Just finished reading "Valkyrie", the story of the last living member of the plot to assassinate Hitler. It is a translation from the original French publication. I read the book over two days, unable to put it down. It would make a great basis for a movie.
His name was Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager and he passed away in 2008. He was from a landed aristocratic family and grew up with horses so it was natural for him to be a Cavalry Officer, as was his brother. Many of his fellow Officers were from the same sort of privileged backgrounds with the vaunted "von" in their names. He was Jesuit educated and an unabashed Catholic when it was not popular to profess it in the Wehrmacht. They were regarded with suspicion as latent socialists.
Almost to a man, they were not Nazi supporters, but he admits that by the time it was widely known about the death camps and the excesses of the SS and SD, the German High Command had turned a blind eye. That made them complicit. When the Hitler salute became mandatory, they disobeyed the order amongst their own ranks.
I was previously unaware of the role Cavalry and horses played in the German war machine. It was far more extensive than I had thought. They were uses in a quick response role to cover retreats and generally cause havoc amongst the Russians as well as the traditional recce role. They could move when other transport was immobilized by mud, snow and lack of petrol.
When it became apparent as early as 1942 that Germany was not going to win the war, the plot began to formulate as Officers learned whoi they could trust with their plans. By 1943 the nucleus of plotters was well established and well connected at the highest levels. Even when it was obvious the war was grinding down they decided that Hitler had to go to save as many lives as possible, show the best side of German military honour and look toward the best possible conditions for surrender.
Because of his connections, he was able to secure an issue of MP 43s (first issue of the MP 44 STG) for his troops which he attributes for their overall effectiveness fighting dismounted.
His a$$ and that of his higher ranking brother were vulnerable to being exposed, but the plotters who were tortured and executed refused to give them up. They escaped Hitler's retribution by the skin of their teeth.
Every German city I ever visited had a "von Stauffenberg Strasse" named after the plotter that actually planted the bomb at the table that only wounded Hitler, but his role was minor in comparison to that played by others. There were at least three other failed attempts.
His name was Philipp Freiherr von Boeselager and he passed away in 2008. He was from a landed aristocratic family and grew up with horses so it was natural for him to be a Cavalry Officer, as was his brother. Many of his fellow Officers were from the same sort of privileged backgrounds with the vaunted "von" in their names. He was Jesuit educated and an unabashed Catholic when it was not popular to profess it in the Wehrmacht. They were regarded with suspicion as latent socialists.
Almost to a man, they were not Nazi supporters, but he admits that by the time it was widely known about the death camps and the excesses of the SS and SD, the German High Command had turned a blind eye. That made them complicit. When the Hitler salute became mandatory, they disobeyed the order amongst their own ranks.
I was previously unaware of the role Cavalry and horses played in the German war machine. It was far more extensive than I had thought. They were uses in a quick response role to cover retreats and generally cause havoc amongst the Russians as well as the traditional recce role. They could move when other transport was immobilized by mud, snow and lack of petrol.
When it became apparent as early as 1942 that Germany was not going to win the war, the plot began to formulate as Officers learned whoi they could trust with their plans. By 1943 the nucleus of plotters was well established and well connected at the highest levels. Even when it was obvious the war was grinding down they decided that Hitler had to go to save as many lives as possible, show the best side of German military honour and look toward the best possible conditions for surrender.
Because of his connections, he was able to secure an issue of MP 43s (first issue of the MP 44 STG) for his troops which he attributes for their overall effectiveness fighting dismounted.
His a$$ and that of his higher ranking brother were vulnerable to being exposed, but the plotters who were tortured and executed refused to give them up. They escaped Hitler's retribution by the skin of their teeth.
Every German city I ever visited had a "von Stauffenberg Strasse" named after the plotter that actually planted the bomb at the table that only wounded Hitler, but his role was minor in comparison to that played by others. There were at least three other failed attempts.
