward thesoldiers. They opened a path for the ex-war lord and hedisappeared in the crowd.Herr Gustave von Kahr sat at his desk in the State Commissariatnear-by and had a conference with the Minister ofEducation. Although the day was chilly, one of the windowswas open and through this opening the crackle of the riflescould be heard distinctly. Herr Kahr stepped to the windowand closed it.