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The May Putsch (: Mai-Putsch), also known as the Moderate Coup (: Moderater Coup), was a coup d'état carried out in Alva by Marshal Maximillian Höss from 15 to 20 May 1958. The coup overthrew the 13-year old military government headed by Oskar Arendt and the militarist sector of the Reichswehr. A new government was installed, initially headed by fellow conspirator Cristoforos Nicolatsis until his death in 1969 in the Charlottenburg air crash.

The events occurred due to the rapidly decreasing popularity of Arendt's regime after Alva's surrender in 1954. While Alva had walked away from the war, battered but in one piece, popular discontent with the government had risen dramatically. Alva was forced to pay reparations to Kodeshia and Beifang as well as hand over control of Alexander Island and the port of Neu-Amden to Beifang.

Initially, Höss was offered the role of president, but he declined in favour of Cristoforos Nicolatsis. Höss, however, remained the most influential politician in Alva and became the "power behind the throne" until his death in 1963 from lung cancer.

Background
Alva sued Kodeshia and Beifang for peace in 1954 after five years of fighting. In the resulting Treaty of Boshan, Alva was forced to pay hefty reparations to Kodeshia and Beifang, as well as cede the Pelzer Pass to Kodeshia, and Alexander Island and the port of Neu-Amden to Beifang. The treaty and Alva's overall involvement in the Great Kesh War were seen as a humiliation by practically all of the Alvak people and government. While a scapegoat was found in the form of Generalfeldmarschall Nicola von Bodenheimer, the popularity of the regime continued to collapse.

1957 Kalylene Uprising
The Kalylene Uprising was a popular uprising in the city of Kalylene, Alva, from May 18 to May 27, 1957, in which it is estimated that around 600 people were killed. During this period, Kalylene citizens took up arms (by robbing local armouries and police stations) after local Kalylene Technical University students who were demonstrating against the martial law government were fired upon, killed, and beaten by police and government troops. The events of the Uprising and the fashion in which Arendt's government handled the situation leaked into popular social circles after the uprising's defeat, further worsening the popularity of Arendt's regime and setting the stage for the May Putsch the next year.

Putsch
On 15 May 1958, Maximillian Höss, in an interview with a newspaper, Der Morgenkurier ("The Morning Courier"), said that he was "ready to fight the evil" of ultramilitarism and promised a return to normal political life. That edition was confiscated by the authorities.

The night of 16-17 May, a state of alert was declared in the Alvastadt military garrison, and some units marched to Eisenhausen, where they pledged their support to Höss. On 12 May, they marched on Alvastadt and captured bridges over the Alva River, severing the city into two. Meanwhile, Oskar Arendt's government declared a state of emergency.

At about 17:00, Höss met Bastian Schildhauer, a close collaborator with Arendt, on the Herzberger Bridge. Höss demanded the resignation of Arendt and his cabinet, but Schildhauer demanded Höss's capitulation. With no result in negotiations, fighting erupted about 19:00 hours. The next day, negotiations attempted to be started to no avail.

On 17 May, workers of the Langmannsberger industrial complex south of Alvastadt declared their support for Höss's forces and called for a general strike, supported by the Railwaymen's Union. The strike by railwaymen paralyzed communications and prevented pro-government military reinforcements from reaching Alvastadt. An unrelated student protest in Neu-Amden Polytechnic also held back extra forces in Viktoria.

Eventually, to prevent the Alvastadt fighting from turning into a full civil war, rebel forces stormed Arendt's residence on the 18th, capturing Arendt. Arendt was forced to resign his post, transferring power to Höss. Additionally, on the 19th, troops loyal to Höss stormed the residencies of Konstantin Sulzer (Minister of the Interior), Oli Meissner (Minister of Defence), and Philipp Stemmler (Minister of Media). Sulzer was mildly injured from a bullet to the leg, while Meissner and Stemmler were murdered. The militarist stronghold in the building of the Ministry of the Interior surrendered on the 20th.

During the events, 215 soldiers and 164 civilians were killed, and some 900 people were wounded.

A new government was formed under Cristoforos Nicolatsis, with Höss as minister of military affairs. On 31 May, the Reichstag nominated Höss to be president, but he declined. Eventually, Nicolatsis became the new president, but Höss wielded much more de facto power than his military ministry nominally gave him.

Aftermath and consequences
Arendt was held captive in his own residence for the remainder of the length of the coup. On the 27th, a mock trial was held, declaring him guilty of high treason. Arendt was executed the next day by firing squad.

Until his death in 1963, Höss played a preponderant role in Alva's government, but his formal offices in 1958–1960 and 1962 were for the most part limited to those of minister of defence and inspector-general of the armed forces.

There were significant differences between Arendt's regime and the new Moderate regime under Nicolatsis, the most significant factor being that they played different roles as someone in the ruling position. Nicolatsis' regime had a positive impact on economic development and offered political stability for a nation that was just rebuilding; Arendt's regime on the other hand kept the pre-war policy of opening up the political and economic system.