Assessing the Relative Importance of the Reasons Why the July 1944 Bomb Plot to Assassinate Hitler was Unsuccessful

Assessing the Relative Importance of the Reasons Why the July 1944 Bomb Plot to Assassinate Hitler was Unsuccessful

This question focuses on an evaluation of the significant factors that

resulted in a

failed coup d’etat, which involved an attempt to assassinate Adolf

Hitler on the 20th

July 1944. For the purpose of this essay a coup d’etat may be

interpreted as; ‘ a

sudden overthrowing of government and seizure of power by others’ and

assessing the

‘relative importance’ refers to evaluating the weight of factors in

comparison to one

another. In order to assess the relative importance of the reasons

for the unsuccessful

event, it is essential to consider the failure to eliminate Hitler,

the failure to cut off

the Wolfsschanze (Wolf’s Lair) from Berlin, the difficulties of

communication for the

plotters in a police state, the lack of unity amongst opponents of the

Nazi regime, the

impact of the army oath of loyalty to Hitler, the effect of the

systems of

Gleichschaaltung, Germany at war making opposition hopeless, and

finally other

factors involved in the failure of the Bomb Plot. However before

assessing these

possible factors causing failure, it is necessary to outline the

background to the July,

1944, Bomb Plot.

By 1944 the war had turned crucially in favour of the allies and as a

result, the

German High Commanders thought it fundamental that the war be brought

to an end

as soon as possible. A plan was devised, primarily to assassinate

Hitler, neutralise the

SS and the remains of the Nazi leadership and to finally replace the

existing

government wit...

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... the Plotzensee Memorial,

1973

[17] Michael Burliegh, The Third Reich, 2000, pg 714-716

[18] Heinrich Fraenkel, The July Plot, 1966

[19] Ian Kershaw, The Hitler Myth- Image and reality in the Third

Reich, 1987, pg 215

[20] D. G Williamson, The Third Reich, 2002, pg 122-123

[21] Joachim Fest, Plotting Hitler’s Death, 1994

[22] A recorded in a BBC Monitoring Report of 21st July 1944

[23] Joachim Fest, Hitler, 1973, pg 709

[24] David Evans and Jane Jenkins, Years of Weimar and the Third Reich,

1999

[25] Heinz Guderian, Panzer Leader, 1953

[26] ??? Ian Kershaw, Hitler 1936-1945 – Nemesis, 2000, pg 676-679

[27] Gitta Seremy, Albert Speer:His Battle with Truth, 1995, pg 445

[28] John Weitz, Hitler’s Banker-Schacht, 1997, pg 284

[29] Michael Burliegh, The Third Reich, 2000, pg 714-716