Hitler’s Generals Conspire – II

                Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts. 

                Content: The conspiracy against Hitler within the ranks of the German army is one of the Third Reich’s most intriguing stories. Led by Ludwig Beck, former Army Chief of Staff, the plotters were among the most prominent general officers in the German military hierarchy.  Hitler’s initial successes after 1939 put them on the defensive, but the company increased and as the war turned against Germany, each new defeat, particularly that at Stalingrad, heightened their determination to be rid of the gutter snipe before his megalomania brought Germany to ruin. Their motives, often rooted in social disdain rather than moral revulsion, varied from person to person. Beck feared Hitler’s geopolitical recklessness. Admiral Canaris hated Hitler, Himmler and the entire Nazi movement as a political phenomenon. Von Stauffenberg was horrified by Nazi cruelty to slavs and Jews in a kind of upper class superiority. General Tresckow believed even a failed attempt was a worthy sign that at least some in Germany had not abandoned decency. Alas, all their attempts failed either through poor planning or faulty equipment. The little corporal’s luck never seemed to run out.