Operation: Valkyrie
In a plot to kill the most evil man in modern times; Claus Von Stauffenberg and other conspirators failed to assassinate Adolf Hitler and failed to take control of Germany.
A meeting was put in place to discuss tactics and the next move in the battles with the Soviet Union. The assasination was planned based on the fact that the meeting was meant to take place inside of a windowless bunker. However the venue was changed last minute due to it being a hot day. It was now taking place in a room with plenty of windows.
The bomb used was one of a 10 minute timer, however they needed a way to arm it. The day before, Stauffenberg cut himself shaving so he could get away from the meeting and arm the bomb. A gaurd saw that he was bleeding onto his shirt and allowed him to change it — this is when he armed the bomb. He then took the breifcase into the meeting and placed it under he table.
On the 20th of July 1944, a bomb went off in the Wolf’s Lair, East Prussia. Merely a few feet from Hitler, under a table, a briefcase (which contained the bomb) was placed by Stauffenberg. The bomb went off just as Hitler leaned over the table and he got away with minor injuries (hearing loss.) This is mainly due to the windows absorbing the explosion outside. As the conspirators made their escape, many thought he was dead; it wasn’t long before the whole of Europe believed him to be dead.
The Replacement Army (Ersatzheer) had an operational plan called Operation Valkyrie, which was to be used in the event that the disruption caused by the Allied bombing of German cities caused a breakdown in law and order. When Hitler was presumed dead, Stauffenberg took this into effect and prepared this replacement army, and was ready to take control of Germany. However it was soon announced that the Fuhrer (Hitler) was alive.
When the Nazis had realised what Stauffenberg had done, he was later executed.
Claus Von Stauffenberg
Stauffenberg was one of the many German resistors against Hitler and his Nazi regime. Colonel Stauffenberg was injured in North Africa. An enemy plane had flown over and fired at his camp. He tried to cover behind a car but it was not enough. He ended up losing his left eye and 2 of his fingers. Germany then awarded him the wound medal in 1943.
He had been thinking about the assassination for at least 3 years before.
He openly told fellow conspirator Axel Von dem Bussche:
I am committing high treason with all means at my disposal
He knew that what was going on in Germany was wrong and he believed that staging a coup would fix it.
