July 20: Hitler is unsuccessfully assassinated in the Valkyrie Secret Service

The Valkyrie mission (in German: Walkür) was a conspiracy to assassinate German governor Adolf Hitler on July 20, 1944, at the command post of the Rastenburg district.

In the conspiracy group that overthrew the Nazi Party, there were a number of German army officers, who carried out the carrying of explosives files to assassinate Hitler at the "Wolf Cave" Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. .

Around 6:00 am on July 20, 1944, Colonel Stauffenberg and his entourage Lieutenant Werner von Haeften passed through ruined buildings due to bombs in Berlin to the Rangsdorf airport. In the thick case is a record of the reserve divisions he will present to the Leader at "Wolf's Cave" in Rastenburg, East Prussia. Between the records is a bomb wrapped in a shirt.

Colonel Stauffenberg, who brought explosive material into the "Wolf Cave" to assassinate Hitler.

It was a British bomb, triggered by smashing a small tick, causing acid in it to erode a small metal wire, causing a spring to burst and strike the detonator. Depending on the size of the metal wire, the bomb explodes quickly or slowly. They use the smallest metal wire, which will be corroded within 10 minutes.

The plane took off at 7 o'clock, landing on Rastenburg at about 10 o'clock. Haeften requests the pilot to be ready to take off back to Berlin anytime after noon. A car takes two people to the Wolf Cave , built between a dense, humid forest in Dong Pho. The structure was built with three rings, each guarded with minefields, underground concrete fortifications, wire fences, and SS soldiers patrolling day and night.

The outermost Colonel Stauffenberg left, meeting Hitler at the commanding base of Rastenburg.

After meeting General Buhke, the Army representative at the General Staff, Stauffenberg went to the area of ​​General Keitel, unloading his hat and belt hanging on the wall in the front room and entering Keitel's office. Keitel said that the meeting will take place in the barracks meeting room.

This is beyond Stauffenberg's expectations, because at first he thought the meeting would take place in the underground bunker, where the bomb's destructive power would be much greater due to the pressure in the closed room.

In the front room, Stauffenberg quickly opened the briefcase, holding the grip between three fingers to break the tick. Within 10 minutes the bomb will explode, unless there are other defects. The two went into the meeting room. About 4 minutes have passed since Stauffenberg activated the bomb; 6 minutes left. Meeting rooms are quite small, less than 5 meters wide and less than 10 meters long. There are many open windows, thus reducing the bomb's destructive power.

The film Valkyrie recreates the assassination of Hitler by Colonel Stauffenberg.

Stauffenberg came to stand between Korten and Brandt near the table, a few steps from Hitler on his right. He placed the briefcase on the floor, pushed it under the table to lean on the inside of the pedestal, only 2 meters away from Hitler's feet.

No one seemed to notice when Stauffenberg sneaked out. Maybe except Brandt. He listened attentively to Heusinger's report that he moved closer to get a better look, entangled in Stauffenberg's thick briefcase, tried to push it aside with one foot, and bent down to lift the briefcase with his hand and set on the outside of the pedestal. Therefore, the platform between the bomb and Hitler.

Brandt's simple move probably saved Hitler's life, but caused Brandt to die.

The barracks room after the explosion, Hitler did not die but only suffered minor injuries.

Right at 12:42, the bomb exploded. Stauffenberg was excited to believe that everyone in the meeting room was dead or dying. Stauffenberg's next move was to quickly escape from Rastenburg headquarters.

Contrary to Stauffenberg's trust, Hitler did not die. Brandt's involuntary act when he moved the briefcase to the outside of the pedestal saved Hitler's life. He was shocked but only slightly injured.

This failed assassination accidentally triggered a massacre . Hitler had investigated the plot and the people involved in the overthrow of the Nazis. Then the Gestapo secret police seized nearly 7,000 people. Many military officers were sentenced and executed. Hitler simultaneously killed or killed many generals in the ranks of the German army. According to the report of Naval Affairs at the Führer conference, there were 4,980 people executed.