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Claus von Staffenberg joins Resistance
During August of 1943, Claus von Stauffenberg meets a the leader of a German Resistance group, Colonel Henning von Tresckow. At this point in time, Claus believed that Hitler was leading Germany into ruin. -
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The Valkyrie Plot
August 1943 - Claus von Stauffenberg joins the resistance.
20 July 1944 - The Day of the Plot -
Tresckow drafts Valkyrie Plot
Colonel Tresckow drafts a 'revised' version of Operation Valkyrie. The plan intructs those in Berlin, radio towers, etc. on what to do, detailing the process of securing the German Empire. -
Failed Attempt #1
Axel von dem Bussche-Streithorst was tall, had blond eyes and blue hair, and therfore was a prime example of the race Hitler wanted to create. This led to him modeling new uniforms that Hitler was to inspect. As such, Claus convinced him to suicide-bomb Hitler at the inspection. He was to wear a landmine, with the detonator in his pockets, which he would activate when he hugged Hitler in greeting. On the night before the attempt, the trains carrying the uniforms were bombed by Allied planes. -
Failed Attempt #2
Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist-Schmenzin despised the Nazis and their policies, like his father, who had published critiscim of the Nazis as early as 1929. He volunteered to take Axel's place at the next new uniform inspection, but it was delayed again by Hitler. -
Failed Attempt #3
Eberhard von Breitenbuch was a German cavalry officer. Tresckow arranged for him to become an aide to Guenther von Kluge, in order to bring him into the resistance. When Guenther was injured in a road accident, he became an aide to an Ernst Busch, who was summoned, along with his aides, to attend one of Hitler's conferences. Tresckow convinced him to attempt to shoot Hitler with a pistol that would be hidden within his jacket. Before the meeting, Hitler decided to not allow any aides to attend. -
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Claus is Promoted
Claus von Stauffenberg is appointed as Chief-of-Staff to General Fromm. This means that he can attend Hitler's conferences. He realizes that he may have to be the one to kill Hitler, as well as managing the coup in Berlin. -
Aborted Attempt #1
The final revisions to the Valkyrie Plot have been made. Helmuth Stieff is responsible for assassinating Hitler at a uniform exhibition, but he chickens out at the last moment. Claus now has to kill Hitler AND manage the coup in Berlin. -
Aborted Attempt #2
Claus von Stauffenberg attends one of Hitler's conferences with a bomb in his briefcase. While reveling in his originality, he notices Hitler's deputies, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering were absent. He waits until the last second, before aborting the attempt. If Hitler died, one of those two would just take over and things would continue as normal. -
Aborted Attempt #3 Part 1
The plotters decided to kill Hitler even if they couldn't kill his deputies, as time was running out. Rumors of the Gestapo's investigations spread among the plotters. Claus was to kill Hitler no matter what happened. As such, General Friedrich Olbricht (pictured) deicded to illegaly initiate a pre-emptive Level 1 Alert for Operation Valkyrie two hours before Hitler was to be killed. If this attempt failed, Olbricht would face serious repercussions. -
Aborted Attempt #3 Part 2
Unfortunately, the daily briefing was called off and replaced by a special presentation that Stauffenberg was to hold. As such, he was unable to assassinate Hitler. When Olbricht heard the news from Stauffenberg, he immediately pretended to inspect the troops, making it appear as if he was holding an exercise. This saved the Valkyrie Plot from being discovered, but Olbricht still suffered serious repercussions. As he was not authorized to hold such exercises, he was serverly dressed down. -
Fruition of the Valkyrie Plot Part 2
At 12:40, the bomb detonated, destroying the conference room. Outside, Stauffenberg saw this and immediately departed in his staff car, bluffing his way past 3 guard posts and finally escaping the complex. At 1 in the afternoon, Claus was already in his plane on the way to Berlin. Meanwhile, the other plotters received a message from a General Erich Fellgiebel, a fellow plotter, saying that Hitler had survived the explosion. -
Fruition of The Valkyrie Plot Part 1
This is the day of the Valkyrie Plot's success, and failure.
At half past noon, on that day, Claus went to the washroom at the conference building and activated the bomb in his briefcase. The bomb would take 10 minutes to explode, therefore detonating at 12:40. Before the time of detonation, Claus made an excuse and exited the conference. -
Fruition of the Valkyrie Plot Part 3
At 3 pm, when Claus arrived at the airport, he phoned the plotters and told them that Hitler was dead. The plotters didn’t know what to believe. At 6 pm, the plotters decided that they should follow through with the plan and Valkyrie was mobilized without consent from the indecisive General Fromm, of the Reserve Army. He phoned the Wolf’s Lair, where Hitler had been bombed, and was assured that Hitler was still alive. At this revelation, Fromm tried to arrest Claus, but was detained at gunpoint. -
The Conclusion to the Valkyrie Plot
Himmler countermanded Operation Valkyrie’s mobilization. Hitler recovered enough to contact people, and began assure everybody of his survival. There was fighting between soldiers who supported the coup and those who did not. After 11 pm, Fromm held a court-martial and sentenced Stauffenberg and a few others to death. They were shot at 10 minutes past midnight on the 21st of July.
