Random thoughts on 'July 20' Plot (Post 1 of 4)

Today marks the 76th Anniversary of the 'July Plot' which if succeeded would have ended the Great War one year in advance and saved millions of lives from the unnecessary blood shed though it was clear by 1944 that Hitler's Germany has almost lost the war.

The man behind July Plot, Claus von Stauffenberg, was associated with the conspirators of German Resistance against Hitler for long but couldn't bring himself to be convinced that Hitler should be eliminated. He was enamored by the 'Furher' and his principles (very much like here now) but the course of war and the brutalities of SS Division (initially started as a social service organization to help in conducting the Nazi meetings) against Jewish people turned Stauffenberg aghast.

A devout Catholic, he couldn't stomach the extreme cruelty of Nazi regime and after severely wounded in his African campaign, losing an eye, hand and fingers, Stauffenberg became a ringleader of conspirators to eliminate Hitler and bargain an armistice with Allies.

On July 20, 1944 Stauffenberg almost succeeded in assassinating Hitler if only the suitcase in which he planted the bomb was not moved by another colonel in the Wolf's Lair in Prussia. Having left the Lair, thoroughly convinced of the plot success, Stauffenberg initiated Operation Valkyrie to take control of Berlin.

Hitler inadvertently survived the plot and all the conspirators were quickly rounded up. Stauffenberg was held after a brief gunfight and put before a firing squad. The film 'Valkyrie' staring Tom Cruise vividly captures those last moments. I like the particular scene where Stauffenberg tells very much shaken General Olbricht, 'look into their eyes and they will remember you' before he was grabbed by the shooting squad.

Stauffenberg and his team reminded to world that not all in Germany agreed with Hitler's brutalities and there were good Germans who risked their lives to prove the world it's not Hitler's Germany altogether.

With so much of hatred in vogue again, we need good people like Stauffenbergs in this world and people whose minds are not clouded with pseudo nationalism, racism and casteism. It's also imperative that Stauffenbergs should act bit more swiftly before it's too late