Operation Valkyrie - The "July Plot" to Assassinate Hitler | Jewish Virtual Library
Operation Valkyrie - The "July Plot" to Assassinate Hitler
(July 20, 1944)
Major                                     Claus von Stauffenberg now emerged                                     as the leader of the group opposed to Nazi                                     rule. In 1942, he decided to kill Adolf                                       Hitler . He was joined by Wilhelm                                         Canaris , Carl                                           Goerdeler , Julius                                             Leber , Ulrich                                               Hassell , Hans                                                 Oster , Peter                                                   von Wartenburg , Henning                                                     von Tresckow , Friedrich                                                       Olbricht , Werner                                                         von Haeften , Fabian Schlabrendorft , Ludwig                                                             Beck and Erwin                                                               von Witzleben .
The plot was developed as                                     a modification of Operation Valkyrie (Unternehmen                                       Walküre), which was approved by Hitler for                                     use if Allied bombing of German cities or                                     an uprising of forced laborers from occupied                                     countries working in German factories resulted                                     in a breakdown in law and order. Members                                     of the Reserve Army, including members of                                     the Kreisau                                       Circle, modified the plan and decided                                     to assassinate Adolf                                       Hitler , Hermann                                         Goering and Heinrich                                           Himmler . Afterward, they planned for                                     troops in Berlin to                                     seize key government buildings, telephone                                     and signal centers and radio stations. Hitler's                                     death was required to free German soldiers                                     from their oath of loyalty to him. Operation                                     Valkyrie was meant to give the plotters control                                     over the government so they could make peace                                     with the Allies and end the war.
At least six attempts were                                     aborted before Claus                                       von Stauffenberg decided on trying again                                     during a conference attended by Hitler on                                     July 20, 1944. It was decided to drop plans                                     to kill Goering and Himmler at                                     the same time. Stauffenberg, who had never                                     met Hitler before,                                     carried the bomb in a briefcase and placed                                     it on the floor while he left to make a phone-call.                                     The bomb exploded killing four men in the                                     hut. Hitler's right arm was badly injured                                     but he survived the bomb blast.
The plan was for Ludwig                                     Beck , Erwin                                       von Witzleben and Friedrich                                         Fromm to take control of the German                                     Army. The coup failed in part because they                                     delayed implementing the plan until official                                     confirmation of Hitler's death could be                                     received. When they learned that Hitler                                     had survived, Valkyrie was not put in effect.
In an attempt to protect                                     himself, Fromm organized the execution of Claus                                       von Stauffenberg along with two other                                     conspirators, Friedrich                                       Olbricht and Werner                                         von Haeften , in the courtyard of the                                     War Ministry. It was later reported the Stauffenberg died                                     shouting "Long live holy Germany".
As a result of the July                                     Plot, the new chief of staff, Heinz                                       Guderian demanded the resignation of                                     any officer who did not fully support the                                     ideals of the Nazi                                       Party . Over the next few months Guderian                                     sat with Gerd                                       von Rundstedt and Wilhelm                                         Keitel on the Army Court of Honor that                                     expelled hundreds of officers suspected of                                     being opposed to the policies of Adolf                                       Hitler . This removed them from court martial jurisdiction and turned them over                                     to Roland                                       Freisler and his People's Court.
Over the next few months                                     most of the group, including Wilhelm                                       Canaris , Carl                                         Goerdeler , Julius                                           Leber , Ulrich                                             Hassell , Hans                                               Oster , Peter                                                 von Wartenburg , Henning                                                   von Tresckow , Ludwig                                                     Beck , Erwin                                                       von Witzleben and Friedrich                                                         Fromm , were either executed or committed                                     suicide. Ninety of the supposed conspirators were executied between August 1944 and April 1945 at the Plotzensee Prison.
It is etimated that 4,980                                     Germans were executed after the July Plot. Hitler decided                                     that the leaders should have a slow death.                                     They were hung with piano wire from meat-hooks. Their executions were filmed and later shown                                     to senior members of both the NSDAP and                                     the armed forces.
In March 2013, the last surviving member of the plot - Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin - died in Munich.