- Date:
- 1943 - July 20, 1944
- Location:
- Germany
July Plot
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What was the July Plot?
The July Plot was an attempt by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944, seize control of the government, and seek favorable peace terms from the Allies. Opposition to Hitler grew in 1943 and 1944 as Germany's military situation worsened. The coup, code-named Walküre, was planned in late 1943.
On July 20, 1944, Lieutenant Colonel Claus, Count Schenk von Stauffenberg, left a bomb in a briefcase at the Wolfsschanze headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia, where Hitler was meeting with top military aides. Stauffenberg believed Hitler was dead after witnessing the explosion and flew to Berlin to join the other plotters. However, Hitler survived with minor injuries. The other conspirators, unsure whether Hitler was dead, failed to act. About 180 to 200 plotters were shot, hanged, or strangled.
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Who were the main people involved in the July Plot?
The July Plot was an attempt by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler, seize control of the government, and seek more favorable peace terms from the Allies.
Key figures in the plot included Colonel General Ludwig Beck, a former chief of the general staff who opposed Hitler's policies, Major General Henning von Tresckow, Colonel General Friedrich Olbricht, and other top officers. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel agreed that Hitler should be removed from power but did not participate in the assassination attempt. The most active conspirator was Lieutenant Colonel Claus, Count Schenk von Stauffenberg, who planted the bomb.
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Who was the target of the July Plot and why?
The target of the July Plot was Adolf Hitler. The conspirators, including Lieutenant Colonel Claus, Count Schenk von Stauffenberg, sought to assassinate Hitler, seize control of the government, and negotiate more favorable peace terms with the Allies, because they believed Germany’s military situation was deteriorating.
On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg left a bomb in a briefcase at the Wolfsschanze headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia, during a meeting with top military aides. Although the explosion killed a stenographer and three officers, Hitler survived with minor injuries, because the briefcase containing the bomb had been moved behind a table support, shielding him from the full impact.
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Where and how did the assassination attempt take place?
The July Plot was an attempt by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Opposition to Hitler grew in 1943 and 1944 as Germany's military situation worsened. The most determined conspirator was Lieutenant Colonel Claus, Count Schenk von Stauffenberg, who carried out the assassination attempt.
On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg left a bomb in a briefcase at the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair) field headquarters in Rastenburg, East Prussia, where Hitler was meeting with top military aides. Stauffenberg slipped away after witnessing the explosion. He was convinced Hitler was dead, but Hitler survived with only minor injuries because an officer had moved the briefcase with the bomb, shielding Hitler from the full force of the explosion.
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What happened after the July Plot failed?
After the failure of the July Plot, the consequences were severe. Key figures like Stauffenberg, Olbricht, and others were swiftly executed, while Beck was forced to commit suicide. The Gestapo rounded up remaining conspirators, torturing them to expose others involved. They were then tried in the People's Court and brutally executed, with methods including hanging and strangulation. Even General Fromm, who had initially condoned the plot, was eventually arrested and executed.
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How did the July Plot impact Germany and World War II?
The July Plot was a failed attempt by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944. The goal was to seize control of the government and negotiate more favorable peace terms with the Allies.
The immediate impact of the failed plot was severe. Hitler's survival allowed the Nazi regime to continue its destructive war effort for another nine months. The German opposition, composed of loosely connected groups, lacked a common organization but shared a detestation of the Nazi regime. In the aftermath, Hitler's police rounded up the remaining conspirators, and about 200 plotters were shot, hanged, or brutally murdered.
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July Plot, abortive attempt on July 20, 1944, by German military leaders to assassinate Adolf Hitler, seize control of the government, and seek more favourable peace terms from the Allies.
During 1943 and early 1944, opposition to Hitler in high army circles increased as Germany’s military situation deteriorated. Plans for the coup, code-named Walküre (“Valkyrie”), were set late in 1943, but Hitler, increasingly suspicious, became more difficult to access and often abruptly changed his schedule, thus thwarting a number of earlier attempts on his life.
The leaders of the plot included retired colonel general Ludwig Beck (formerly chief of the general staff), Major General Henning von Tresckow, Colonel General Friedrich Olbricht, and several other top officers. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, one of Germany’s most prestigious commanders, agreed with the conspirators that Hitler should be removed from power, but he looked on assassination with distaste and took no active part in the assassination attempt. The most stalwart conspirator was Lieutenant Colonel Claus, Count Schenk von Stauffenberg, who personally carried out the assassination attempt.
On July 20 Stauffenberg left a bomb in a briefcase in a conference room at the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) field headquarters at Rastenburg, East Prussia, where Hitler was meeting with top military aides. Stauffenberg slipped from the room, witnessed the explosion at 12:42 pm, and, convinced that Hitler had been killed, flew to Berlin to join the other plotters, who were to have seized the Supreme Command Headquarters there. Bad luck and indecisiveness thwarted the plans. An attending officer had nudged the briefcase containing the bomb out of his way to the far side of the massive oak support of the conference table, which thus shielded Hitler from the full force of the explosion. A stenographer and three officers died, but Hitler escaped with only minor injury. Meanwhile, the other conspirators, unsure whether Hitler was dead, failed to act until Stauffenberg landed near Berlin more than three hours later. By then it was too late. Rumours of Hitler’s survival melted the resolve of many of the key officers. In a countercoup at the Berlin headquarters, General Friedrich Fromm, who had known about and condoned the plot, sought to prove his allegiance by arresting a few of the chief conspirators, who were promptly shot (Stauffenberg, Olbricht, and two aides) or forced to commit suicide (Beck). In subsequent days, Hitler’s police rounded up the remaining conspirators, many of whom were tortured by the Gestapo to reveal their confederates and hauled before the Volksgericht (People’s Court) to be excoriated by the dreaded Nazi judge Roland Freisler. About 180 to 200 plotters were shot or hanged or, in some cases, viciously strangled with piano wire or hung up on great meat hooks. Even Fromm was eventually arrested, tried, and executed.