How Did Operation Valkyrie Almost Change the War?

• Claus von Stauffenberg led the plot.
• They used a briefcase bomb.
• The bomb went off under a table.
• Hitler survived with minor injuries.
• Many plotters were later executed.

By 1944, the German army was losing the war on all fronts. Many German military leaders realized that Hitler was leading their country to total ruin. These officers formed secret groups to plan against the Nazi regime. They wanted to end the fighting to save Germany from being destroyed. They also hoped to stop the terrible crimes being committed by the Nazis. Some of these men had been plotting for months to remove Hitler from power. They believed that a new government could negotiate a peace deal with the Allied forces. These brave men risked their lives and the lives of their families to take action.

On July 20, 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg traveled to the Wolf's Lair. This was Hitler's secret military headquarters located deep in the woods of East Prussia. Stauffenberg carried a briefcase that contained a powerful hidden bomb. He entered a conference room where Hitler and his top generals were meeting to discuss the war. Stauffenberg placed the briefcase under the heavy oak table. He made sure the bag was close to where Hitler was standing. The Colonel then quickly stepped out of the room to make an urgent phone call. Suddenly, the bomb exploded with a loud blast that ripped through the building. Many people were killed or seriously wounded by the force of the blast. However, someone had moved the briefcase behind a thick table leg just before the timer went off. This act shielded Hitler from the full power of the explosion. Hitler suffered only minor burns and cuts from the blast. He survived the attack and immediately ordered a massive hunt for the people involved. The plot to seize control of the government failed because the leaders could not confirm that Hitler was dead. The Nazi secret police soon arrested many of the officers involved in the conspiracy. Most of these men were executed shortly after the failed attempt. This was the most famous and dangerous attempt to kill the German dictator during the entire war.

It showed that not all Germans supported Hitler even near the end of the war. The failed plot led to even stricter control over the German military.

• German Reserve Army
• SS
• Gestapo
• Abwehr

• 1.Fest, Joachim. Plotting Hitler's Death
• 2.Hoffman, Peter. The History of the German Resistance
• 3.Kershaw, Ian. Hitler