How many German officers spoke up against Hitler and survived(Part 2)? During World War II, there were several notable instances where German officers spoke up against Hitler or were involved in plots against him. Some of the well-known figures include:
Henning von Tresckow and Claus von Stauffenberg:
They were key figures in the July 20 Plot (Operation Valkyrie) in 1944, which aimed to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi regime. Stauffenberg placed a bomb in Hitler’s headquarters but failed to kill him. Both Tresckow and Stauffenberg were involved in earlier resistance efforts as well.
Carl Friedrich Goerdeler:
He was a conservative politician who opposed Hitler and was one of the key figures in civilian resistance. He was supposed to become Chancellor after Hitler’s assassination in the July 20 Plot.
Wilhelm Canaris:
As head of the Abwehr (German military intelligence), Canaris was involved in anti-Hitler activities and supported resistance efforts. He was eventually discovered and executed in 1945.
Erwin Rommel:
Although not directly involved in plots against Hitler, Rommel became disillusioned with Hitler’s leadership later in the war and was implicated in the July 20 Plot. He was given the option to commit suicide to avoid trial and execution.
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke:
He was a lawyer and key member of the Kreisau Circle, an intellectual resistance group. Moltke was arrested in 1944 and executed in January 1945.
These are just a few examples, and there were others who opposed Hitler in various capacities, though the survival rate of those involved in direct plots against Hitler was very low due to harsh reprisals by the regime. Many were executed or faced severe consequences.
