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Friedrich Olbricht

German general

Quick Summary

Friedrich Olbricht was a German colonel general and a key leader in the July Plot, an unsuccessful attempt by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. The plot aimed to seize control of the government and negotiate a more favorable peace with the Allies. Opposition to Hitler grew within the army as Germany's military situation worsened. Olbricht, along with other high-ranking officers like Ludwig Beck and Henning von Tresckow, planned the coup, code-named Walküre. Although Field Marshal Erwin Rommel agreed Hitler should be removed, he did not actively participate in the assassination attempt. Lieutenant Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg carried out the bombing, but Hitler survived with minor injuries. In the aftermath, Olbricht was arrested and executed by firing squad.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Adolf Hitler: Top Questions
  2. July Plot

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