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At about 4 in the afternoon of 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg arrived back in Berlin. He expected the insurrection to be in full swing, and was shocked to learn nothing had been done.

He swung into action, and the first Valkyrie orders went out.

Colonel General Fromm was unwilling to commit himself to the coup while Hitler’s survival remained uncertain. Incensed when he learned Valkyrie orders had been issued without his knowledge, he ordered the arrest of the officer responsible. Instead, the conspirators arrested him.

Now the Valkyrie orders went out across the Reich, and troops moved into position to take control.

In Paris, all the key Nazis were arrested, and the capital was in the conspirators’ hands. In Vienna, Nazi leaders were confined in separate rooms in a hotel. The conspirators had control there.

In Berlin, Major Remer was ordered to secure the administrative district with a guard regiment, and had done this by early evening.

The Nazi hierarchy was hours away in East Prussia, and still did not appreciate their danger.

Remer entered the Propaganda Ministry, with orders to arrest Goebbels – the most senior Nazi in Berlin.

Goebbels picked up the telephone and connected Remer to Hitler. Remer was a committed Nazi, and shocked to learn that the Führer was alive. Hitler now gave him full authority to put down the coup.

From this point, the tide began to recede for the conspirators.

Written and narrated by Brian Walters

Original music, editing and sound design by the amazing Sam Loy

Artwork by Mike Vernon.

Episode Transcript

A full transcript of the episode is available here.

Read the book TREASON

You can read more about Claus von Stauffenberg and the German resistance to Hitler, in the book Treason by Brian Walters.

For those with iPads, Treason is available as an interactive Apple Book here.

The hard copy can be bought here.

If you live out of Australia, the hard copy is best purchased from Blurb.

There is also a Kindle version.

Resources

For a list of the creative commons music and sound effects used in this episode, head here.

Finally …

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By all means contact me, Brian Walters, by email on walters@vicbar.com.au

TREASON: Claus von Stauffenberg and the plot to kill Hitler