Failed coup in Germany: Who is 'Prince' Heinrich XIII and what is the Reichsbürger movement?

When you hear of a coup d'etat, you would perhaps imagine it in some unstable country, definitely not in a developed European country like Germany. But on December 7, 2022, Germany woke up to this very reality - a failed attempt at a coup. 

The plot sounds hilarious - a group of conspiracy theorists belonging to the Reichsbürger movement (citizens of the Reich), who reject democratic values and dream of pre-WWII German borders, wanted to elevate a certain "Prince" Heinrich XIII as their new head of monarchy, and of course, all with the help of Russia.  

But when you hear about the details, it sounds dangerous. While the right-wing extremist group may not have been successful in their attempt at a coup, they were heavily armed and there could have been bloodshed and deaths, had the German authorities not stepped up in time. 

Gun laws: In response, Germany has decided to tighten its gun laws. But, it's not as if Germany is like the US, where you can buy a gun at a supermarket. 

• In Germany, people need to get a license to buy a firearm, and it's a different license for different firearms. You also need to be over 18 years old and meet the criteria for trustworthiness, expert knowledge, personal adequacy and necessity. 
• German authorities also need to investigate the involvement of people among their own ranks with the access to the military's equipment. 

So, what happened? Last week, German authorities carried out a large-scale raid at around 150 locations related to the Reichsbürger movement.

• Some 25 people have been arrested for plotting to overthrow the elected government of Germany. The German police also recovered licensed and unlicensed weapons from at least 50 locations. 
• Among those arrested include the "ringleader" Heinrich XIII - a descendent of the royal House of Reuss, celebrity chef Frank Heppner, a former politician, and current and former members of German security forces.

• A Russian woman named Vitalia B, a close confidant of Heinrich XIII, was also arrested. Reports say the group was able to get financing from three Russian individuals.
• Vitalia B also reportedly reached out to Kremlin seeking their help, but didn't receive a "positive reply". Russia has denied its involvement. 
• What's chilling is that among those arrested were former and current members of the Kommando Spezialkräfte (KSK), a special forces military command of the German Army. 

The coup has been thwarted by Germany. It now looks like a joke, when we see some 50-year-old pensioners trying to overthrow the German government to install a minor aristocrat. Heinrich XIII, who calls himself "Prince", wouldn't have had much luck rising to the throne even if Germany was a monarchy, given his rank. But for the extremists, perhaps some aristocrat is better than none. 

What is the Reichsbürger movement? The Reichsbürger movement is a cluster of several right-wing extremist groups in Germany who see the democratically elected government as an illegitimate entity controlled by foreign powers. 

• They believe in the German borders before 1918, are Covid-19 deniers, and often subscribe to anti-semitic ideologies. 
• They also derive inspiration from American right-wing groups such as the QAnon.
• And their numbers are reportedly in the tens of thousands in Germany. 
• Some reports state that the Reichsbürger movement originated sometime in the 1980s, but was ignored by the subsequent German governments for not being a big enough threat. 
• It was only in 2016 after one of its members shot dead a police officer, that the German authorities took a keen interest in them. 
• Experts say the right-wing extremists were brought together recently through the anti-Covid measures protests.