Assess the relative importance of the reasons why the July 1944 Bomb Plot to assassinate Hitler was unsuccessful

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Assess the relative importance of the reasons why the July 1944 Bomb Plot to assassinate Hitler was unsuccessful.

This question focuses on an evaluation of the significant factors that resulted in a

failed coup d’etat, which involved an attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler on the 20th 

July 1944. For the purpose of this essay a coup d’etat may be interpreted as; ‘ a

sudden overthrowing of government and seizure of power by others’ and assessing the

‘relative importance’ refers to evaluating the weight of factors in comparison to one

another.  In order to assess the relative importance of the reasons for the unsuccessful

 event, it is essential to consider the failure to eliminate Hitler, the failure to cut off

the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) from Berlin, the difficulties of communication for the

plotters in a police state, the lack of unity amongst opponents of the Nazi regime, the

impact of the army oath of loyalty to Hitler, the effect of the systems of

Gleichschaaltung, Germany at war making opposition hopeless, and finally other

factors involved in the failure of the Bomb Plot. However before assessing these

possible factors causing failure, it is necessary to outline the background to the July,

1944, Bomb Plot.

By 1944 the war had turned crucially in favour of the allies and as a result, the

German High Commanders thought it fundamental that the war be brought to an end

as soon as possible. A plan was devised, primarily to assassinate Hitler, neutralise the

SS and the remains of the Nazi leadership and to finally replace the existing

government with a provisional one, with powers to hopefully end the war through

negotiation. The conspirators involved in the plot were a group of high-ranking

Wehrmacht officers serving on the Russian front, they key leaders including Henning

von Tresckow, Friedrich Olbricht and Karl von Stulpnagel. However it was Claus von

Stauffenberg in particular who gave the plotters a sense of moral purpose and the

enthusiasm needed in order for it to have a chance of success. Stauffenberg was

essential to the plot as he frequently attended the Fuhrers headquarters, the

Wolfscchanze (Wolf’s Lair) at Rastenberg, and since it became clear that Hitler’s

death was the key to the entire plot, he offered to carry out the assassination attempt

himself. Hitler arranged a conference at the Wolfscchanze on 20th July 1944. The

meeting was planned to take place in a wooden hut. Von Stauffenberg arrived with a

briefcase containing a bomb at 10am and after greeting the Fuhrer, he placed the

 briefcase beneath the conference table, at which the Fuhrer was present and made an

excuse to leave the room. Von Stauffneberg heard the explosion and was convinced

Hitler was dead. Assuming this, he immediately travelled to Berlin, unaware that an

officer had moved the briefcase and in effect saved Hitler’s life. Oblivious to this,

once in Berlin, Stauffenberg persuaded the conspirators to put their operation plans

for a coup into motion. However it shortly became apparent that their plans had not

been sufficiently organised which caused chaos which turned to panic once it was

realised Hitler was alive and the SS were moving to restore order. By midnight on

20th July, Nazi authority had been restored in Berlin.  Having described the plot it is

essential to assess the causes of the unsuccessful plot beginning with the failure to

eliminate Hitler.      

       

The Bomb plot failed in terms of assassinating Adolf Hitler, as he did in fact

survive, due to a number of factors. On the morning of 20th July, 1944, von

Stauffenberg set the timer of the bomb in his brief-case and situated it beneath the

table in the conference room, close to Hitler. Shortly after he made an excuse to

depart the room on the pretext of answering a telephone call. The briefcase was

unintentionally pushed by another German officer further away from Hitler and this

move, in effect saved Hitler’s life, who was thus shielded from the full blast and

survived with only minor physical injuries. This is a fair comment, since had the

 briefcase remained in its origional location, the explosion would have had a more

powerful effect and Hitler would not have had any form of protection and would

therefore have been killed. Thus this is a logical and valid source that has been

supported by many others.

Von Stauffenberg in fact had two bombs in his briefcase to begin with, however he

only had enough time to detonate one – the second was placed into the briefcase of

Haeften, a fellow conspirator. This was a decisive moment since if the second

explosive device had been placed in von Stuaffenberg’s briefcase along with the first,

it would have been detonated by the explosion, thus doubling the effect. In such

circumstances it is highly unlikely anyone within the conference room would have

survived. Furthermore had the conference taken place in the underground concrete

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bunker, where early afternoon conferences were regularly held, Hitler certainly would

have been killed by the concussive force of the bomb. These three examples

demonstrate that even with the conspirator’s plans, there was room for error, which

did in fact occur.  

The plot depended on two conditions, primarily the successful assassination of Hitler

followed by prompt, determined action in Berlin. The first of these conditions had

already been invalidated but von Stauffenberg who left the Fuhrer’s headquarters was

oblivious to this and was in fact convinced ...

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