Due to Hitler’s pro-war attitude and anti-Semitic views, it caused many Germans to turn against the regime, however there were still supporters that preferred Hitler’s way to the previous Kaiser. To gain more support, Hitler used methods of propaganda such as the radio and indoctrination in schools resulting in the majority of youngsters exposed to his views and conforming.
The bomb plot was an opposition force which had the biggest impact. General Von Stauffenberg was the main focus on the attempt to kill Hitler. In April 1944 Von Stauffenberg was appointed to assist the chief of the German Army which enabled Stauffenberg to infiltrate the briefings that Hitler was involved in. On the 20th July Stauffenberg attended a meeting where Hitler was chair. At 12:30 pm Stauffenberg left a bomb in a suitcase underneath the table and left the headquarters but became unaware of the fact that once detonated, Hitler was till alive with only minor injuries whilst four had died and many more were hurt.
As a result of the failed attempt, Hitler had efficiently tracked down the conspirators and had them executed by a firing squad. He also ordered for anyone remotely related to the members of the Beck –Goerdeler group to be arrested and some executed. Others involved in the bomb plot were promptly arrested and had trials in the ‘People’s Court’. Judge Roland Freisler, who purposefully humiliated them to then sentence them to a gruesome death, ruled the trial.
Subsequently, in August 1944 the SS put in force ‘Operation Thunderstorm’, resulting in the arrest of 5,000 former Nazi Party ministers along with party officials from various sections of the political scale, some who were later to be found innocent to having had any input into the Von Stauffenberg bomb plot.
Four months later on the 22nd December 1944, the Nazis produced the, ‘National Socialist Leadership Officers’ made up of officers who had been in the German army. Hitler made a final demand to the army high command in western Europe which was the Nero Order, instructing the German army to demolish all industrial plants and machinery due to the retreated never being put into place.
The number of people who had been executed and arrested after the bomb plot is still only an estimate but thousands of the opponents were killed because the plot had failed.
The Nazi response was had greatly effected the German people, mainly the opposition groups had been effected by the outcome and its consequences. Hitler then imposed sanctions prohibiting the continuation of opposition groups.
Any expectation of overthrowing Hitler had been crushed by the failure of the bomb plot. Owing to the fact it was the Beck –Goerdeler group was the biggest and most powerful opposition group. The plot also allowed Hitler to become more aware and therefore damage other resistance to his regime.
In conclusion, the failed attempt of the July Bomb Plot had marked an end to any sort of effective resistance force against the Nazi regime. However, the bomb plot was a mini revolutionary attempt that would have almost certainly drastically re-written history, for instance, the holocaust. The bomb plot may have weakened Hitler physically but allowed him to clearly see where things were going wrong for him within Germany, and therefore making him aware of conflict and enabling to rid of it. It encouraged Hitler to try and regain complete power over the Germans and build up his support.