New Letter shows Pope Pius XII opposed Nazi 1923 putsch

by Antonio Gaspari

An extraordinary letter has emerged from the Vatican archives. The letter, written in 1923 by the future Pius XII, proves his opposition to Nazi anti-Semitism. The complete text in world exclusive.

Vatican City, March 4, 2003 -- Inside the Vatican has just obtained a copy of an extraordinary letter written by Eugenio Pacelli (the future Pope Pius XII). It was discovered in the last few days in the Vatican archives by one of the historians working there since the archives for this period (1922-1939) were opened in mid-February. The letter is dated November 14, 1923, and was written by Eugenio Pacelli, at that time the Holy See's nuncio (ambassador) in Bavaria (southern Germany), to Cardinal Pietro Gasparri, Vatican Secretary of State under Pope Pius XI (1922-1939).

The letter refers to Adolf Hitler's failed attempt to take over the local government in Munich in the National Socialist Party's "putsch" of November 9, 1923 -- just five days before the day this letter was written. In his letter, Pacelli -- contrary to the allegations of a number of recent authors like John Cornwell (author of "Hitler's Pope") on the relations between Pius XII and the Nazis -- denounces the National Socialist movement as an anti-Catholic threat and at the same time notes that the cardinal of Munich had already condemned acts of persecution against Bavaria's Jews.

Therefore, this letter is previously unpublished proof that Pacelli was in opposition to Nazism, seen both as anti-Catholic and as anti-Semitic, already in 1923 -- 10 years before Hitler came to power, and 16 years before Pacelli was elected Pope Pius XII. The letter thus is important evidence against the charge of Cornwell and others that Pius XII was in some way sympathetic to the Nazi regime.

Here below we publish the Italian original and our own English translation of the text of the letter -- the first time ever that this text has been published.

We will include this material in the March edition of Inside the Vatican along with other new material which has recently emerged from the archives, which were opened February 15 [2003] for scholarly research.

Here is an English translation of the Italian text [click link for original Italian]:

"The facts about the nationalist uprising, which in recent days has disturbed the city of Munich (see dispatches No. 443, 444 and 445) are already known to your most reverend eminence from the Italian press; I therefore do not need to repeat them in this respectful report. Still, upon one point, which I alluded to already in dispatch No. 444, I believe it opportune to communicate to Your Eminence some further details, that is, regarding the demonstrations of an anti-Catholic character which accompanied the uprising itself, but which have not surprised those who have followed the publications of the papers of the right-wing radicals, like the Völkischer Beobachter (Folkish Observer) and Heimatland (Homeland).

"This character was revealed above all in the systematic attacks on the Catholic clergy with which the followers of Hitler and Ludendorff, especially in street speeches, stirred up the population, thus exposing the ecclesiastics to insults and abuse.

"The attacks were especially focused on this learned and zealous Cardinal Archbishop, who, in a sermon he gave in the Duomo on the 4th of this month and in a letter of his to the Chancellor of the Reich published by the Wolff Agency on the 7th, had denounced the persecutions against the Jews.

"To this was added the unfounded and absurd rumor in the city, probably spread intentionally, that accused the cardinal of having changed von Kahr's mind, who, as is known, while at the beginning in the Bürgerbräukeller (beer hall) had apparently, to avoid violence, adhered to the Hitler-Ludendorff coup d'etat, later came out against it.

"Thus is was that, during the confusing events of last Saturday, a numerous group of demonstrators gathered in front of the front door of the bishop's residence, shouting "Down with the Cardinal!" ("Nieder mit dem Kardinal!")

"His Eminence was by good fortune absent from Munich, having left that day to consecrate a new church in a town near Müldorf; but, when he returned in his car the following evening, he was greeted by a similar hostile demonstration. These anti-Catholic sentiments also manifested themselves in chaotic student gatherings, the day before yesterday, in the University, which were attended by people who did not attend the university (and were not even from Bavaria) obliging the Rector in the end to close the university until further notice. Also in the university, object recently of repeated acts of the charitable solicitude and generosity of the Holy Father on behalf of the students, there were denunciations of the Pope, of the Archbishop, of the Catholic Church, of the clergy, of von Kahr, who, even though he is a Protestant, was characterized by one of the orators as an honorary member of the Society of Jesus (Ehrenmitglied der Jesuiten)."

Historical Background Note: On 8th November, 1923, the Bavarian government held a meeting of about 3,000 officials. While Gustav von Kahr, the prime minister of Bavaria was making a speech, Adolf Hitler and armed stormtroopers 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 Göring and the SA to guard the 3,000 officials, Hitler took Gustav von Kahr, Otto von Lossow, the commander of the Bavarian Army, and 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 treason, the three men were initially reluctant to agree to this offer. Adolf Hitler reportedly 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. Soon afterwards Eric Ludendorff arrived. Ludendorff had been leader of the German Army at the end of the First World War. He had therefore found Hitler's claim that the war had not been lost by the army but by Jews, Socialists, Communists and the German government, attractive, and was a strong supporter of the Nazi Party. Ludendorff agreed to become head of the German Army in Hitler's government. While Adolf Hitler had been appointing government ministers, Ernst Röhm, leading a group of stormtroopers, had seized the War Ministry and Rudolf Hess was arranging the arrest of Jews and left-wing political leaders in Bavaria. Adolf Hitler now planned to march on Berlin and remove the national government. Surprisingly, Hitler had not arranged for the stormtroopers 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, Eric Ludendorff, Hermann Göring 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 Odeonsplatz 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 stormtroopers returned the fire and during the next few minutes 21 people were killed and another hundred were wounded, included Goering. When the firing started, Adolf Hitler threw himself to the ground dislocating his shoulder, then ran to a nearby car. Although the police were outnumbered, the Nazis followed their leader's example and ran away. Only Eric Ludendorff and his adjutant continued walking towards the police. Later Nazi historians were to claim that the reason Hitler left the scene so quickly was because he had to rush an injured young boy to the local hospital. After hiding in a friend's house for several days, Hitler was arrested and put on trial for his role in the Beer Hall Putsch. If found guilty, Hitler faced the death penalty. However, it soon became clear that the Nazi sympathizers in the Bavarian government were going to make sure Hitler would not be punished severely. At his trial Adolf Hitler was allowed to turn the proceedings into a political rally, and although he was found guilty he only received the minimum sentence of five years. Other members of the Nazi Party also received light sentences and Eric Ludendorff was acquitted.

Other texts:

1. In 1923 Ernst Hanfstaengel took part in the Beer Hall Putsch. He wrote about the experience in his book, Hitler: The Missing Years (1957): "Kahr was sending us off to sleep. He had just said the words 'and now I come to the consideration' which, for all I know, was to be the high spot of his speech, when the door behind us which we had come through flew open and in burst Göring with about twenty-five brownshirts with pistols and machine-guns. Hitler began to plough his way towards the platform and the rest of us surged forward behind him. Tables overturned with their jugs of beer. On the way we passed a major named Mucksel, one of the heads of the intelligence section at Army headquarters, who started to draw his pistol as soon as he saw Hitler approach, but the bodyguard had covered him with theirs and there was no shooting. Hitler clambered on a chair and fired a round at the ceiling. It is always maintained that he did this to terrify the gathering into submission, but I swear he did it to wake people up. Anyway, on home ground at last, Hitler barked an impromptu proclamation: 'The national revolution has broken out. The Reichswehr is with us. Our flag is flying on their barracks.'"
2. Adolf Hitler, speech made at the Bürgerbräukeller (8th November, 1923): "The Bavarian Ministry is removed. I propose that a Bavarian government shall be formed consisting of a Regent and a Prime Minister invested with dictatorial powers. I propose Herr von Kahr as Regent and Herr Pohner as Prime Minister. The government of the November Criminals and the Reich President are declared to be removed. I propose that, until accounts have been finally settled with the November criminals, the direction of policy in the national Government be taken over by me. Ludendorff will take over the leadership of the German National Army, Lossow will be German Reichswehr Minister, Seisser Reich Police Minister."

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