Growing opposition from the German people including from elements within the army (OCR GCSE History B (Schools History Project)): Revision Notes
Growing opposition from the German people including from elements within the army
In resistance to Nazi rule and Hitler, there were a number of attempts by different groups to assassinate the Führer. Among these were senior German military officials who wanted to save Germany from total destruction.
JULY 1944 BOMB PLOT
Hitler's conference room at the Wolf's Lair after the failed attempt on his life on 20 July, 1944
On 20 July, 1944, in a meeting at Wolfsschanze or Wolf's Lair, a command post near Rastenburg, East Prussia (present-day Poland), a failed assassination plot against Adolf Hitler using a bomb planted in a briefcase took place.
It was orchestrated by a number of senior-level German military officials including Colonel General Ludwig Beck, Colonel General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow and Lieutenant Colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg.
Stauffenberg planted a bomb inside a briefcase, but it was moved away from Hitler by another officer. As a result, Hitler survived the plot with only 1 dead and 3 wounded officials. Believing Hitler was dead, Stauffenberg went back to Berlin and initiated Operation Valkyrie. Hitler had survived, however, and General Friedrich Fromm turned on the conspirators to cover his connection.
On 21 July, Olbricht and Stauffenberg were arrested and executed. Soon after, around 200 people accused of conspiracy were also executed, while others connected to the plot committed suicide rather than stand trial.
Operation Valkyrie was a plan to use the reserve army for a coup d'etat to overthrow the Nazi regime.
Watch the 2008 film Valkyrie featuring Tom Cruise as Stauffenberg and witness the July 1944 bomb plot against Hitler.