Life and Death of Claus von Stauffenberg

Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg remains one of the most recognisable figures of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler during the Second World War. Best known for placing the bomb that nearly killed Hitler on 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg has become a symbol of military resistance to the Nazi regime. Yet his life was far more complex than the dramatic events of that single day. Born into an aristocratic Catholic family in Bavaria, Stauffenberg began his career as a loyal officer in the Reichswehr and later the Wehrmacht. Like many conservative German officers, he initially welcomed aspects of Hitler's promises to restore Germany's strength after the humiliation of the Treaty of Versailles. However, years of war, the increasing brutality of Nazi rule and the widespread crimes committed across occupied Europe gradually transformed his political and moral outlook.

By 1944, Stauffenberg had become convinced that Hitler's leadership was leading Germany towards complete military defeat and moral ruin. Working alongside a network of military officers and civilian conspirators, he became the driving force behind Operation Valkyrie, the most serious attempt to overthrow the Nazi dictatorship from within Germany itself. Although the assassination failed and he was executed only hours later, his actions have remained one of the most significant acts of resistance against Hitler's regime.

While he was neither an early opponent of National Socialism nor a modern democrat, his willingness to sacrifice his life in an attempt to overthrow Hitler has secured his place as one of the most important military figures of the Second World War.

Quick Facts

Full Name: Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Born: 15 November 1907 – Jettingen, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Died: 21 July 1944 (aged 36) – Berlin, Nazi Germany
Branch: Reichswehr, Wehrmacht
Rank: Oberst im Generalstab
Primary Role: Chief of Staff of the Replacement Army (Ersatzheer)
Known For: Leading the 20 July Plot (Operation Valkyrie) against Adolf Hitler
Major Campaigns: Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, North African Campaign
Awards: Iron Cross (1st & 2nd Class), German Cross in Gold, Wound Badge in Gold

Aristocratic origins and family background

Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was born on 15 November 1907 in Jettingen, in the Kingdom of Bavaria. He belonged to the ancient House of Stauffenberg, one of southern Germany's oldest noble families, whose history stretched back to the Middle Ages. His father, Alfred Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, served as the final Oberhofmarschall of the Kingdom of Württemberg, while his mother, Caroline Gräfin von Üxküll-Gyllenband, descended from Field Marshal August Neidhardt von Gneisenau, one of Prussia's most celebrated commanders during the Napoleonic Wars.

Growing up in an aristocratic household, Stauffenberg was raised in an atmosphere that valued discipline, duty, education and public service. His family maintained a strong Roman Catholic faith, which remained an important influence throughout his life. These values fostered a deep sense of personal honour and responsibility that would later shape his view of military leadership and the obligations of an officer.

The influence of the George Circle

As a young man, Stauffenberg and his brothers became closely associated with the influential literary movement surrounding the poet Stefan George. Known as the George Circle (Georgekreis), this intellectual group promoted ideals of cultural renewal, personal sacrifice and moral leadership. Although not a political organisation, its philosophy profoundly influenced Stauffenberg's belief that Germany required principled leaders who placed honour and duty above personal ambition.

Many historians consider the George Circle to have shaped Stauffenberg's lifelong conviction that officers bore a moral responsibility extending beyond obedience to the state. These ideals would later contribute to his willingness to oppose Hitler when he concluded that loyalty to Germany demanded resistance rather than submission.

Joining the Reichswehr

Following a long family tradition of military service, Stauffenberg entered the 17th Cavalry Regiment (Reiterregiment 17) in Bamberg in 1926. Germany's armed forces were still restricted by the Treaty of Versailles and admission to the professional officer corps was highly competitive. Stauffenberg quickly distinguished himself through intelligence, determination and exceptional organisational ability.

Commissioned as a Leutnant in 1930, he continued his professional education at the Kriegsakademie in Berlin. There he developed expertise in operational planning, logistics and staff work—skills that would later earn him rapid promotion within the German General Staff. Unlike many officers whose careers centred on battlefield command, Stauffenberg proved particularly talented in coordinating large-scale military operations.

Early views of Hitler and National Socialism

When Adolf Hitler became Chancellor in 1933, Stauffenberg's reaction reflected that of many conservative officers in the German Army. He welcomed the restoration of national pride, the expansion of Germany's armed forces and the rejection of the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. Like many members of the traditional military elite, he viewed the political instability of the Weimar Republic as having weakened Germany.

However, Stauffenberg never became a member of the Nazi Party (NSDAP). His loyalty remained directed first and foremost towards Germany and the officer corps rather than the Party itself. While he initially supported aspects of Hitler's foreign and military policies, he remained uncomfortable with the growing influence of the SS, the regime's attacks on Christianity and the increasingly lawless methods used to eliminate political opponents.

Events such as the Night of the Long Knives in 1934 and the anti-Jewish violence of Kristallnacht in 1938 further challenged his confidence in the Nazi regime. Although his political views evolved gradually rather than suddenly, these developments marked the beginning of a profound transformation that would eventually lead him into active resistance against Hitler.

Service during the invasion of Poland

When Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, Claus von Stauffenberg served as a staff officer with the 1st Light Division, which was soon redesignated as the 6th Panzer Division. Rather than commanding troops directly on the battlefield, he was responsible for planning operations, coordinating movements and ensuring communication between frontline units and higher headquarters.

The campaign lasted just over five weeks and ended with the defeat of Poland following the German invasion from the west and the Soviet invasion from the east on 17 September 1939, carried out under the secret terms of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. During the campaign, Stauffenberg demonstrated considerable organisational skill, earning the respect of senior commanders and establishing a reputation as one of the Wehrmacht's most promising General Staff officers.

Like many conservative officers of his generation, Stauffenberg initially viewed the military victories as evidence that Germany had regained its strength after the restrictions imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. However, the occupation of Poland also exposed him to the increasingly ideological nature of the war. The growing influence of the SS and the brutal treatment of civilians contrasted sharply with the traditional military code under which he had been educated.

The Battle of France

Following the successful campaign in Poland, Stauffenberg continued his service with the 6th Panzer Division during the invasion of Belgium, the Netherlands and France in May and June 1940. Germany's rapid victory astonished the world and established the reputation of the Wehrmacht as one of the most effective fighting forces of the time. As a General Staff officer, Stauffenberg played an important role in coordinating the division's operations as German armoured formations advanced through the Ardennes, crossed the River Meuse and pushed deep into northern France. His organisational abilities were widely recognised and for his contribution to the campaign he received the Iron Cross First Class.

The spectacular victories of 1939 and 1940 strengthened Hitler's prestige throughout Germany, including among many professional officers. Stauffenberg was impressed by the army's military achievements, but his growing concerns about the political direction of the Nazi regime remained unresolved.

Service with the Army High Command

Following the campaign in France, Stauffenberg was transferred to the Organisational Department of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH), the German Army High Command. This prestigious appointment placed him among a select group of officers responsible for planning, organisation and logistical coordination across the rapidly expanding German Army. His work involved analysing operational requirements, organising troop movements and ensuring that Germany's increasingly complex military campaigns could be supplied with men, vehicles and equipment. These responsibilities brought him into regular contact with senior commanders and provided an excellent understanding of Germany's overall strategic situation.

By this stage of the war, Stauffenberg had become recognised as an exceptionally capable staff officer whose analytical skills and calm judgement made him highly valued within the General Staff.

Operation Barbarossa and the Eastern Front

On 22 June 1941, Germany launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Although Stauffenberg was not a frontline commander during the opening stages of the campaign, his position within the Army High Command gave him direct insight into the enormous scale of the operation and the logistical challenges involved in supporting more than three million German and Axis troops advancing across a vast front. During visits to occupied territory in the Soviet Union, Stauffenberg became increasingly disturbed by the conduct of the war behind the front lines. He learned of the systematic murder of Jewish civilians carried out by the Einsatzgruppen and witnessed the devastating impact of Nazi occupation policies on both soldiers and civilians. These events deeply conflicted with his sense of military honour and Catholic morality.

Although his opposition to Hitler developed gradually, historians generally agree that his experiences during the war in the East marked an important turning point. The campaign was no longer simply a military conflict but had become a war of racial ideology, mass murder and deliberate destruction.

Stauffenberg increasingly concluded that Germany's leadership was abandoning every principle of lawful warfare.

The Tunisian Campaign

In 1943, Stauffenberg was promoted to Oberstleutnant im Generalstab and transferred to North Africa, where he became Senior Operations Officer (Ia) of the 10th Panzer Division. The Axis position in Tunisia had deteriorated rapidly following the Allied landings in Operation Torch and German forces faced overwhelming pressure from British and American armies. Despite the worsening military situation, Stauffenberg continued to earn praise for his ability to coordinate complex operations under extremely difficult conditions. His calm leadership and detailed operational planning were highly regarded by both his immediate commanders and colleagues.

Severely wounded in action

On 7 April 1943, while travelling near Mezzouna in southern Tunisia, Stauffenberg's vehicle came under attack from Allied fighter-bombers. The strafing attack left him critically wounded. He lost his left eye, his right hand and the ring and little fingers of his left hand, while also suffering numerous additional injuries. For many officers, such devastating wounds would have marked the end of an active military career. Instead, Stauffenberg demonstrated remarkable determination during a lengthy period of recovery. Following specialist treatment under the renowned surgeon Professor Ferdinand Sauerbruch, he gradually learned to write, dress and carry out military duties despite his severe disabilities.

His courage and service were recognised with the award of the German Cross in Gold and the Wound Badge in Gold. Yet the physical scars of Tunisia also coincided with a profound change in his outlook.

Convinced that Hitler's leadership was leading Germany towards inevitable catastrophe, Stauffenberg emerged from his recovery with a growing determination to act against the regime he had once believed could restore Germany's greatness.

Recovery and a changing conviction

Following months of intensive treatment and rehabilitation, Claus von Stauffenberg returned to active duty during the summer of 1943. Despite losing his right hand, left eye and two fingers on his remaining hand, he refused to retire from military service. With remarkable determination, he learned to write, dress himself and continue his staff duties, relying on specially adapted equipment and the assistance of aides where necessary. His experiences in North Africa, combined with what he had learned about the conduct of the war in the Soviet Union, fundamentally changed his outlook. Stauffenberg had come to believe that Adolf Hitler was leading Germany towards certain military defeat while simultaneously destroying the country's moral and cultural foundations. What had once been concerns about the regime's methods evolved into the conviction that Hitler had to be removed from power.

Although deeply patriotic and committed to Germany, Stauffenberg increasingly concluded that loyalty to the nation required disobedience to its leader. For a professional officer who had sworn a personal oath of allegiance to Hitler in 1934, this represented an extraordinary moral decision.

Joining the military resistance

In September 1943, Stauffenberg was assigned to the headquarters of the Replacement Army (Ersatzheer) on Bendlerstraße in Berlin. The post placed him under General Friedrich Olbricht, one of the most important members of the growing military resistance against Hitler. Unlike the field armies fighting across Europe, the Replacement Army controlled reserve formations stationed throughout Germany. These units were responsible for training recruits, replacing battlefield casualties and maintaining internal security. Their nationwide presence made them uniquely positioned to seize government buildings, communications centres and military headquarters in the event of a coup.

Through Olbricht, Stauffenberg was introduced to an expanding network of officers and civilians who believed that Germany could only be saved by removing Hitler from power. Although opposition to the dictator had existed for years, the resistance remained fragmented and lacked a single figure capable of transforming isolated plans into decisive action.

The men behind the conspiracy

Among the most influential conspirators was Major General Henning von Tresckow, Chief of Staff of Army Group Centre on the Eastern Front. Having witnessed the criminal conduct of the war in the Soviet Union, Tresckow had already organised several unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Hitler. He believed that every day Hitler remained in power brought further destruction to Germany and countless additional victims across occupied Europe. General Friedrich Olbricht provided the conspiracy with access to the Replacement Army, while General Ludwig Beck, the former Chief of the General Staff, was intended to become provisional Head of State following a successful coup. Another key figure was General Hans Oster of the Abwehr, who had opposed Hitler's aggressive policies even before the outbreak of the Second World War and had spent years supporting resistance activities from within German military intelligence.

These men brought experience, influence and determination, but none possessed the unique combination of access to Hitler, organisational skill and willingness to personally carry out the assassination. That role increasingly fell to Stauffenberg.

Operation Valkyrie

The conspirators recognised that killing Hitler alone would not end Nazi rule. The SS, the Gestapo and loyal Nazi officials would almost certainly attempt to retain control of Germany unless the state apparatus could be seized immediately. The solution lay in Operation Valkyrie (Unternehmen Walküre), an official emergency mobilisation plan approved by Hitler himself. Originally designed to allow the Replacement Army to restore order in the event of widespread civil unrest or slave labour uprisings, the plan authorised reserve units across Germany to occupy key government buildings, secure communication networks and arrest individuals considered a threat to public order.

Tresckow and Olbricht realised that these orders could be secretly rewritten. Once Hitler had been killed, the conspirators intended to activate Valkyrie under the false claim that the SS had launched a coup against the German government. Replacement Army units throughout the Reich would then arrest senior Nazi leaders, occupy ministries, radio stations and military headquarters and transfer power to a provisional government.

Stauffenberg became the driving force behind refining these plans. Possessing exceptional organisational abilities, he revised mobilisation orders, coordinated communications and ensured that commanders across Germany would receive instructions immediately after Hitler's death.

Chief of Staff of the Replacement Army

On 1 July 1944, Stauffenberg was promoted to Oberst (Colonel) and appointed Chief of Staff to General Friedrich Fromm, Commander of the Replacement Army. The appointment dramatically increased both his authority and his access to Hitler. As Chief of Staff, Stauffenberg regularly attended military conferences where senior officers briefed Hitler on the progress of the war. Unlike many other conspirators, he could enter Hitler's headquarters carrying official documents and briefing materials without arousing suspicion. This made him the only member of the resistance who both had direct access to Hitler and occupied a position capable of initiating Operation Valkyrie once the assassination had taken place.

By the summer of 1944, Germany's military situation had deteriorated rapidly. The Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, combined with the massive Soviet offensive in the east, convinced Stauffenberg that time was running out. He believed that removing Hitler was now Germany's last opportunity to end the war before complete collapse.

Several previous assassination attempts had already failed for reasons ranging from bad weather and cancelled meetings to simple chance. Stauffenberg therefore concluded that if another opportunity presented itself, he would personally carry out the attack. His appointment to the Replacement Army made that opportunity increasingly likely, bringing him to the threshold of one of the most famous days in modern history.

20 July 1944 – The assassination attempt

By the summer of 1944, Germany's military position had become desperate. In the west, the Western Allies had established a foothold in Normandy following the D-Day landings of 6 June 1944, while in the east the Soviet Red Army was advancing relentlessly after the launch of Operation Bagration on 22 June 1944. Convinced that Adolf Hitler's continued leadership would only prolong the war and increase Germany's destruction, Claus von Stauffenberg and his fellow conspirators resolved to act.

The plan required two events to occur almost simultaneously. First, Hitler had to be assassinated. Secondly, Operation Valkyrie had to be activated immediately, allowing the Replacement Army (Ersatzheer) to seize control of Germany before the SS, the Gestapo and loyal Nazi officials could organise resistance. Without Hitler's death, the coup had little chance of success.

The Wolf's Lair

On the morning of 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg flew from Berlin to Hitler's military headquarters, the Wolf's Lair (Wolfsschanze), near Rastenburg in East Prussia. He was accompanied by his adjutant, Lieutenant Werner von Haeften, while carrying a briefcase containing two British-made plastic explosive charges fitted with chemical time pencils. Shortly before the conference, Stauffenberg was given only a few minutes to prepare the explosives. Because of the severe injuries he had suffered in Tunisia, he was forced to arm the detonator using just three fingers of his left hand. The lack of time, combined with his physical disabilities, meant that only one of the two explosive charges could be activated before he was summoned to the briefing.

This seemingly small circumstance would prove crucial. Historians generally agree that had both charges exploded, the blast would almost certainly have killed everyone inside the conference room, including Hitler.

Placing the bomb

The military conference was unexpectedly moved from Hitler's heavily reinforced underground bunker to a lightly constructed wooden conference hut because of the unusually warm weather. Although the wooden building allowed some of the blast pressure to escape, Stauffenberg had no reason to believe this would significantly reduce the bomb's destructive power. Entering the conference room carrying his briefcase, Stauffenberg positioned himself close to Hitler as senior officers gathered around a large oak map table. Quietly, he placed the briefcase beneath the table only a short distance from Hitler's right side before excusing himself, claiming he needed to make an urgent telephone call to Berlin.

After leaving the building, Stauffenberg walked quickly towards his waiting vehicle. Only moments later, at approximately 12:42 PM, the bomb exploded with tremendous force.

Hitler survives

The explosion devastated the conference room, killing Colonel Heinz Brandt, General Rudolf Schmundt, General Günther Korten and stenographer Heinrich Berger. Several others suffered severe injuries. Hitler, however, survived with relatively minor wounds, including burns, cuts, burst eardrums and temporary hearing loss. His survival was largely due to a combination of extraordinary chance. Shortly before the explosion, Colonel Heinz Brandt had unknowingly moved Stauffenberg's briefcase behind one of the heavy oak supports supporting the conference table. The thick timber absorbed much of the blast directed towards Hitler. In addition, the windows of the wooden hut allowed the explosion to vent outward rather than being fully contained as it would have been inside the underground bunker.

Believing that no one could have survived the explosion, Stauffenberg successfully passed through several security checkpoints and departed the Wolf's Lair before the full extent of the damage became known.

Return to Berlin

Convinced that Hitler was dead, Stauffenberg boarded his aircraft and flew back to Berlin. During the flight, he confidently informed fellow conspirators that the assassination had succeeded. Acting on this information, members of the resistance began preparing to implement Operation Valkyrie. However, confusion quickly spread throughout the German command structure. Telephone calls from the Wolf's Lair confirmed that Hitler had survived the explosion. Some commanders refused to believe the reports, while others hesitated to support the coup without absolute proof of Hitler's death. This hesitation proved fatal to the conspiracy.

General Friedrich Fromm, commander of the Replacement Army, initially attempted to determine which side would prevail before committing himself. As news of Hitler's survival became undeniable, many officers who had earlier expressed sympathy for the conspiracy immediately withdrew their support.

The collapse of Operation Valkyrie

Although Valkyrie mobilisation orders had begun reaching military districts across Germany, the conflicting reports created widespread uncertainty. Some commanders obeyed the orders and arrested local SS officials, while others ignored them entirely. The lack of coordinated leadership allowed loyal Nazi authorities to regain control within hours. At the Bendlerblock, headquarters of the Replacement Army in Berlin, Stauffenberg continued insisting that Hitler must have died and argued that reports of his survival were part of an elaborate deception. Unfortunately for the conspirators, radio broadcasts and direct telephone communications from Hitler's headquarters soon removed any remaining doubt.

During the evening, loyal officers surrounded the Bendlerblock. A brief exchange of gunfire followed, during which Stauffenberg sustained a minor shoulder wound. The resistance leaders were quickly overpowered and arrested.

Execution at the Bendlerblock

Seeking to distance himself from the conspiracy, General Friedrich Fromm convened an immediate military court despite lacking legal authority to do so. Shortly after midnight, he sentenced the principal conspirators to death. In the early hours of 21 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg, General Friedrich Olbricht, Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim and Lieutenant Werner von Haeften were led into the courtyard of the Bendlerblock. Moments before the firing squad opened fire, Haeften reportedly stepped in front of Stauffenberg in a final attempt to shield his commander from the bullets, sacrificing his own life.

According to numerous eyewitness accounts, Stauffenberg's final words were "Es lebe das geheime Deutschland!" ("Long live Secret Germany!"), a phrase reflecting the ideals of the George Circle that had profoundly influenced him since his youth.

Within hours of the failed assassination attempt, Hitler ordered an extensive investigation. Over the following months, approximately 7,000 people were arrested in connection with the conspiracy and nearly 5,000 were executed or died as a consequence of the regime's brutal reprisals. Although Operation Valkyrie had failed, the events of 20 July 1944 became the most significant organised attempt by German military officers to overthrow the Nazi dictatorship from within.

The immediate aftermath

Within hours of the failed assassination attempt, Adolf Hitler addressed the German people by radio to prove that he was still alive and firmly in control of the Reich. The broadcast shattered any remaining hopes that Operation Valkyrie might succeed. Across Germany, military commanders who had hesitated immediately reaffirmed their loyalty to Hitler, while the SS and Gestapo began a massive investigation to identify everyone connected with the conspiracy.

The Nazi regime responded with extraordinary severity. The conspirators' homes were searched, private correspondence was seized and extensive interrogations were carried out under torture. The investigation quickly expanded far beyond those directly involved on 20 July 1944, uncovering resistance networks that had existed within the German Army, government ministries, churches and civilian society for several years.

Many of the surviving conspirators were brought before the notorious People's Court (Volksgerichtshof), presided over by the fanatical judge Roland Freisler. The trials were deliberately staged as humiliating public spectacles. Defendants were insulted, denied any meaningful legal defence and frequently sentenced to death after proceedings lasting only a few hours. Numerous executions were filmed on Hitler's personal orders.

Sippenhaft – Punishment of the families

The Nazi regime also revived the medieval principle of Sippenhaft, or family responsibility, under which relatives could be punished for the alleged crimes of one family member. Following Stauffenberg's execution, his wife, Nina von Stauffenberg, who was pregnant with their fifth child, was arrested by the Gestapo. The couple's four children were removed from their family, placed in state care under false surnames and separated from relatives. Other members of the wider Stauffenberg family were likewise imprisoned as the regime sought to eradicate every trace of the conspirators' influence. Although several family members survived the war, the policy of Sippenhaft demonstrated the ruthless lengths to which Hitler was prepared to go in suppressing opposition.

Germany after the failed coup

The failure of the 20 July Plot strengthened Hitler's personal control over Germany during the final months of the war. Increasingly distrustful of the traditional officer corps, he expanded the influence of the SS and demanded even greater personal loyalty from military commanders. Many experienced officers were dismissed, arrested or placed under constant surveillance.

The assassination attempt also marked the end of organised military resistance within Germany. Although isolated acts of opposition continued until the collapse of the Third Reich in May 1945, no further conspiracy came close to threatening Hitler's rule.

Historical assessment

Claus von Stauffenberg remains one of the most debated figures of the Second World War. For many Germans, he symbolises courage, conscience and the willingness to sacrifice everything in opposition to a criminal dictatorship. The annual commemoration held at the Bendlerblock in Berlin reflects the importance attached to the resistance by the modern German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr), whose recruits swear their oath of service there.

At the same time, historians emphasise that Stauffenberg should not be viewed through a simplistic lens. He was neither an early opponent of National Socialism nor a modern liberal democrat. Like many conservative aristocratic officers, he initially welcomed Hitler's restoration of German military strength and shared some of the nationalist attitudes common within the officer corps during the 1930s.

His transformation was gradual. The regime's growing lawlessness, the persecution of religious institutions, the mass murder of civilians in occupied Europe and Germany's increasingly hopeless military situation convinced him that Hitler had become a disaster for both Germany and Europe. His decision to join the resistance therefore emerged from a combination of patriotic, military, moral and religious convictions rather than from a single defining event.

Modern scholarship generally agrees that Stauffenberg cannot be understood as either a flawless hero or a committed supporter of Nazism. Instead, he represents the moral complexity faced by many German officers who served the regime before ultimately deciding that their duty to Germany required them to oppose its leader.

Key Dates

15 November 1907: Born in Jettingen, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire.
1926: Enlisted in the 17th Cavalry Regiment (Reiterregiment 17) in Bamberg.
1930: Commissioned as a Leutnant in the Reichswehr.
26 September 1933: Married Elisabeth Magdalena "Nina" Freiin von Lerchenfeld.
September 1939: Served as a General Staff officer during the Invasion of Poland.
May–June 1940: Participated in the Battle of France with the 6th Panzer Division.
22 June 1941: Supported planning activities connected with Operation Barbarossa.
7 April 1943: Seriously wounded near Mezzouna, Tunisia, losing his left eye, right hand and two fingers of his left hand.
September 1943: Assigned to the Replacement Army (Ersatzheer) in Berlin.
1 July 1944: Appointed Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Replacement Army.
20 July 1944: Carried out the assassination attempt against Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair.
21 July 1944: Executed by firing squad in the courtyard of the Bendlerblock, Berlin.