Verband Nationalgesinnter Soldaten, Association for nationalist soldiers, was formed in September 1919 by the former Korvettenkapitän in the Imperial Navy, Hermann Ehrhardt, the freikorps leader Franz von Stephani and Gregor Strasser. The organization was formed initially as a nationalist veteran association for former enlisted men in World War I, however, the VnS accepted younger members who had not served in the war. It eventually would become more determined to overthrow the young Weimar Republic, more so than the representation of veteran interests.
In spring of 1920, the local branch of the VnS in Landshut, Bavaria, was taking on a more militant approach. Under the leadership of Gregor Strasser, the Landshut branch of the VnS formed the so called Sturmbataillon Niederbayern, or Stormbatallion lower Bavaria. It consisted of about 950 armed men, one of them was the young Heinrich Himmler, who also acted as the adjutant to Strasser. By the time of the Kapp-putsch in 1920, the Sturmbataillon Niederbayern was ready to join with the putschists. However, for some reason, the group stood down. In the end of 1920 Gregor Strasser left the VnS, with the remainants of the Sturmbataillon Niederbayern following him, eventually joining forces, but not fully integrate to the SA, the Sturmbataillon Niederbayern would continue to participitate in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. Gregor Strasser had mobilized his Sturmbattailon Niederbayern, they quickly departed to Munich in trucks with illegal weapons ready to take part in the putsch. However the Sturmbattailon was ordered to guard the Wittelsbach Bridge in München, after a long wait with nothing happening, on the evening of 8 November, the Sturmbattailon mounted their trucks and went back home to Landshut again.…
