Date of Award
Spring 4-29-2016
Document Type
Honors Project
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
History and American Studies
First Advisor
Blakemore, Porter
Second Advisor
O'Brien, Bruce
Major or Concentration
History
Abstract
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg's name has become synonymous with the July 20, 1944 plot to assassinate Hitler and topple the Nazi regime. However, the efforts of two other men, Major-General Henning von Tresckow and General Friedrich Olbricht, made the execution of this coup possible, and the Colonel merely stepped into the framework they established. These two men were the primary, behind-the-scenes architects of the coup due to their experience in the opposition leading up to July 20, which included prior assassination attempts, knowledge of bombs, their guiding hands through the revision of Operation Valkyrie, and the network of contacts they had built. However, because they were so involved, Tresckow and Olbricht also claim a portion of the blame for the plot's failure firstly because of the inherently flawed nature of Operation Valkyrie and secondly because their efforts to recruit loyal participants to the plot fell short.
Recommended Citation
Maclndoe, Kathleen Michelle, "The Forgotten Faces of Operation Valkyrie: Major-General Henning von Tresckow and General Friedrich Olbricht in the July 20 Plot to Assassinate Hitler" (2016). Student Research Submissions. 58.
https://scholar.umw.edu/student_research/58