Operation Valkyrie

Operation Valkyrie was the code name given to a plan used by senior members of Adolf Hitler's inner circle to overthrow the Nazi government during World War II. There was enormous resistance to Hitler's authoritarian style among parts of German society as well as among some senior members of the government. Hitler's decision to stage ongoing wars on two fronts against both the Allies and the Soviet Union further galvanized elements within the government to take desperate action that German officials believed was necessary to save the nation. There were several unsuccessful plots undertaken by the German resistance against Hitler, but Operation Valkyrie came perhaps the closest to succeeding.

Background

Operation Valkyrie (Unternehmen Walküre in German) was originally authorized by Hitler as a means of safeguarding his government in case of emergency. Hitler was aware of the various threats to his government from both internal and external threats. In fact, there had been at least six attempts on Hitler's life by 1944, several of which came close to killing the German leader. In the event of a coup, an uprising by imported slave laborers from occupied territories, or a devastating Allied attack on the Nazi leadership, Operation Valkyrie was intended to protect the Nazi cause and maintain law and order by enabling the German Army to resume order quickly. However, the installation of this plan was masterminded by General Friedrich Olbricht, a member of the resistance who hoped it might eventually be used against Hitler.

Throughout the period from 1933 to 1945, when Germany was under Nazi control, there had always been a German resistance movement. Prior to Operation Valkyrie, several plots to undermine Hitler had been planned, including the Halder Conspiracy, Operation Spark, and the Kreisau Circle. Some members of these previous plots were active in the plans for Operation Valkyrie.

Several senior officials had been quietly opposed to Hitler since his initial rise to power, while many other officers grew increasingly horrified by the gross abuses of human rights perpetrated by the Nazis. Together, these officers began to believe that the Nazi cause was hopeless and that bold tactics would be necessary to spare Germany from further harm. However, the personal oaths made by soldiers to Hitler meant that only his death would free them from their obligation to continue to serve him. Without gaining control of the military, the Nazi Party would remain in power.

The July 20 Plot

The saboteurs' plans centered on eliminating Hitler. Under the direction of Olbricht and General Henning von Tresckow, Hitler's own Operation Valkyrie would be used to give resistance fighters a means to enact a speedy takeover of the German military after Hitler's death. Then, as the new leadership of Germany, they would seek out a peaceful resolution to the war with the Allied forces.

However, the saboteurs knew that an assassination would be risky and difficult. The many attempts on his life had made Hitler paranoid. He would often change his schedule at the last moment and his movements were known only to a small circle of close associates. In addition, Hitler was notorious for the brutal punishment of his enemies.

Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg volunteered to be the assassin. A war hero from the German campaign in Africa, he lost his left eye, right hand, and two fingers on his left hand in battle. As a reward for his sacrifice and heroism, he was assigned to be chief of staff of the German Replacement Army, a position that gave him direct contact with Hitler. Stauffenberg had been a last minute fill-in to plant the bomb. In his original role as head of the Replacement Army, he was supposed to help head the takeover of the government after Hitler's death. However, the other potential candidates either were unable to gain personal access to Hitler or had second thoughts. Stauffenberg remained the best candidate despite his importance to the implementation of the rest of the plan.

On July 20, 1944, Stauffenberg entered a meeting room at the heart of the Wolfsschanze (Wolf's Lair), one of Hitler's secret headquarters. He carried with him a briefcase that had been fitted with a bomb. Stauffenberg carefully placed the briefcase on the floor near Hitler and left the room under the pretense that he had to make a phone call.

However, after Stauffenberg left the room, the briefcase was unknowingly moved so that it was situated behind a leg of an oak conference table. As a result, the table shielded Hitler from the brunt of the explosion. Although Hitler sustained injuries, he survived. Four other people present in the meeting room were killed, however.

Outcome and Aftermath

There was great confusion in the immediate aftermath of the bombing. Stauffenberg believed he had been successful, while reports from the scene of the bomb reported that Hitler had survived. Some members of the resistance moved ahead with their parts in the planned Operation Valkyrie, while others sought to hide their involvement. Among the latter group was General Friedrich Fromm, who had been a participant of earlier plots and was familiar with the identities of the resistance. A fight broke out in the Operation Valkyrie headquarters between several of the plotters and those still loyal to Hitler. After a brief gun battle, Fromm gained control of the building and ordered the immediate arrest and execution of Stauffenberg and three other plotters. Fromm may have been trying to hide his involvement, but he would later be executed anyway.

The confusion about whether Hitler was dead caused many plotters to be torn as to whether to move forward or abort their planned governmental takeover. As a result, the coup failed. A furious Hitler ordered the arrest of anyone involved in the assassination attempt.

Over the course of the next few months, Hitler had anyone with even a remote association to the plots imprisoned. He also had entire families rounded up and placed in detention. It is estimated that more than seven thousand people were arrested and almost five thousand were either executed or committed suicide. Most of those executed were sentenced at show trials where their convictions had been predetermined. To make an example of the plot's leaders, Hitler had them hung with piano wire to make their deaths as painful as possible. As a result of the coup attempt, Hitler redoubled his security and forced all members of the military to re-declare their loyalty oaths. The war in Europe would drag on for another thirteen months before Germany's ultimate surrender in September of 1945.

Bibliography

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