July 20, 1944 : Operation Valkyrie and the July Plot to Assassinate Hitler.
Operation Valkyrie (German: Operation Walküre) was an emergency continuity of government operations plan developed in Nazi Germany for the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in case of a general breakdown in civil order of the nation. Failure of the government to maintain control of civil affairs could be caused by the Allied bombing of German cities, or a rising of millions of foreign forced laborers working in German factories.
German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) officers General Friedrich Olbricht, Major General Henning von Tresckow, and Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg modified the plan with the intention of using it to take control of German cities, disarm the SS, and arrest the Nazi leadership once Hitler had been assassinated in the July 20 Plot. Hitler's death (as opposed to his arrest) was required to free German soldiers from their oath of loyalty to him (Reichswehreid). After lengthy preparation, the plot was carried out in 1944, but failed.
General Helmuth Stieff, Chief of Organization in Army High Command, volunteered to be the assassin but later backed away. Tresckow attempted several times to be assigned to Hitler's headquarters without success. At least six attempts were aborted . Finally, Stauffenberg decided to carry out both the assassination attempt and the Valkyrie operation on July 20, 1944.
It was decided to drop plans to kill Goering and Himmler at the same time. which greatly reduced the chance of success. After two abortive attempts, Stauffenberg, who had never met Hitler before, carried the bomb in a briefcase and placed it on the floor and hurried back to Berlin to assume his pivotal role. The bomb exploded killing four men in the hut. Hitler's right arm was badly injured but he survived the bomb blast.
For his involvement in the movement he was shot shortly after the failed attempt. It was later reported the Stauffenberg died shouting "Long live holy Germany".
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