By the afternoon of June 6th, American and British forces had penertrated up to two miles into
France. Hitler finally had received the bad news at Berchtesgaden. That day at 4:55 p.m. he gave what his field commanders could only view as a bizarre order. It was that the bridgehead must be “annihilated” and the beach head “cleaned-up” no later than midnight that night. Even Rommel seemed to take the order seriously and telephoned it to Seventh Army Headquarters. General Pemsel was on the other end of the line and gave a blunt reply to Hitler’s order…. ‘Impossible’!
On June 17th, the field marshals enticed Hitler to come for a firsthand look. They met in an elaborate bomb shelter originally for use during the abandoned invasion of England. Hitler was curt and quickly made it clear that he held his field commanders responsible for the allied successes. Rommel argued that the superior Allied Air, Naval, and troop strengths made the situation ‘hopeless,’ though Hitler scoffed at the notion. Rommel pointed out that fighting close to the beaches left their troops vulnerable to the heavy naval bombardments. He argued for a pull-back 12 miles out of range of the big guns and a regroup for a counter attack. Hitler would not listen to any proposal for a pull-back.
‘Retreat’ was not in his vocabulary. He seemed to believe that was part of his ‘military genius’. The meeting lasted six hours including lunch. Rommel and the others noticed that for the entire length of the meeting, two SS officers stood behind Hitler watching the others. They even tasted his food before he ate.
Once again, on June 29, Rommel appealed to Hitler to face the reality of defeat on the Eastern front and now in the West. If Germany would capitulate perhaps a million lives would be saved. Rommel’s reception was frosty and blunt. Germany now had “miracle weapons” that would bring victory. On July 15th, Rommel put his thoughts in a letter to Hitler. The next day he said to his Chief of Staff, General Hans Speidel, “I have given him his last chance. If he does not take it, we will act!”
Two days later, Rommel’s staff car was strafed by a low flying Allied fighter. He was critically injured but survived. This was a crushing blow to the conspirators who looked to him as their pillar of strength.
For months the conspirators had needed something positive and toward the end of June they got it. Their intellectual and emotional leader, Klaus von Stauffenberg, was promoted to full colonel and made chief of staff to General Fromm, the Commander of the Home Army. Now he could issue orders in Fromm’s name but more importantly, he had direct access to Hitler. Deep in the recesses of his mind he felt the coup would be successful, and a new anti-Nazi government would be established. He had even shared with Dr. Goerdeler his desire for the Allied invasion to fail. One evening, in discussing their fate, he said, “If the British and Americans suffered a bloody set-back, they might be more willing to negotiate with a new anti-Nazi government.” Goerdeler agreed.
“Even though they have said they will insist on ‘unconditional surrender’ they might go easier on a non-Hitler government. Besides, I am certain Churchill fears a Russian takeover of Europe.”
“All the more reason to move on with the plan,” Stauffenberg concluded.
But the younger men involved in the conspiracy were not totally convinced. There was much more at risk than their careers. Failure would mean execution. They had to come to grips with that fact.
There were non-military members of the conspiracy as well. In the spring of 1942, two Lutheran clergymen traveled to Stockholm on hearing they might have an audience with Dr. George Bell, the Anglican Bishop of Chichester. One of the travelers was Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This remarkable man had earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Berlin at age 21. He was too young to be ordained and went to the U.S. for a year of post-graduate study. After spending time in London, he returned to Germany in 1935 to teach. Soon he became involved in forming the ‘Confessing Church’, a group that opposed the anti-Semitic Nazi policies. In 1939, he joined the resistance and was soon barred from preaching or teaching by the Gestapo.
On the trip to Stockholm he traveled incognito using forged papers from Colonel Oster of the Military Intelligence Office (Abwehr). His opposition to Hitler was based on moral grounds, not political. He felt he must be a witness against the tyranny of the Nazi Reich. In discussing the issue with the Bishop, Bonhoeffer provided him with a list of conspirators. But the list fell into the wrong hands and later would be used against him.
Klaus von Stauffenberg was a war hero and looked the part. He was a strikingly handsome man even missing his right arm and left eye and ear. The eye patch gave him the distinguished look of an aristocrat. On the weekends he and wife Countess Nina spent countless hours discussing the plight of their country and their efforts to change the course of history. She was never involved directly in the coup. In the event of failure, she had to survive to raise and care for their children. But she felt as strongly as her husband about the Nazis and would gladly have given her life for the cause.
Along with other issues, their discussions included the “RoteKappelle” affair (Red Orchestra). The term ‘Red Orchestra’ was used by the Gestapo to describe a resistance group of about 75 individuals, 40 percent of whom were women. They were headed by two men, Havro Schulze-Boysen, an intelligence officer, and Avrid Hamack, a brilliant young economist. The group collected information on Nazi human rights violations. Documented violations and Nazi secrets were communicated to foreign embassies. It was very secretive, but a group so large was dangerous.
A second group was run by agent Leopold Trepper. This group was in fact a Soviet espionage network. One of their undercover men in Belgium was caught and became a double agent trying to save his own skin. His treachery eventually led to the arrest of both Schulze-Boysen and Hamack and their wives. In all, more than 100 members of the Red Orchestra were captured, and most were executed. Hitler’s orders were to have them killed by hanging. But there were no gallows in Germany. Executions had always been carried out by ax beheading. So, the hangings were carried out by strangulation of these ‘traitors’ with ropes hung from meat hooks. One young nursing mother was allowed to wean her young son and then was hanged.
The Stauffenbergs and all of the others exhibited bravery even beyond that of the front line troops. An encouragement to all of these brave men and women was Major General Henning von Tresckow. Born in 1901, this distinguished soldier was first in his class at Knegs Kademic (the Prussian Military Academy). He initially supported National Socialism until the Night of Long Knives in June of 1934, when Hitler personally led SS troops in a bloody purge against the Storm Troopers headed by his erstwhile comrade, Ernst Rohm. It was easy for the Nazi warlord to kill a colleague once he was considered ‘in the way.’ Rohm had been fiercely loyal to Hitler, but was a crude man and suspected of being homosexual. In the following days, many non-Nazis were murdered as well, including retired General Kurt von Schleicher and his wife. Their execution was ordered by Hermann Goering to ‘settle an old score’.
It was then that von Tresckow decided to oppose the Nazi Reich. He came from a long tradition of military service and continued to serve with distinction. Over several years he was involved secretly in several attempts on Hitler’s life. All failed. All for different reasons. In 1944, he was the chief of staff of the Second Army on the Russian Front. He sent a message to encourage the conspiring group in Berlin, which said in part
“We must prove to the world and future generations that the men of the German Resistance movement dared to take the decisive step and hazard their lives on it.”
His letter inspired the doubters and revived the conspiracy.
It was clear that the plan’s success rested directly on the shoulders of Klaus von Stauffenberg. An unfortunate incident on July 4, 1944 forced the hand of the plotters. Julius Leber was a socialist and trade-union leader. He had become a close personal friend of Stauffenberg. Another socialist, Adolph Reichwein, the Director of the Folklore Museum of Berlin, joined Leber to influence the conspirators to inform the Communists of the plot. Stauffenberg was initially cool to the idea but became convinced it might be useful to know what the Communists would do in the event the putsch was successful. So he reluctantly agreed for Reichwein and Leber to meet with underground Communist leaders. His parting words were, “Tell them as little as possible.”
The meeting took place the following week in East Berlin. The Communist leaders actually knew a good bit about the plot and wanted to know more. They requested a second meeting to take place on July 4th. Stauffenberg was asked by Leber to attend but he refused. At the meeting the Communist brought a third man they introduced as “Rambo”. Unknown to the Communists, he worked for the Gestapo.
These men were non-military and likely did not fully understand the risk they were taking. The Gestapo rules of engagement were egregiously harsh. There were no second chances. All of the men, Leber, Reichwein and the Communists, were arrested. The conspiracy was now in peril. Would Leber and Reichwein crack under Gestapo torture? Even brave men had limits. The ill fated meeting had indeed forced their hand.
Klaus von Stauffenberg knew that time was short. The burden of this monumental task was constantly on his mind, yet the more he thought of it, the more he was certain it must be done and certain it was worth the risk. It was not just another battle in the war. It was a way to redeem the Volk - the millions of ‘good Germans’ who had followed Hitler down the dark path of social Darwinism. Now Himmler’s death squads were on their heels. Like wolves after prey, they had the scent and were in a frenzy for the kill.
Desperate men often make foolish decisions. The group had convinced themselves that killing Hitler would not be enough. The cabal must eliminate Goering and Himmler as well. These two were the only men who could galvanize the Nazis against them. With all three gone, the top field marshals would surely join them. There would be no choice, especially with Rommel on their side. Goering and Himmler usually attended the daily military planning conferences and it was felt that all three could be taken out with one bomb. The plotters were in possession of several of the special English-made bombs obtained through Colonel Oster of the Abwehr. All of the conspirators were in agreement - all three should be killed.
On July 11, Stauffenberg was summoned to military headquarters at Obersalzberg. His task was to brief Hitler on the supply of badly needed replacements. The night before his trip he carefully placed one of the English-made bombs in his brief case and concealed it. The plane ride from Berlin was uneventful. The bomb fuse was to be triggered by a chemical contained in a small glass vile that would dissolve the wire holding the detonator pin. Once in contact with the chemical, the wire lasted approximately ten minutes before the firing pin was released. When Stauffenberg entered the room, he noticed that Himmler was not at the meeting. After his report, he stepped out and called Berlin to confer with General Olbricht. Together they decided not to set the bomb. On his return plane trip, he could not help thinking that it all could have been over.
A disconsolate Stauffenberg returned to meet with his comrades. Each had ideas of what to do next, but none was certain. Dr. Goerdeler wanted to fly to Paris and try for an armistice that would free German forces in the West to reinforce their flagging forces on the Russian front. General Beck argued that a separate peace with the Allies was a pipe dream but continued to feel that killing Hitler to save the honor of Germany was noble. Stauffenberg agreed.
On the evening of July 16, the Stauffenbergs invited a small group of friends and family to their home at Wannsu, an hour from Berlin. The group included Stauffenberg’s brother, Berthol, who was an advisor on international law at naval headquarters, and Lt. Colonel Caesar von Hofacker, a cousin who was a liaison officer to the Western Field Commanders. Hofacker had just returned from the Western front and had two important items to report. One, the war was going poorly and second, Rommel continued to back the conspiracy. They talked late into the night and all agreed that it was critical that Germans – not the Allies – should rid Germany of their homegrown tyrant.
On the following day, Goerdeler was tipped off by friends at police headquarters that Himmler had issued an order for his arrest. Reluctantly, he went into hiding. A day later, Klaus von Stauffenberg spent the morning playing with his children and then returned to Berlin after a cheerful good-by to Nina. On the afternoon of the 19th he was again summoned to meet with the Supreme Commander to report on the progress being made in the training of replacement troops for the Eastern front. The news from the Ukraine was not good. The situation was rapidly deteriorating. His report would be given at Fuehrer headquarters at 1:00 pm, July 20th.
Just after six o’clock the following morning, Colonel Stauffenberg drove with his adjutant, Lieutenant Werner von Haeften, past Berlin’s bombed out buildings and on to the airport for the flight to Rastenburg. He had worked on his report until almost midnight. In his briefcase, along with his report, was the English-made bomb wrapped in a shirt. General Beck had informed key officers in the garrisons around Berlin that Thursday, the 20th, was the day. The meeting would be at the “Wolf’s Lair” at Rastenburg in East Prussia.
The plane was the personal craft of General Edward Wagner, the First Quartermaster of the Army and a ringleader in the plot. It was old but reliable. The pilot was instructed to have the plane refueled and ready for the return to Berlin no later than noon. The bomb would be detonated by the breaking of the glass capsule containing the chemical that dissolved the firing pin wire.
The Wolfsschanze headquarters was in a heavily wooded area of East Prussia. It was almost impossible to see from the air for obvious reasons. The area was surrounded by electrified barbed wire fences and mine fields and patrolled around the clock by the SS. There were three check points on the way to the inner compound where Hitler lived and worked. Since Hitler had personally summoned Stauffenberg, he was waived through with little fanfare. He and his adjutant arrived at 10:49 and had a late breakfast with Captain von Moellendorff, adjutant to the camp commander. The one person Stauffenberg needed to see before giving his report was the communications chief, General Fellgiebel. They met in the communications office and went over the final plan in detail. Fellgiebel was to notify Berlin of the bombing and isolate the compound by shutting off all communications, telephone, telegraph and radio, for three hours. He was critical to the plot’s success.
At 12:07, Stauffenberg entered the office of General Keitel, the Chief of the OKW (High Command of the Armed Forces). He hung up his cap and belt. Keitel informed him that the meeting had been moved up to begin at 12:30. Stauffenberg briefed Keitel on the report and they began the short walk to the Lagebaracke (compound barracks). After taking only a few steps Stauffenberg suddenly wheeled around and said, “I left my cap and belt in the ante room.”
He did it so quickly that Keitel did not have time to remark that the adjutant could get them. Once in the ante room, Stauffenberg quickly opened his briefcase and using a pair of tongs, he crushed the glass canister holding the acid and checked his watch. The wire thickness required ten minutes before explosion. He awkwardly put on his belt and cap. It took a one-armed man a bit longer to do anything. As he walked out of the ante room, he spoke to the desk sergeant.
“I am expecting an important call from Berlin. I’ll be back.’ When he returned Keitel was aggravated. “Hurry! You’re going to make us late.”
As Keitel feared, they were late. He muttered a profanity under his breath as they entered the room. The conference had begun in the relatively small room which had a rectangular shape, some 15’ X 30.’ In the center of the room was a heavy oak table 18’ in length. Hitler sat with his back to the door. By the time the two men entered the room, about four minutes had elapsed. Detonation of the devise was six minutes away.
General Heusiger, Chief of Operations of the Army was speaking. Keitel took his usual seat to Hitler’s left. There were eighteen other officers from the service branches and the SS. General Heusinger was in the midst of a comprehensive report on the central Russian front. Keitel broke in to announce the presence of Stauffenberg. Hitler glanced up at the one-armed officer and curtly nodded. For one brief moment they made eye contact. Heusiger continued.
The massive oak table had an unusual construction in that it did not have legs. Instead, it had two large vertical supports the same thickness as the table top. They were placed six feet from either end, leaving a six-foot center section. Stauffenberg took his place two seats to the right of Hitler, placing his briefcase just inside the large oak vertical support only three feet from Hitler. He glanced at his watch. Five minutes to go.
At the four minute mark, Stauffenberg leaned over to Colonel Bo Brandt, seated to his right. “I’m expecting a call from Berlin.”
With that, he stood to leave the room. No one other than Brandt seemed to notice. Brandt was absorbed in looking at the map and stood to get a better view. As he stood, Stauffenberg’s briefcase was in his way and he reached down and placed it on the outside of the large oak vertical table support. General Heusiger was finishing his report. His last sentence was, “If our army group around Lake Peipus is not immediately withdrawn, a catastrophe…..”
The sentence was never finished. At precisely 12:42 pm the bomb exploded.
At that moment, Stauffenberg was standing with General Fellgiebel in front of his office, some 150 meters away. The blast was deafening. The percussion blew out all of the windows in the meeting room with smoke and flames pouring out as well. The explosion had such force that both men believed there would be no survivors. Stauffenberg immediately rushed to his waiting car and Fellgiebel hurried to call Berlin. The next task was to get out of the Rastenburg headquarters camp. Since the guards heard the explosion, all exits were closed. At the first check point, Stauffenberg jumped from the car and demanded to speak to the duty officer. He then phoned someone, or possibly no one, and turned to the officer.
“Herr Lieutenant, I am authorized to pass!”
The gate was opened then word was sent to the next check point to allow him to exit. The final check point was a different story. A master sergeant refused to let them pass. He was a career soldier and veteran of WW I. He could not be bluffed. Stauffenberg then called Captain von Moellendorff with whom he had had breakfast, and got permission to pass. His car raced to the airport. On the journey, his adjuvant dismantled a second back-up bomb, tossing the detonation mechanism onto the roadside. The airfield control had not yet received word of the explosion, perhaps because of the communication blackout.
The pilot was sitting with the engines running. In two to three minutes they were in the air. As they lifted off they noticed someone running out of the air control office. Possibly the call about the explosion had just gotten through. The Heinkel plane was relatively slow and droned through the air.
Stauffenberg and his adjuvant were in high spirits. Since the plane had no long-distance radio, they were unable to confirm the success of the mission. Stauffenberg turned to von Haeften. “It looked like an artillery shell had hit the conference room. There might be no survivors.” They touched down after a grueling three hour ride. Stauffenberg raced to a phone in the airport command center and placed a call to General Olbricht, Chief of Staff of the Home Army. When he heard Olbricht’s voice, Stauffenberg immediately realized something was wrong. He was having a difficult time understanding the message.
“General, you’ll have to speak up!”
“He survived the blast! Hitler is still alive.”
OriginalSketch of Claus von Stauffenberg By Delia Hunt
* * *
Heidi Brendler and Sarah Engel were diligent in their efforts to stay the course of the resistance work and survive the war. They were encouraged that the allies were making steady progress in the West, and by mid-August, the Red Army was on the border of East Prussia on the Baltic Sea. The capture and execution of Max had not resulted in further arrests which was prima facie evidence that this brave man had withstood the torture of the Gestapo. Heidi had been pleased to learn that the U.S. airman they had helped had in fact made it to France. But there were at least two others who had been caught and hanged. A day did not go by that she did not think of the life and death struggles of the war. Late on the night of the ill-fated plot to kill Hitler, a brief nation-wide radio broadcast was made by the Fuehrer himself. He assured the nation that his injuries were minor and his survival was confirmation that he was to continue the role ‘providence’ intended for him.
Several weeks later, details of the failed coup began to leak out. It was then that Heidi learned that the man at the center of the plot was none other than Klaus von Stauffenberg, the one-eyed war hero she had met and admired the previous year. She recalled his nobility and the words of his wife, Countess Nina, that he felt he must do something to ‘save Germany’. Heidi also learned that he and some of the other conspirators had been executed the night of the attempt. There were times she felt like a small boat being tossed about on the ocean by a raging storm. But storms had a limited time of destruction. This war seemed to have no end.
Because of schedule conflicts, Sarah and Heidi had missed their last two weekly dinners together. It had also been several months since Heidi had heard from Landis Koller. Then one evening as Heidi was returning to her flat, she stopped by the corner market to pick-up milk and coffee. When she entered the apartment, she noticed an envelope that had been slipped under her door. She anticipated a communication from Landis, but upon opening it she recognized Sarah’s handwriting. The note was brief and read, “I need to see you tonight! Urgent!” It was unsigned.
Heidi set the milk and coffee on the kitchen table. The August night was warm and there was at least another hour of daylight. She quietly closed and locked the door to her flat. The three-block walk to Sarah’s apartment would take only five minutes. A number of thoughts flooded her mind. She anticipated an urgent mission for the resistance. As she walked, she began to feel an excitement. She welcomed another opportunity to actively oppose the Nazi Reich. For some reason Landis had decided to communicate with her through Sarah.
Heidi reached Sarah’s door and knocked softly. As it opened, one glance at Sarah answered all of Heidi’s questions. Sarah was in her housecoat, her eyes red from crying. Her hair was not combed. “Christian has been killed,” she said quietly, her voice monotone. “His apartment was hit three nights ago by an R.A.F. bomb. I received a call from his office early this morning.”
Heidi closed the door and wrapped her arms around Sarah. They stood for several minutes embracing. “Sarah, I’m so sorry….I’m so sorry.” Heidi was stunned and tried to hold back her tears but could not. It had been eight months since they had seen Christian. Heidi had gradually begun to sever her emotional ties to him believing that the circumstances of the war would keep them apart. Now it would be forever.
The two young women had become best of friends and felt more like sisters to each other. Heidi went to the kitchen to heat water for tea. When it was ready, they sat at the table and did not speak. The previous months had left Heidi emotionally drained. The death of Christian increased the darkness around her. But she knew this hour was even darker for Sarah.
“I remember him from when I was about five,” Sarah finally said. “He was always teasing me and hiding my toys. He would put them in places where I could easily find them and then he’d act so surprised.”
Sarah smiled, her bottom lip trembling. “Over time it became a game. When we got older the teasing stopped. He became protective of me. He kept an eye on any boys that came around me until he went to University. We made a pact, Heidi. We made a pact not to be involved with Nazi Youth clubs. He was always the shining light in my life.”
Heidi nodded and looked away. After a few moments of silence, she remembered her own games with Christian and the times he played tricks on her in med school and surgical training. She recalled these moments for Sarah and the hours passed quickly. Finally, Heidi glanced at the clock. She wanted to explore one more subject before she left.
“What are your feelings about Christian’s death? I suppose what I mean is…what do you feel has happened to him?”Sarah gave a soft smile. “He is with God. We are, all of us, created in God’s image….with an eternal soul or spirit. He is in Paradise, the place where God resides. That is what scripture says and what I know to be true. It is a matter of faith.”
“I hope you are right,” Heidi responded. “He was a wonderful man.” Heidi stood to leave and put her arms tightly around Sarah. “We loved him well, didn’t we Sarah…and he will always be in our hearts.”
Over the next few weeks Heidi spent many hours reflecting on her life. She felt blessed to have known and loved Christian and knew that she and Sarah would remain close. She was aware that the constant danger and hostility surrounding her was beginning to take its toll. She had not confided to Sarah that she was beginning to feel a longing for a homeland away from Germany, that she dreamed of a place she had never seen, a place she could only imagine, a place that had been promised.
I will go there some day!
* * *
Shortly after the execution of Colonel Stauffenberg, the Nazis’ brutality toward their fellow Germans reached its zenith. Hitler had become fanatical in his determination to payback a thousand-fold, the renegades and their families. His thirst for revenge was unquenchable. He determined that the criminals would be hauled before the People’s Court and tried with lightning speed. The sentences were carried out with haste and without mercy.
The first trial took place on August 7th. Multiple defendants were in the dock including Field Marshal von Witzlaben and Generals Hoepner, Stieff, and von Hase. Before trial the men were beaten and made to look as shabby as possible. The chief judge of the court was the ardent Nazi Ronald Freisler, who had tried the White Rose participants two years earlier. Freisler was a vile man prone to mawkish outbursts. He had been a P.O.W. in Russia in WWI. While there, he learned lessons in cruelty and was now anxious to inflict that same cruelty on others.
The trials continued non-stop, in the People’s Court and other venues. The death toll was extensive - eventually numbering almost 5,000. Executions were carried out until the last two weeks of the war. Hitler had demanded that all those directly involved be “hanged like cattle”.
Most were taken to Ploetzensee Prison and hanged with piano wire from meat hooks. Each man was stripped to the waist, their hands bound and belts removed. The executions were filmed for Hitler’s viewing. As each man dangled by the wire, the weight of his body caused him to strangle and he began to have seizures as he suffocated. Their belt-less pants eventually fell to their feet leaving them naked as they died, a final humiliation.
The People’s Court remained in session through the fall and winter, grinding out death sentences until the morning of February 3, 1945, when the court took a direct hit by an American bomb. Judge Freisler was killed in the devastation that also destroyed the records of most of those awaiting trial. The bombing held the fate of one conspirator, Fabian von Schlabrendorff, a lawyer who had opposed Hitler from the start. His trial was in session, but he was not badly injured and eventually was liberated by Allied forces.
Most of the others were not as fortunate. Carl Goerdeler, the former Mayor of Leipzig, had gone into hiding three days before the assassination attempt. He was scheduled to be made Chancellor in the new post-Nazi regime. Now he was wandering between Berlin, Potsdam and East Prussia, never spending more than two nights in the same place. Hitler had put a price of one million marks on his head. One morning while waiting to be served breakfast, he recognized a woman in uniform eying him. He left without eating as she notified authorities. His attempt to escape into near-by woods was futile and he was apprehended after only a brief chase. He was sentenced to death in September 1944, and finally executed in February the following year.
Some of the most distinguished and high-profile field officers did not face trial. General Henning von Tresckow had been a consistent inspiration communicating from the Eastern front. His letter to the conspirators in the summer of 1944 gave them a reason to move forward. He had urged these men to put their lives on the line and he was doing the same. On the morning of July 21st, this distinguished general made a portentous decision not to give Hitler the satisfaction of executing him. He bid farewell to his friend and adjuvant, Captain Fabian von Schlabrendorff, who recalled his last words:
“Everybody will now turn upon us and cover us with abuse. But my conviction remains unshaken…..we have done the right thing. Hitler is not only the archenemy of Germany: he is the archenemy of the world. In a few hours I shall stand before God, answering for my actions and for my omissions. I think I shall be able to uphold with a clear conscience all that I have done in the fight against Hitler… Whoever joined the resistance movement put on the shirt of Nessus. The worth of a man is certain only if he is prepared to sacrifice his life for his convictions.”
Tresckew then drove to a nearby military rifle range and walked into ‘no man’s land ’. He pulled the pin on a hand grenade and held it in front of his face. The explosion literally took his head off.
Lieutenant Colonel Caesar von Hofacker, a cousin of Stauffenberg, was present at the dinner at the conspiracy leader’s home on the night of July 16th. He was the plotter’s liaison with the generals on the Western front, and was in complete agreement that Germans should be the ones to free their country of Hitler’s tyranny. That night he reported two highly significant pieces of information. He claimed that Germany’s western defenses were collapsing. He also predicted that Rommel would back the conspiracy despite his opposition to killing Hitler. When arrested, von Hofacker was taken to a Gestapo dungeon in the Prinz Albrechtstrasse, in Berlin. Under intense torture he told of Rommel’s agreement with the conspiracy. When Hitler read the transcript of Hofacker’s ‘confession’ he determined that the famous ‘Desert Fox’, loved by the people, must die.
In the fall of 1944, Rommel was still recovering from the injuries he suffered in the July strafing. He was at his home near Ulm, due east of the Black Forrest. On September 6th, he was visited by General Speidel, his former chief of staff. The talk turned to Hitler.
“That pathological liar has now gone completely mad,” said Rommel. “He is venting his sadism on the conspirators of July 20th, and this won’t be the end of it.”
The following day Speidel was arrested and Rommel realized his house was being watched.
Hitler wanted to avoid the scandal of arresting Germany’s most popular general. So, on October 14th, two ranking officers from Hitler’s staff drove to Rommel’s home and presented the evidence against him. They explained that he would have a state funeral and full military honors if he took his own life. The distinguished field marshal then met with his wife. Afterward, he met with his son Manfred. “I have just had to tell your mother that I shall be dead in a quarter of an hour,” he told his son. “Hitler is charging me with high treason. In view of my service in Africa, I am to have the chance of dying by poison. The two generals have brought it with them. It’s fatal in a matter of seconds. If I accept, none of the usual steps will be taken against my family. I’m to be given a state funeral. It’s all been prepared to the last detail. In a quarter of an hour you will receive a call from the hospital in Ulm to say that I’ve had a brain seizure on the way to a conference.”
Rommel donned his old Afrika Korps leather jacket and with his field marshal’s baton, got into the car with the two generals. A mile down the road he took their poison and was dead in less than a minute.
Hitler wired Frau Rommel:
“Accept my sincerest sympathy for the heavy loss you have suffered with the death of your husband. The name of Field Marshal Rommel will be forever linked with the heroic battles in North Africa.”