Hitler Assassination Attempt: Bomb in Wolf's Lair

The July 20, 1944, assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler, orchestrated by Wehrmacht officer Claus von Stauffenberg, remains a pivotal, albeit controversial, moment in German resistance history. The bomb, planted by Stauffenberg in Hitler's Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia, detonated at 12:42 PM, intended to eliminate the dictator.

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So, nothing remains but to kill him.

Stauffenberg, once a fervent Nazi, saw no other option but to kill Hitler, telling associates days earlier, "So, nothing remains but to kill him." He was not only the assassin but also a key organizer of a large-scale coup attempt by conservative circles, including high-ranking military officials, diplomats, and administrators. Stauffenberg left the barracks shortly before the bomb exploded, convinced Hitler was dead as he flew to Berlin. There, "Operation Valkyrie," the Wehrmacht's plan to suppress a potential uprising, had already begun. The conspirators, positioned in crucial parts of the Nazi state apparatus, aimed to transform "Valkyrie" into their own coup.

However, Hitler survived the blast with only minor injuries. A heavy oak conference table and open windows that summer day deflected and neutralized the explosion's force. Despite this, overthrowing Hitler initially seemed possible. The plan hinged on all conspirators proceeding unimpeded with "Operation Valkyrie." Yet, delays and poor planning, coupled with the pressure of discovery, led some participants to remain passive or even switch allegiance to Hitler. By evening, the coup attempt had failed. Hitler addressed the nation via radio, attributing his survival to "providence."

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At least one of them should have taken the lead, so the public could say, 'Yes, Rommel also considers Hitler a criminal.'

Stauffenberg and several accomplices were arrested and executed that same night, with around 200 resistance members killed in total. Historian Wolfgang Benz attributes the failure partly to the absence of prominent military commanders like General Erwin Rommel. "At least one of them should have taken the lead, so the public could say, 'Yes, Rommel also considers Hitler a criminal.'" Nevertheless, the resistance gained significant symbolic meaning. Stauffenberg's accomplice, Henning von Tresckow, noted days earlier that success was less important than the fact that "the German movement dared to strike a decisive blow against Hitler before the eyes of the world and history, risking the lives of its members."

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the German movement dared to strike a decisive blow against Hitler before the eyes of the world and history, risking the lives of its members.