Operation Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler
On July 20, 1944, a briefcase bomb exploded inches from Hitler and a conspiracy to seize the Reich unraveled within hours.
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A group of German officers, led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, concluded that Hitler must be killed to save Germany. They planned to use 'Valkyrie,' a contingency plan for domestic unrest, to seize control of the state.
Stauffenberg planted a bomb at a Wolf's Lair briefing but moved it behind a thick table leg. The blast killed others but left Hitler alive with minor injuries.
Within hours, the plot was exposed. Stauffenberg and fellow conspirators were executed that night, and a wave of executions followed.
"The table leg between bomb and Fuhrer saved his life. A wooden barrier changed the course of the 20th century."
The failed plot triggered a brutal purge of the German officer corps and resistance, strengthening SS control. Had it succeeded, it might have ended the war months earlier and altered the postwar settlement in Europe.
The Full Story
The Table Leg
Stauffenberg left the room to make a phone call and the briefcase was nudged behind a solid oak leg. The wood deflected the blast, sparing Hitler and dooming the conspiracy.
The Valkyrie Pivot
The conspirators' plan relied on rapidly taking Berlin and arresting SS and Nazi leaders. Confusion and lack of communication let the regime regain control within hours.
The Aftermath
The Gestapo uncovered the full network. Thousands were arrested; many were hanged with piano wire. The resistance was broken, and Hitler's grip tightened.