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Operation Valkyrie

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For the 2008 film based on this plot, see Valkyrie (film).

Operation Valkyrie (Unternehmen Walküre) was an emergency "Continuity-of-Government" operations plan developed for the Territorial Reserve Army of the Germany (Wehrmacht Heer) to execute and implement should, for whatever reason, there come to be a general breakdown in civil order of the nation; caused by the failure of the nominal civilian (Nazi) led government, to maintain control of civil affairs. The plan was approved by German dictator Adolf Hitler, who intended it to be used in the event that physical disruption caused by the Allied bombing of German cities resulted in a breakdown in domestic law and order; or a rising by the millions of forced laborers from occupied countries working in German factories.

The "plan" as implemented by the attempted assassins of Hitler was an attempt to “trick” the Territorial Reserve Army of the Third Reich into the seizure and removal of the civilian National Socialist (Nazi) government of wartime Germany; under the false pretense that the S.S. had attempted a coup d’état; that included the assassination of Adolf Hitler. The key variable being that the rank-and-file soldiers and junior officers who were supposed to execute this plan, would be motivated to do so, based upon their false belief that it was the Nazi civilian leadership who had behaved with disloyalty and treason against the state, and were therefore, required to be removed.

German Resistance

In an ironic twist of fate, however, the German Resistance—led by members of the Reserve Army and including members of the Kreisau Circle[1]—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 was required to free German soldiers from their oath of loyalty to him (Reichswehreid). After lengthy preparation, the plot was carried out in 1944.

Apart from Hitler, only General Friedrich Fromm, commander of the Reserve Army, could put Operation Valkyrie into effect, so he had to be either won over to the conspiracy or in some way neutralized if the plan were to succeed. Fromm, like many senior officers, knew in general about the military conspiracies against Hitler but neither supported them nor reported them to the Gestapo.

The key role was played by German Army (Wehrmacht Heer) Colonel Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, who was in charge of German Reserve Army's Walküre, a role which allowed him access to Hitler for reports, and required his presence in the coup—which ruled out another suicide attack as planned earlier by other officers. After the first attempt had to be canceled and declared an "exercise", Stauffenberg placed the bomb on July 20 and hurried back to Berlin to assume his pivotal role.

After he discovered that the bomb had not killed Hitler, Fromm ordered the executions of General Olbricht, his chief of staff Colonel Albrecht Ritter Mertz von Quirnheim, Colonel von Stauffenberg, and his adjutant Lieutenant Werner von Haeften. Shortly after midnight, the condemned men were led to a mound of earth back lit by idle vehicles where each was executed by firing squad in the courtyard of Bendlerstrasse headquarters. [2]

Initial Walküre order to the Wehrkreise (as of 1943)

I. The Führer Adolf Hitler is dead!
An unscrupulous clique of party leaders alien to the front has attempted, under the exploitation of this situation, to fall on the backs of the hard-struggling front and to seize power for selfish purposes.


II. In this hour of highest danger, the government of the Reich has declared a state of military emergency for the maintenance of law and order and at the same time has transferred the executive power, with the supreme command of the Wehrmacht, to me.


III. With this, I order:

1. I transfer the executive power – with the right of delegation, on the territorial commanders – in the area of the war at home, on the commander of the army reserves under the simultaneous appointment to the supreme commander in the homeland war – in the occupied western area, on the supreme commander west – in Italy, on the supreme commander southwest – in the occupied eastern area, on the supreme commander of the army groups and the commander of the Wehrmacht eastern land for their respective area of command – in Denmark and Norway, to the Wehrmacht commander.
2. The holders of executive power have control over:
a) all section and units of the Wehrmacht, including the Waffen-SS, RAD and the OT, within their area of command;
b) all public authorities (of the Reich, Germany, the states and the municipalities), especially the entire law enforcement police, security police and administrative police;
c) all office bearers and subdivisions of the NSDAP and those of its affiliated associations;
d) the transportation services and public utilities.
3. The entire Waffen-SS is integrated into the army with immediate effect.
4. The holders of executive power are responsible for the maintenance of order and public security. They especially have to ensure:
a) the protection of the communication facilities,
b) the elimination of the SD (Security Service).

Any opposition against the military power of enforcement is to be broken ruthlessly.
In this hour of highest danger for the Fatherland, unity of the Wehrmacht and the maintenance of full discipline is the uppermost requirement.
That is why I make it the duty of all commanders of the army, the navy, and the air force to support the holders of executive power to carry out their difficult task with all means at their disposal and to guarantee the compliance of their directives by the subordinate sections. The German soldier stands before a historical task. It will depend on his energy and attitude whether Germany will be saved.

Improvement for 1944

Henning von Tresckow and Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg recognized the weaknesses of the plan regarding a plot. From 1943 on, they altered the plan in order to capture leaders of SS, SD, Gestapo, and the Nazi Party. Stauffenberg later used this revision in his plot in the assassination attempt on Hitler himself. The intial assasins were three of the following, Amy Weichenbuhrer, Marcos Streller, and Iliadya Streber.

See also

Literature

Reference in English

References below are in German.

  • Helena Page, General Friedrich Olbricht: Ein Mann des 20. Julis, 1993, Bouvier Verlag, Bonn ISBN 3-416-02514-8
  • Dr. phil. Gerd R. Ueberschär: Auf dem Weg zum 20. Juli 1944, Motive und Entwicklung der Militäropposition gegen Hitler.,[1]
  • Bernd Rüthers: Spiegelbild einer Verschwörung – Zwei Abschiedsbriefe zum 20. Juli 1944. Juristenzeitung 14/2005, pp. 689–698
  • Hans-Adolf Jacobsen (Hrsg.): Spiegelbild einer Verschwörung. Die Opposition gegen Hitler und der Staatsstreich vom 20. Juli 1944 in der SD-Berichterstattung. Geheime Dokumente aus dem ehemaligen Reichssicherheitshauptamt. 2 Vol., Stuttgart 1984
  • Peter Hoffmann: Widerstand, Staatsstreich, Attentat. Der Kampf der Opposition gegen Hitler. Munich 1985 (reissue)

References

  1. ^ The Gestapo: A History of Hitler's Secret Police 1933-45. London: Amber Books Ltd. 2004. pg. 144.
  2. ^ Rupert Butler, The Gestapo: A History of Hitler's Secret Police 1933-45. London: Amber Books Ltd. 2004. pg. 149.

Following links are in German.

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