German Resistance Memorial Center - Topic 'The Assassination Attempt of July 20, 1944'


	Topic - Stauffenberg and the Assassination Attempt of July 20, 1944

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The Planning of Operation "Valkyrie"

The conspirators from the civilian and military resistance groups realized that the military leadership could not be induced to act in concert. They concentrated their efforts on eliminating Hitler, gaining control of the military chain of command, and assuming the responsibilities of government in Germany. They made use of plans developed for putting down civil disturbances and insurrections by the foreign slave laborers. These plans provided for entrusting executive power and military authority to the commander of the Reserve Army in such cases.		The second step in launching Operation "Valkyrie."
The conspirators altered these plans, code-named "Valkyrie," several times, adapting them to the respective applicable conditions. With the aid of the "Valkyrie" orders, they intended to gain control of key government, Party, and Wehrmacht offices in Berlin so they could pave the way for the coup throughout Germany and at the front.		Friedrich Olbricht

Hitler's Headquarters "Wolf's Lair" near Rastenburg in East Prussia

In the winter of 1940-41 immediately before the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Hitler established his new headquarters near Rastenburg. During the following years, extensive bunker systems were built, which were sealed off from the rest of the world by restricted areas. The extensive forests of East Prussia, the moors of the surrounding countryside, and the location of the headquarters beyond the range of Allied bombers appeared to offer the greatest possible measure of protection.		Escape route.
As German troops advanced far into the Soviet Union, a second Führer's headquarters was established at Vinnitsa in the Ukraine. The importance of the "Wolf's Lair" in Prussia increased as the Wehrmacht retreated, and the site became Hitler's preferred location. When several attempts to eliminate Hitler by assassination failed in 1943, the conspirators decided to kill him here in the central bastion of his power.		Hitler's headquarters "Wolf's Lair."