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Caption: Claus von Stauffenberg was born in 1907 to german nobility. Joining the military in 1926 Stauffenberg was set to a high ranking military career like other nobility.
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Caption: Stauffenberg had a successful military career leading up to the July 20th plot. He served in the invasion of Poland and saw extensive action on the North African front until he was wounded in Tunisia in April of 1943 and spent several months recovering in Germany
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Caption: The July 20th plot itself was to be a complete coup of the German State by the Wehrmacht by killing Hitler and arresting the SS and other high ranking Nazis after accusing them of trying to seize power. By the time the truth would come out the Wehrmacht officials planned to have full control over the German Government.
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Caption: The members of the July 20th plot consisted of multiple high ranking German officials. Among those were Colonel General Ludwig Beck who was the chief of the general staff. Field Marshal Günther von Kluge who while he did not participate in the plot he knew of it and kept it a secret. Field Marshall Erwin Rommel who was forced to commit suicide for not preventing it.
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Caption: The plan was for Stauffenberg to kill Hitler during a meeting at the wolfs layer. Then they would mobilize the reserve army after spreading a lie that the SS was trying to seize power. Once the SS were imprisoned they would convince the German Field Marshalls and Generals to come to their side in order to take full control
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Caption: Right from the start the plan went wrong. after the bomb was planted it was moved before it went off. Instead of killing Hitler the bomb only wounded him due to the thick table in between. While severely wounded Hitler survived but refusing to believe he survived the plan went on.
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Caption: As soon as the bomb went off the plotters started spreading the word that Hitler was dead. The reserve army was mobilized and key government building were seized while the SS was imprisoned and controlled.
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Caption: In the middle of trying to convince the generals Hitler was dead the news spread that he was alive. With not enough of the army and government on their side the plotters accepted defeat and tried to flee. Most were captured and executed by General Fromm against Hitlers orders to try to cover his involvement. Those who were executed committed suicide and vert few managed to flee germany.
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Caption: The resulting roundup eventually lead to the gestapo arresting anyone who they even though was involved in the plan. 7000 people were arrested and 4900 of those were executed by the end of the war.
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Caption: The July 20th plot was the closest of the multiple attempts on Hitler’s to succeed. Had it succeeded the war may have ended a full year earlier.