Showing posts with label German Resistance Movements. Show all posts
Showing posts with label German Resistance Movements. Show all posts

Monday, April 28, 2025

Saturday, April 28, 1945. The fate of the fascists.

From Uncle Mike:

April 28-30, 1945: The Ends of the Dictators

Mike is covering two fateful days ine one post, April 28, when Mussolini was executed by Italian Partisans, and April 30, when Hitler killed himself.  In both instances they took a "significant other" with them, in Mussolini's case, that being his current mistress, Clara Petacci, age 33.

Mussolini and Petacci had been caught trying to cross into Switzerland by partisans, who executed them the following day.  They were shot, and then their bodies hung upside down.

Mussolini had been the first of the fascist dictators to hold power.  There had always been opposition to the one time socialist turned fascist, but armed Italian opposition only came about after the Allies had landed on Italian territory.  As with France, whose resistance swelled as it became obvious that the Allies would land, Italian opposition was heavily dominated by the far left, but there were other elements in it as well.  Mussolini, as already noted, had once been a member of the far left as well, and it's probable, frankly, that amongst those who watched and cheered his death were those who had once cheered him.

Often missed, Nicola Bombacci, Alessandro Pavolini and Achille Starace were also executed at the same time. Nicola Bombacci was an Italian Marxist revolutionary and later a fascist politician.  The others were prominent fascists.


Like Eva Braun, there's little to note about Petacci, other than that she was loyal, like Braun, to her dictator until death.  In Mussolini's case, that was not true of his spouse, whom he left when he left.

The U.S. Fifth Army took Alessandria and Vicenza.

Hitler ordered Himmler to be arrested, learning of his effort to make a deal in the West.

German and Soviet troops fought on in Berlin, where the Red Army was within a mile of the Fuhrerbunker.

The eccentric Rupprecht Gerngroß lead a military uprising against the Nazis in Munich, which failed.

Teh U-56 was sunk in an RAF raid on Kiel.

Hitler's brother in law, notorious SS figure Hermann Fegelein, was executed.  He was planning on taking off with what he could.

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Sunday, April 15, 1945. Race to Berlin.

The Zhukov-Konev Race to Berlin began.

The British 11th Armored Division liberated Bergen-Belsen under an April 12 agreement to allow the Germans to surrender the camp without resistance.

The 1st Canadian Army captured Arnhem.

A Japanese air raid destroyed many US aircraft on the ground on Okinawa.

Task Force 58 launched fighter sweeps over Kyushu, shooting down 29 Japanese aircraft and destroying 59 on the ground.

Franklin Roosevelt was interred at Hyde Park.

The F-82 Twin Mustang had its first flight.

The U-285, U-1063 and U-1235 were sunk by Allied warships in the North Atlantic.

Joachim Albrecht Eggeling,age  60, German Nazi Gauleiter committed suicide, something that was becoming something of an epidemic amongst Nazi officials.

Gen. Friedrich von Rabenau,  age 60, former German officer and Lutheran pastor was executed at Flossenbürg concentration camp for his minor role in the July 20 plot.  He had been retired due to his Christian beliefs in 1942.

Last edition:

Saturday, April 14, 1945. Operation Teardrop.

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Monday, April 9, 1945. The End of B-17 Production.

"Tankmen of the 781st Tank Battalion, supporting the 100th Infantry Division, relax while awaiting the construction of a new bridge across the Neckar River in Heilbronn, Germany. The former pontoon bridge put in by the engineers was knocked out by effective and accurate artillery fire. 9 April, 1945.  781st Tank Battalion, 100th Infantry Division."

Photographer: T/4 Irving Leibowitz, 163rd Signal Photo Co.

The Battle of Königsberg ended in a Red Army victory.

The Japanese invaded west Hunan.

The Battle of Bologna began in Italy.

The Australian Z Special Force began Operation Opossum with the goal of rescuing the Sultan of Ternate from Ternate Island in Indonesia.

The RAF sank the Admiral Scheer, the U-804, U-843 and the U-1065.

B-17 production stopped in Seattle.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, age 39, German Lutheran pastor; Wilhelm Canaris, age 58, German admiral; Ludwig Gehre, age 49, German officer; Hans Oster, age 57, German major general; Karl Sack, age 48, German jurist; and Theodor Strünck, age 50, German lawyer, and  Johann Georg Elser, age 42, were executed by the German government.

Last edition:

Sunday, April 8, 1945. Cebu City.

Sunday, February 2, 2025

Friday, February 2, 1945. Malta concludes, FDR and Churchill depart for Yalta. German murders.

The Malta Conference ended.  Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to withdraw two divisions from Greece and three from Italy to commit them to northwest Europe.

They left for Yalta.

The Vistula–Oder Offensive ended in Soviet victory with a voluntary halt of the Red Army.  Curiously, the Red Army was only 43 miles from Berlin, and the city was undefended.

The liberation of Auschwitz was mentioned for the first time, in Pravda, which failed to note that the inmates were mostly Jewish.

German politician Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was hung for his role in the July 20 plot.

Catholic Priest Fr Alfred Delp was executed as well.

Adoration of God is the road that leads man to himself.

Fr. Alfred Delp,

Soviet POWs made a mass escape from the Mauthausen concentration camp.

"Snow-caped infantrymen the 60th Inf. Regt., 9th Inf. Div., U.S. First Army, move towards Dedenborn, Germany, as Nazis retreat during heavy fighting on this sector. 2 February, 1945.
60th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. Photographer: Linden, 165th Signal Photo Co."

Lt. Jack L. Knight, a cavalryman of the Mars Task Force performed the actions which resulted in his being awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor while in combat at LoiKang, Burma.
He led his cavalry troop against heavy concentrations of enemy mortar, artillery, and small arms fire. After taking the troop's objective and while making preparations for a defense, he discovered a nest of Japanese pillboxes and foxholes to the right front. Preceding his men by at least 10 feet, he immediately led an attack. Single-handedly he knocked out 2 enemy pillboxes and killed the occupants of several foxholes. While attempting to knock out a third pillbox, he was struck and blinded by an enemy grenade. Although unable to see, he rallied his platoon and continued forward in the assault on the remaining pillboxes. Before the task was completed he fell mortally wounded. 1st Lt. Knight's gallantry and intrepidity were responsible for the successful elimination of most of the Japanese positions and served as an inspiration to officers and men of his troop.
Last edition:

Thursday, January 23, 2025

Tuesday, January 23, 1945. St. Vith taken by the Allies.

"Troops of the 7th Armored Division on the lookout for snipers in the littered streets of St. Vith, Luxembourg. 23 January, 1945. Company G, 23rd Armored Infantry Battalion, 7th Armored Division."


Photographer: T/5 Hugh F. McHugh, 165th Signal Photo Co.

The last major German stronghold in the Ardennes, St. Vith, fell to the US 4th Army.

German lawyer and nobleman Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was executed for his membership in hte Kreisau Circle.  He was 37.

The 20th Indian Division in Burma took Myinmu.

The US 14th Corps took Bamban in the Philippines.

Last edition:

Monday, January 22, 1945. Relentless.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Tuesday, November 14, 1944. The death of Leigh-Mallory.

Sarah Sundin's blog has a bunch of interesting items:

Today in World War II History—November 14, 1939 & 1944: 80 Years Ago: British Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory dies in plane crash in the Alps. French First Army opens assault toward Belfort Gap in France


Leigh-Mallory was a lawyer by training and had just applied to be a barrister after obtaining his education when the Great War broke out.  He immediately joined the British Army and transferred to the Royal Flying Corps in 1916.  He thought of resuming his legal career after the war, but regarded his chances of having a successful legal career as poor in the post war United Kingdom, so he stayed in the RAF.

He was intensely Christian, although very private, and donated a portion of his salary to charity, something that was not widely known during his life.  In a private writing, he intimated that he'd seen the ghost of  women's right campaigner Emily Langton Massingberd at Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire, a building he subsequently intervened in order to prevent its destruction during the Second World War.

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia was founded in Prague, with the sponsorship of Nazi Germany.

Had such an organization existed earlier in the war, and been sincere, it might have achieved something.  Of course, in reality, liberating the Russian people was never something the Germans had in mind. Quite the opposite was the case.

As its first act, it adopted a manifesto, which read:

MANIFESTO

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia

Dear compatriots! Brothers and Sisters!

In an hour of difficult trials we must decide the fate of our Motherland, our peoples, our personal fate.

Humanity is undergoing an epoch of tremendous upheavals. The ongoing world war is a deadly fight of opposing political systems.

Fighting are the powers of imperialism headed by the plutocrats of England and the USA, the greatness of which is built upon the persecution and exploitation of other nations and peoples. Fighting are the powers of internationalism headed by the clique of Stalin, dreaming of a world revolution and the destruction of the national independence of other countries and peoples. Fighting are freedom loving nations, thirsting to live their own life, directed by their personal historical and national development.

There is no greater crime than to destroy, as Stalin is doing, countries and suppress peoples, who are trying to preserve the land of their ancestors and with their personal effort create upon it their own happiness. There is no greater crime than to persecute another nation and force one’s will upon it.

The powers of destruction and enslavement are covering their criminal aims with slogans of defense of freedom, democracy, culture, and civilization. Under the defense of freedom they understand the forceful pushing of their political system onto other governments. Under the defense of culture and civilization they understand the destruction of monuments to culture and civilization that were created by the millennial efforts of other peoples.

For what are the peoples of Russia fighting in this war? For what are they condemned to countless sacrifices and sufferings?

Two years ago Stalin could still fool the peoples with words about the patriotic liberational character of the war. But now the Red Army has crossed the state borders of the USSR and has broken into Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Hungary, and is drowning with blood foreign lands. Now the true character of the war dragged on by the Bolsheviks is clear. Its aim – to strengthen even more the lordship of the Stalinist tyranny over the peoples of the USSR, to establish this lordship throughout the entire world.

The peoples of Russia have for over a quarter of a century experienced upon themselves the weight of the Bolshevik tyranny.

In the revolution of 1917, the peoples that inhabited the Russian empire tried to seek a realization of their desires for fairness, general well-being, and national freedom. They rebelled against the outlived tsarist government, which did not want to nor was capable of destroying the reasons that created social unfairness, the remnants of serfdom, economic and cultural backwardness. But the party and leaders, who did not decide upon the brave and effective reforms after the overthrow of tsarism by the peoples of Russia in February of 1917, with their two faced politics, conciliatory attitude, and lack of desire to take upon themselves responsibility for the future – did not justify itself before the people. The people naturally went behind those who promised them an immediate peace, land, freedom, and bread, who put out the most radical slogans.

The people are not guilty for the fact that the party of Bolsheviks, having promised to establish public order, under which the people would be happy and in who’s name were brought countless victims – that this party, having taken power, by the people’s hands, not only did not fulfill the demands of the people but eventually strengthening its apparatus of power took from the people their fought for rights, placed them into constant neediness, lack of rule, and the most irresponsible exploitation.

The Bolsheviks took from the peoples of Russia their right for national independence, development, and originality.

The Bolsheviks took from the people the freedom of speech, freedom of conviction, freedom of privacy, freedom to choose one’s place of residence and freedom of movement, freedom of planning and opportunity for each person to take their place in society in relation to their abilities. They substituted these rights with terror, party privileges and arbitrariness, committed against the person.

The Bolsheviks took from the farmers the land they fought for, the right to freely labor on land and freely use the fruits of their labor. Having cuffed the farmers with their kolhoz organization, the Bolsheviks turned them into servants of the government without rights, more exploited and repressed.

The Bolsheviks took from the workers their right to freely choose a profession and place of work, to organize and fight for better conditions and compensation for their labor, to influence production and made workers into slaves of government capitalism without rights.

The Bolsheviks took away from the intelligencia the right to freely create for the benefit of the people and tried to use force, terror, and bribery to make it a weapon of their lying propaganda.

The Bolsheviks condemned the people of our motherland to constant poverty, hunger, and dying out, to a spiritual and physical enslavement and, finally, forced them into a war for alien interests.

All of this is masked by lies about the democracy of the Stalin constitution, about the construction of a socialist society. Not one country in the world did not know and does not know such a low living standard in the face of such large material resources, such lawlessness and denigration of the person, as this was and remains in the Bolshevik system.

The peoples of Russia disbelieved Bolshevism, in the face of which the government is an all consuming machine, while the people – its rights deprived, destitute, and overall deprived slave. They see the serious danger that is hanging over them. If Bolshevism could at least temporarily establish itself on the blood and bones of the peoples of Europe, the many year battle of the peoples of Russia that cost countless sacrifices would be fruitless. Bolshevism would use the exhaustion of peoples in this war and finally deprive them of the capability to resist. Therefore the efforts of all peoples should be directed at the destruction of the monstrous machine of Bolshevism and on the offering of rights to every person to live and create freely, in scope of their strength and capabilities, for the establishment of order, defending a person from arbitrary rule and not permitting the theft of the results of one’s labor by anyone, including the government.

COMING FROM THIS, THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA, IN FULL UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY BEFORE THEIR PEOPLES, BEFORE HISTORY AND ANCESTRY, WITH THE AIM OF ORGANIZING THEIR GENERAL BATTLE AGAINST BOLSHEVISM: CREATED THE COMMITTEE FOR THE LIBERATION OF THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA.

The aims of the Committee of Liberation of the Peoples of Russia are:

a. The overthrow of Stalin's tyranny, the liberation of the peoples of Russia from the Bolshevik system, and the restitution of those rights to the peoples of Russia which they fought for and won in the people's revolution of 1917

b. Discontinuation of the war and an honorable peace with Germany

c. Creation of a new free people's political system without Bolsheviks and exploiters

As the basis for a new government for the peoples of Russia the committee places the following major principles:

1) The equality of all peoples of Russia and a real right for national development, self determination, self rule, and governmental independence.

2) The confirmation of a popular worker front, before which the interests of the government are subordinate to the goals of raising the well-being and development of the nation.

3) The preservation of peace and the establishment of peaceful relations with all nations of the world, an all round development of international collaboration.

4) Wide ranging government actions for the strengthening of the family and marriage. A true equality for women.

5) The liquidation of forced labor and the granting to the laborers a real right to free labor which creates their material well-being, the confirmation of a wage for all types of labor in an amount that can support an appropriate standard of living.

6) The liquidation of collective farms, the free return of land to the private ownership of farmers. The freedom to determine labor land usage. The freedom to use the products of one’s personal labor, the abolishment of forced requisitions, and the cancellation of all debts to the Soviet government.

7) The establishment of protected private labor ownership. The reestablishment of trade, crafts, domestic industry, the granting of the right of private initiative and an opportunity for it to participate in the economic life of the nation.

8) Granting the intelligencia the opportunity to freely create for the well-being of their people.

9) Granting social justice and defense of laborers from any exploitation, regardless of their origin and former activities.

10) The creation for all without exception the real right for free education, medical care, vacation, and senior welfare.

11) The destruction of the regime of terror and force. Liquidation of forceful repopulations and mass exiles. The establishment of a true freedom of religion, conscience, speech, assembly, press. A guarantee of the protection of person, property, and home. The equality of all before the law, the independence and clarity of the court.

12) The liberation of political opponents of Bolshevism and the return to the motherland from the jails and camps of all who were repressed for their battle against Bolshevism. No revenge and persecution for those who stop their battle for Stalin and Bolshevism, regardless of whether this was done by necessity or by conviction.

13) The reestablishment of national property ruined during the war – cities, villages, factories, and plants at cost to the government.

14) Government support of invalids of the war and their families.

The destruction of Bolshevism is the uncompromised aim of all progressive powers. The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia is certain that the united efforts of the peoples of Russia will find support amidst all free loving peoples of the world.

The Liberation Movement of the Peoples of Russia is a continuation of a many years long battle against Bolshevism, for freedom, peace, and fairness. The successful completion of this battle is now provided for by:

a) The accumulation of greater experience than during that of the revolution of 1917.

b) The accumulation of growing and organized military forces – the Russian Liberation Army, the Ukrainian Liberation Forces, Cossack forces and national detachments

c) The accumulation of anti-Bolshevik armed forces in the Soviet rear.

d) The accumulation of growing oppositional powers within the people, government apparatus, and army of the USSR.

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia sees the main condition for victory over Bolshevism in the UNITY OF ALL NATIONAL FORCES AND SUBORDINATION TO THE COMMON TASK OF OVERTHROWING THE BOLSHEVIK POWER. This is why the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia supports all revolutionary and anti-Stalin, anti-Bolshevik opposition while at the same time decisively rejecting all reactionary projects that are tied to the suppression of the people’s rights.

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia welcomes the assistance of Germany on those conditions that do not affect the honor and independence of our motherland. This help is currently the only realistic opportunity to organize an armed struggle against the Stalinist clique.

With our battle we have taken upon ourselves the responsibility for the fate of the peoples of Russia. With us are millions of the best sons of our motherland, having taken up arms and already having shown their courage and readiness to give their life in the name of liberating our motherland from Bolshevism. With us are millions of people who left from Bolshevism and are giving their efforts to the common cause of battle. With us are tens of millions of brothers and sisters, suffering under the oppression of the Stalinist tyranny and awaiting the hour of liberation.

Officers and soldiers of the Liberation forces! With the blood spilt in our joint struggle, our battle friendship with warriors of different nationalities has been strengthened. We have a common cause. We must also have a common effort. ONLY THE UNITY OF ALL ARMED ANTI-BOLSHEVIK FORCES OF THE PEOPLES OF RUSSIA WILL LEAD TO VICTORY. Do not drop from your hands the arms you have received, fight for unity, selflessly fight with the enemies of the people – Bolshevism and its associates. Remember, you are being expected by the tortured peoples of Russia. Liberate them!

Compatriots, brothers and sisters who are located in Europe! Your return to the motherland as citizens with full rights can only be possible with the victory over Bolshevism. You are in the millions. Upon you hinges the success of battle. Remember, that you are working for a common cause, for the heroic liberation forces. Multiply your efforts and your feats of labor!

Officers and soldiers of the Red Army! Cease the criminal war that is aimed at the oppression of the peoples of Europe. Turn your weapons against the Bolshevik usurpers who have enslaved the peoples of Russia and condemned them to hunger, suffering, and lawlessness.

Brothers and sisters in the motherland! Strengthen your battle against the Stalinist tyranny, against the occupational war. Organize your powers for a decisive fight for your rights that have been taken away, for fairness and well-being.

The Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia calls you all to unity and to a battle for peace and freedom!

PRAGUE, NOVEMBER 14, 1944

The chairman of the Committee for the Liberation of the Peoples of Russia

General Lieutenant A. Vlasov

The committee never encompassed all of the Russian groups then aligned with the Germans, and was iself oddly mixed, with some members being Communists.  Andrey Vlasov was the movements head, and was not trusted by the Germans, for good reason.  Late in the war, the armed expression of the movement would switch sides and fight against the Germans at Prague.

Vlasov, like Stalin, had started off as a Russian Orthodox seminary student but dropped out of that pursuit after the Russian Revolution and joined the Reds during the Russian Civil War.  He became a Communist in 1930 and was a Soviet military advisor to Chiang Kai-shek.  He was captured by the Germans in 1942 and was recruited to the anti Soviet side.  His opposition to Stalin's rule was sincere.  He was executed by the Soviets in 1946.

Norway's government in exile in the UK announced that Norwegian troops were operating alongside of Soviet troops in the country's far north.

92,000 Ahiska Turks were forcefully deported from the Meskheti region of Georgia by the Soviet Union.

German resistance members Walter Cramer, Bernhard Letterhaus and Ferdinand von Lüninck were hanged at Plötzensee Prison in Berlin.

The Aktsu Maru was sunk by the USS Queenfish.

Last edition:

Monday, November 13, 1944. Air service returns to London.

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Thursday, July 20, 1944. The July 20 Plot.

Henning von Tresckow, who was the real mastermind behind the plot.  He'd been opposed to the Nazis as early as 1934.  By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1976-130-53 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5482859.

Conservative German politician Carl Friedrich Goerdeler who was to have been the new German Chancellor.  He did not hold up under questioning.  By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1993-069-06 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5483573

The best known, and last known, attempt on Hitler's life took place.  In this instance, as had been the case for the attempt a few days earlier, the effort was part of a full blown coup attempt centered around Claus von Stauffenberg placing a bomb in a location calculated to kill Hitler, while the German Home Army was deployed to arrest Nazi officials and decapitate the SS, while similar efforts took place in various locations occupied by Germany.

Hitler shaking hands with Bodenschatz, accompanied by Stauffenberg (left) and Keitel (right) on July 15, 1944, when von Stauffenberg had attempted a prior effort as part of the same plot. By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1984-079-02 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5483227

The effort centered on von Stauffenberg setting a bomb off in a bunker at the Wolf's Lair, but upon arriving, he found that it had been moved to a meeting room due to the high heat of the day.

At 12:30 p.m. von Stauffenberg, excused himself to ostensibly use a washroom at the Wolf's Lair, where a meeting with Hitler was taking place, basing his request on his sweat soaked shirt.  He there crushed the time pencils on one of two bombs he had with him, returned to the meeting room, and placed a satchel with the bombs in it under a heavy desk.  

A co conspirator called for him, and he left the room.  The bomb detonated at 12:42.  A stenographer was killed and 20 officers injured, with three later dying.  Hitler was unharmed.

General der Nachrichtentruppe Erich Fellgiebel, who was in on the plot and in charge of communications from the Wolf's Lair.  He informed the plotters that Hitler had not been killed.  Hitler had never trusted Fellgiebel, but he was an expert at communications technology and had urged the adoption of the Enigma machine.  He was arrested and tortured due to his role in the plot, but did not reveal the names of his co conspirators.  He was executed in September 1944. He was 57 years old.

Fritz Thiele, whom Fellgiebel nformed of Hitler's survival in a somewhat coded call.  He wanted to call the coup attempt off after the call.  He also was executed due to his role in it.

Von Stauffenberg, believing Hitler dead, departed the scene and boarded a HE 111 for Berlin at 13:00.  It reached Berlin at 16:00.  Gen. Erich Fellgiebel had already phoned the plotters that Hitler had survived, which von Stauffenberg contradicted upon his landing.  Orders went out for Operation Valkyrie to commence, which should have gone out hours earlier, that being the deployment of the Reserve Army and other units, to arrest the SS and take control of the government.  Gen. Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, military governor of occupied France, disarmed the SD and SS and captured most of their leadership. He then travelled to Field Marshal Günther von Kluge's headquarters and asked him to contact the Allies but was informed instead that Hitler was alive. 

Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel. He tried to convince von Kluge to go ahead with the coup even after learning of Hitler's survival, but upon being unsuccessful tried to kill himself unsuccessfully.  In his delirium, he was heard to mutter "Rommel", which lead to Rommel being suspected. By Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-R63893 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5368444

Himmler then countermanded the orders enacting Valkyrie, while at the same time the coup was in charge of much of Berlin, as was as Vienna and Prague.

Chief of Staff of the German Army and central figure in the coup, Friedrich Olbricht. (By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1981-072-61 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5483096.

By 18:10 the coup began to fall apart. At 19:00 Hitler placed phone calls that he had survived.  He then took to the radio, which was practically necessary, so that there was audio proof of his survival.  In his short address, he stated:

My fellow Germans! Yet another of the countless attempts on my life has been planned and carried out. I am speaking to you for two reasons:

1. So that you can hear my voice and know that I myself am not injured and well.

2. So that you can hear the details of a crime without parallel in German history.

A very small clique of ambitious, unscrupulous, criminal and stupid officers formed a conspiracy to do away with me and at the same time to wipe out virtually the entire staff of the German High Command.

The bomb which was planted by Colonel von Stauffenberg exploded two meters to my right. It seriously injured a number of my colleagues who are very dear to me; one has died. I myself am completely unhurt apart from a few minor skin abrasions, bruises and burns. I interpret this as confirmation that Providence wishes me to continue my life's mission as I have in the past. For I can solemnly state in the presence of the entire nation that since the day I moved into the Wilhelmstraße my sole thought has been to carry out my duty to the best of my ability. And from the time when I realized that the war was unavoidable and could no longer be delayed, I have known nothing but worry and hard work; and for countless days and sleepless nights have lived only for my People!

At the very moment when the German armies are engaged in a most difficult struggle, a small group formed in Germany, as happened in Italy, which thought that as in 1918 it could now deliver the stab in the back. However, this time they totally miscalculated. The claim by these usurpers that I am no longer alive, is at this very moment proven false, for here I am talking to you, my dear fellow countrymen. The circle which these usurpers represent is very small. It has nothing to do with the German armed forces, and above all nothing to do with the German army. It is a very small clique composed of criminal elements which will now be mercilessly exterminated. I therefore give the following orders with immediate effect:

1. That no civilian agency is to obey an order from a government agency which these usurpers claim that they command.

2. That no military installation, no commander of a unit, no soldier is to obey any order by these usurpers. On the contrary, any person conveying or issuing such an order is to be immediately arrested or, if they resist, shot on the spot.

In order to restore complete order, I have appointed Minister of the Reich Himmler to be Commander of the Home Forces. I have drafted into the General Staff General Guderian to replace the Chief of the General Staff who is at the moment absent due to illness, and have appointed a second proven leader from the Eastern Front to be his aide.

In all the other agencies of government within the Reich everything remains unchanged. I am convinced that with the departure of this small clique of traitors and conspirators, we will finally create the atmosphere here at home, too, which the soldiers at the front need. For it is intolerable that at the front hundreds of thousands and millions of brave men are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, while here at home a small clique of ambitious, despicable creatures constantly tries to undermine this attitude. This time we will settle accounts as we National Socialists are accustomed to. I am convinced that at this time every decent officer, every honest soldier will understand that.

Few people can begin to imagine the fate which would have overtaken Germany had the assassination attempt succeeded. I myself thank Providence and my Creator not for preserving me - my life consists only of worry and work for my People - I thank him only for allowing me to continue to bear this burden of worry, and to carry on my work to the best of my ability.

It is the duty of every German without exception to ruthlessly oppose these elements, and either to arrest them immediately or, if they resist arrest, to shoot them on the spot. These orders have been issued to all military units. They will be carried out to the letter with the discipline typical of the Germany army.

Once again I take this opportunity, my old comrades in arms, to greet you, joyful that I have once again been spared a fate which, while it held no terror for me personally, would have had terrible consequences for the German People. I interpret this as a sign from Providence that I must continue my work, and therefore I shall continue it.

The inclusion of what was an order that offices continue to follow the Nazi regimes orders were telling.  There was obviously remaining concern that the coup would go forward.

Nazi elements regained control of Berlin.  Fromm, who had been aware of the plot but vacillated, had von Stauffenberg shot.  By midnight the coup was over.

Friedrich Wilhelm Waldemar Fromm, commander of the Replacement Army.  He was aware of the plot and agreed to have a role in it, but betrayed his comrades when things began to go badly.  By Bundesarchiv, Bild 146-1969-168-07 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5482524.

The plot had almost worked.

Had it succeeded, German resistance to the Allies would have necessarily rapidly collapsed.


Mussolini Hitler shortly after the bomb blast, taking his survival as a sign that victory was assured.  It was the last time the two would meet.

A Red Cross club opened up in Cherbourg.

First sailors to sign the guestbook in the American Red Cross "Victoire" club. L to R: T2/C Dave Romber, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; Y2/C Ralphe Peloquin, Berlin, N.H.; and Y1/C Joe Zeigovits, Coplay, Pennsylvania.  July 20, 1944.

Fighting continued unabated in Normandy.

Infantry in Saint-Lô, , July 20, 1944.

U.S. replacements being issued K Rations prior to assignment to combat units.   The replacement system during World War Two meant that these men would go out in many instances as individual replacements.

The Battle of Auvere began as part of the Battle of Narva.

Franklin Roosevelt addressed the Democratic National Convention remotely.  He was in San Diego. He announced he would not campaign.

Marines on Saipan, July 20, 1944.

Marine Corps gun crew cleaning 105 howitzer, July 20, 1944.

The HMS Isis sank off of Normandy after hitting a mine.


Actress Mildred Harris, a native of Cheyenne Wyoming and 16 year old first bride of Charlie Chaplin, died of pneumonia at age 42.  Her life had been, overall, sad and tragic.

An annular solar eclipse was visible in Asia.

Last edition:

Wednesday, July 19, 1944. The start of the Democratic Convention.