Crocker Snow Reports From Germany; Men Against Hitler

God that was the voice of a judge a Nazi judge in Nazi Germany in 1944. His name Roland fries were head of the infamous People's Court of Berkeley and you hear him doing a job for which he was well suited trying and sentencing those men of Nazi Germany who chose to resist Adolf Hitler operation Val Curie was what ignited frys was hysterical ravings. This was the code name for what was the most nearly successful of a series of attempts to assassinate Hitler July 20th 1944. A German officer planted a bomb in Hitler's headquarters. The bomb went off. Hitler was present but due to a combination of fate and fortune he lived. His reaction was swift and terrible. A special Gestapo commission was set up immediately to ferret out the men involved. This soon blossomed into an organization of 11 departments and four hundred officers. According to British Admiralty figures four thousand nine hundred and eighty Germans were

executed for their part in the resistance movement by the wars and less than a year later. The voice of. The leader of the civilian resistance to the Nazi regime. The secret police. You folks need to know and I didn't want to do that is not the hope because in that case probably I would have been sentenced to death. And so when you got down to 10 years it had Les that. Who was a young officer in 1943 agreed to blow up himself and the leaders of the third at the same time in autumn 43. I got into stuff from Beck's office who was then chief of staff of the film me and he made what and was laughingly Read on to be the very indecent proposal to give me a bomb than to go to use

pressure to blow it up. Fabienne functional gun doff who is a representative of a group of conspirators spoke with Winston Churchill the 1938. And hard to the frogger. Yeah I'm interested to know you got your gun on tea and I'm just a doctor would you join. From George. I still remember his question to me. Can you guarantee that the German opposition will have any influence. In those whose brother and sister will be headed for printing and distributing anti Nazi leaflets. I would never take a day. I'm ashamed that I haven't done one thing we haven't even been in a bed to train. Those of the contact man between a group of military conspirators and the

Vatican in 1939. Keep one to only say hate but support for peace and be dated that do it and do it very seeing. Fuck peeps. Thank you. The German Army was the power base which at least passively permitted the rise of Naziism during the 1980s and early 30s its extreme nationalism was clear. But when Adolf Hitler took control in 1933 he did it legally not by force but as a result of receiving the plurality of the votes in a general election within the legality of Hitler's position. It was the German army which was necessarily the instrument for his aggressive foreign ventures though the army didn't make the initial decisions it held the power and wielded it. And in this way had its own

responsibility a few visionaries recognized this early such as General Ludwig Beck who as chief of the general staff in 1937 shortly before resigning in protest to Hitler's actions wrote to a fellow general in our army worshipping nation the Vemma enjoys an almost boundless trust responsibility for the coming events now rests completely on the army. There is no way out of this fact. The coming of vengeance Hitler's war against the nations of Europe his brand of power politics was perfect for the times. While the Allied Powers bowed to German bluster half of the nations of Central Europe bowed to her military might by the autumn of 1939 Hitler was riding a wave of success. This more than anything stifled most of the dormant opposition to him that did exist in military circles. A few of the more outspoken quick like General Beck another small group whose opposition was well known were fired like

General cook for how much time former commander in chief of the army. Funny how much time son Conrad a young officer in the Ponzo Corps at the time tells of the background of this event he was not a national socialist and Highland head ended with a success find it and then let you know officers follow that commanding positions and decisions and he kicked out the ones who with whom he could trust very much and the officers the officers generally in the army. But their position you have been an officer was then against him. Within the officer within the officer corps and the office yes had not been trained to understand and let you get away. Yes and they saw men as in their military leader and she was a tool and when you say America

and succeeds like success and many successes despite these early successes several members of the general staff still sought ways to track the Nazi express Hitler's premature orders in the autumn of 1939 to prepare for a winter invasion of the West rekindled their hopes. The army was almost unanimously against the move. The leading conspirators saw it as the perfect excuse for a coup d'etat. This prompted them to try a trump card and listing the help of the Vatican in Rome. The high points of this story be first of all of course the decision to try to reach the allies. Professor Harold Deutsche of the University of Minnesota a specialist on World War 2. It was felt that the pope who enjoyed a great deal of confidence in the West. He was one of the very few people in the Vatican for example who had been brutal allied in World War One and the British knew this very well was that they would

certainly first of all because he was pope have to treat such an overture politely. And secondly because of his special character and their confidence in him would probably be treated with very serious consideration as did turn out to be the case. And these negotiations though they were unfortunately delayed very seriously at the end. The last part of one thousand thirty nine. And it did come to a climax at the end of February the assurance was given via the pope through the German opposition was then translated they get transferred for a minute. I'm to the generals. But the most important of them from the standpoint General housed there on the 4th of April and first of all there would be no allied offensive. To take advantage of a turnover in Germany which would of course create a stab in the back legend for ever after and that secondly they would make with a non Nazi government which would compensate for Nazi crimes for example pay for the damage done in Poland and said with such a government they would make what would be regarded

as a fair piece. But by that time things were already well along for the offensive in France and the great anger of the general over his generals over Hitler's insane desire to attack in the autumn of 39 or actually the winter of 39 40 had now given way to a certain amount of confidence the Army had tripled in size within these months and so far as well trained divisions were concerned the armor had doubled in size the whole outlook was entirely different. The man most involved in the actual contact with the Vatican was one Joe the ox mullah. A Munich attorney closely associated with the Catholic Church traveling under military orders of the obvious a counter espionage organization which in reality was a hotbed of anti Hitler opposition led by Admiral Canaris made countless journeys between Berlin and Rome. The Gestapo caught up with him in 1943 but he survived concentration camps. Doc how

Auschwitz book involved and Fossum book to tell about it. I brought questions. The first question which I got yes. As it got us out of the question over to questions I don't like to speak about long government don't speak up about it because after some confusion about so questions wrong but only to help us or poke for peace and that peace.

The significance of this attempt of the pope to effect an agreement between the allied powers and the German opposition. Professor Deutsch I personally feel a great tribute to the courage of Pius the 12th because if this had become known it would have been even in the eyes for example of American Catholics an action of great questionable character to have imagined in the Vatican which had always tried to adopt a political and politically international neutral position and which according to the Lateran pact with the Italian government was supposed international affairs to keep out of major relations of this kind. Actually negotiating with a rebel group in one country planning to overthrow that government and the enemy government during a period of war was a most remarkable decision in my view. Thus in the years between 1933 and 1940 several small groups of general officers of the German military machine tried to upset their commander

in chief Adolf Hitler. They talked they cogitated and sometimes they plotted. There was a scheme to arrest the furore. Another scheme to disobey his orders. But the vital move was never made. Why there didn't exist any basic fundamental and take on some between the military entities. Professor Theodore Adorno sociologist at Frankfurt university after all was the one who reconstructed the drum and me and the idea that they always hated Hitler. Couric only with respect to a few people it was much more a difference it's a difference of taste that is to say the high class people of society with a capital S who considered the army

as more or less their property despised the ill bred vulgar and didn't want to spoil their hands and to close the community with him. But they considered him as a very valuable instrument for their own aims. And there was no basic difference with regard to the center problem. That is to say military expansion of Germany. Now this meant of course. That for a long time and particularly after he had proved so successful in his diplomatic strategy he quite willing to exploit a more or less exploits for their own purposes only when it became absolutely certain to them that he would be defeated. They particularly the more intellectual and more critical

heads of them began to take a different view from the whole thing and started to organize resistance. But in and of the last one who not to have the greatest admiration for all the people of the army who finally risked their lives and more than their lives in order to get rid of Hitler think they made good they said to him. A marker of what they had seen before about this should not deflect from the fact that the problem was more a problem of expediency for their aims than a problem of basic political or social differences between them. And this explains why they

sprang into action. And also perhaps why they didn't do more efficiently than they actually did. I think that the often repeated problem of the oath which played a considerable root in this whole affair is more or less for the effect that they felt of themselves in spite of everything so deeply linked not to Hitler as a person but to the political deals of Hitler and to the aggressive nationalism of Hitler that it meant to them in a way to act against their ideals. They would rebel against him. Professor Adornato refers to the much discussed oath of allegiance which all members of the German military had to swear in the name of God I take this sacred oath

that I will be unconditionally obedient to the German people and the German of Adolf Hitler and that I will be ready as a brave soldier to offer my life for this oath at any time. The simple fact of this oath coupled with the traditional honor bound subordination of the German officers corps to their leader has often since World War Two been used as a justification of the general past 70 of the German military in the resistance movement. Maybe they didn't like the form of World War One corporal and his methods but because of their oath their duty was clear. But of course there was a resistance movement. Some men chose to disregard the oath they felt justified in doing so. Conrad found how much time then a young lieutenant helping the resistance leader cargo to work lives quietly today in Cologne. You know no matter how dense I was so much against him that I try not to give in no I didn't tell my mouth

this was state of the legions today yes when I was a recruit maybe I did but I'm sure I didn't say what you felt no moral obligation or action at all. And less and less. And yes because I knew in my heart that had been committed by his regime I mean that I did and I did love you but what of the Army in general could they so easily disregard their oath fund and Bush was a battalion commander on the eastern front. The own government represented battlefield let the dictator to whom the entire army was bound in an oath of allegiance which was a bar if not to the bondage of its own and that is strong bondage. So the general legal ethical theory was that in order to throw over the government you

had to kill Hitler first. So to unleash this book and make the army free to get this brought one to the absolutely necessity from the very beginning to get rid of Hitler. For years they had talked about just putting him into prison and then into court and they then had gradually accepted the idea of of the plot of him of murder. All right. It was a motive he did and justified as I feel but all the things I'd seen the word murder. It began to arise more frequently in the secret meetings of those who opposed the Nazi regime. World War 2 was in full thunder the German army was struggling in Russia. The Homeland devastated by Allied bombs

as the ravages of war increased so too did the toughness of the Nazi regime. The number of forced labor camps was stopped up imprisoned Jews by the thousands and the tens of thousands gassed in the infamous concentration camps all open domestic criticism to the Nazis stamped out. Such acts only serve to strengthen the determination of the diehard conspirators to do away with the one man most responsible. In March 1943 general fun Tresco had a bomb planted in his plane. It was a dud. This marked the first of a series of false alarms during the next year Bush today the director of the young West German peace corps took part in another. I happened to be sued and then an officer in the regiment of the German which produced more officers imprisoned hanged and shot by Hitler than any other

regiment. That means that the general climate in that regiment from the very start of the Third Age had already been and was to the end if not skeptical at any rate. Critical and then increasingly filled by oppositional spirit in the cranium. I ran into mass mass extermination of Jews at that time not as later in camps. Stoves and poison at that time they were still being shopped individually. Sixteen hundred Jews in one day by a platoon of S. And from that moment on Woods I went around quite decided to stop criminal performances by offering myself anything worthwhile. It took me one year to get into the inner circle in

primarily the headquarters in East Prussia being a front office I was an infantry man by that time I believe Captain and battalion commander. They accepted my office as sound as motivated strongly enough to try to let me blow up the general headquarters of Hitler presiding. In autumn 43 I got into country stuff from Beck's office who was then chief of staff of the home of me and he made what then was laughingly to be a very indecent proposal to give me a bump and go to ease pressure to go up to him and Gooding who was supposed to be together to be shown new uniforms for the Eastern Front and they needed a young man motivated as I was highly decorated if possibly

looking rather what the third I expected a man to look like sort of blond and tall stuff makes me out to ease pressure. We had quotas they have and they have those bombs was sitting and I didn't like these bombs they were too British bombs with 10 minutes silent fuse. I wanted the German stuff because I didn't know how to use these gadgets but they had the great advantage of having a 10 minute fuse which then was later used in deede on July 20th. A silent few at that time in the German army did not have a silent fuse the fuse in the German army always made a hissing noise. Of course you can't have 10 minutes he sing in the. In the meeting of out of his love I got myself a four point five second fuse of the German hand Grant and I got these people who have the same idea as at the headquarters to fly out to small lengths to get me a German

explosive one kilogram explosive and it was a square block which could easily be fitted into a pocket. I could take it in my pocket and I had constructed this point of Second if you was hissing to sit on it. It went quite well in the pub when one morning Steve Colonel Steve the head of the organisation branch of the general stuff of the Army sent for me and said that the recent attacks on Burlington had unfortunately damaged hopes of the railroad car and they couldn't possibly go through with the stuff in headquarters because they were booked. Then said you have to go back to your battalion which was then between Smolensk and Leningrad and we call you back. OK. Off I went and on the defense of general I was wounded I lost my leg. That was the end of my enterprise. Despite the failure of actual funding Bush's enterprise at this point

midway through the war the military conspirators still held high hopes for success in toppling Hitler. One of the most determined and dynamic of these men was kind of glass fun stuff and as the chief of staff of the home army he had both the rank and position necessary and he was laying careful plans under the code name Operation valor Kiri a contingency plan set up by the Nazis themselves in event of internal revolution. Key generals controlling key troops were alerted including the famous Desert Fox Erwin Rommel a provisional government was drawn up to take control immediately upon Hitler's death and there was little doubt among those involved that death. It must be Fritz who was jailed in 1938 and survived to become a leader of the minority Social Democratic Party in Bonn today explains the feeling in 44.

There was no other choice. It was in the draft. And I think self defense of the nation against Amanda is allowed. Because Hitler normally wore a bulletproof vest a bomb was thought to be the best for the job kind of stuff and decided to do the deed himself. Twice in July he carried a British bomb in his briefcase to meetings with the fuel. But each time something went wrong. On July 20th 1944 another chance came when he was called to a meeting at it was headquarters in East Prussia kind a little Sanda of the headquarters staff talked with both shelf and we're going to have more on the fateful day he was a witness of the bomb explosion. His account from my window I could see you stuff in back I was so scared he was carrying it out Schmall unpleasant bag. Seven times younger physicians to do a gig says bag and stuff Mick

would not lead Sam. He didn't want to attract attention. His was the bag which the bomb was in the meeting took place in Asmara bidding and borrowed a hundred fifty medals for my office. Soon starve make it built he no longer carried his big. So when we heard the expression at this moment going to start back into his car he left this in Southeast seconds of second cousin Meg and his engine and said decision issue and attempt his sexy to say we should know was dead. Perhaps the body of the dead secretary Ben Graham he of the same closes as would look good in court and big pants. Four men were killed in the explosion. Hitler was not one of them. His right arm and his ear drums were injured and he was badly shaken up.

But history credits a large oak table over which he was leaning at the exact moment of the explosion with saving his wife. History also records the fatal actions of the conspirators based on false assumption that Hitler was dead. Nazi leaders were temporarily overcome in Berwyn more than a thousand arrested and powerless. While this was happening however Hitler was not idle because of the close call. He was more convinced than ever of his godlike destiny as the future of the German people. Colonel Sanders a communications officer tells of Hitler's first reactions after the explosion. I was ordered to see it. He asked me who was soon can I be buns of a jewel. I told him a bird to 9:00 said not to be absent later. I did notice that if you look at any walls. He acted as if a gnostic happened. But here's what I had last. If you do it most probably south out of any storm shock and

even ink. I had arranged Italy seeing flightless speech because he was very excited you into speech. But his was nothing new. His kind of excitement was a command for Hitler even before as a nation attempt. Within hours then Hitler's voice was being heard by the people of Germany. The soldiers the workers the loyal Nazis the conspirators. And it meant the end for this last group still struggling to gain control out of Berlin. You know what's going to happen now not really. That's all I want. I don't mind going back I don't think of what Hitler spoke of the plot and its futility. He spoke of his own divine destiny. Most of all he assured the German people of the right and the might of the Nazi regime.