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The Plots Against Hitler
“ [A] gripping look at a historical counternarrative that remains relevant and disturbing. ” — Kirkus Reviews
“Superb.” — Publishers Weekly
The first definitive account of the anti-Nazi underground in Germany
“A riveting narrative of the organization, conspiracy, and sacrifices made by those who led the resistance against Hitler. Orbach deftly analyzes the mixed motives, moral ambiguities and organizational vulnerability that marked their work, while reminding us forcefully of their essential bravery and rightness. And he challenges us to ask whether we would have summoned the same courage.” — Charles S. Maier , professor of history, Harvard University, and author of Among Empires
In 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany. A year later, all political parties but the Nazis had been outlawed, freedom of the press was but a memory, and Hitler’s dominance seemed complete. Yet over the next few years, an unlikely cadre of conspirators emerged—schoolteachers, politicians, theologians, even a carpenter—who would try repeatedly to end the Führer’s genocidal reign. This dramatic account is history at its most suspenseful, revealing the full story of those noble, ingenious, and doomed efforts.
Orbach’s fresh research offers profound new insight into the conspirators’ methods, motivations, fears, and hopes. We’ve had no idea until now how close they came—several times—to succeeding. The Plots Against Hitler fundamentally alters our view of World War II and sheds bright—even redemptive—light on its darkest days.
“Superb.” — Publishers Weekly
The first definitive account of the anti-Nazi underground in Germany
“A riveting narrative of the organization, conspiracy, and sacrifices made by those who led the resistance against Hitler. Orbach deftly analyzes the mixed motives, moral ambiguities and organizational vulnerability that marked their work, while reminding us forcefully of their essential bravery and rightness. And he challenges us to ask whether we would have summoned the same courage.” — Charles S. Maier , professor of history, Harvard University, and author of Among Empires
In 1933, Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany. A year later, all political parties but the Nazis had been outlawed, freedom of the press was but a memory, and Hitler’s dominance seemed complete. Yet over the next few years, an unlikely cadre of conspirators emerged—schoolteachers, politicians, theologians, even a carpenter—who would try repeatedly to end the Führer’s genocidal reign. This dramatic account is history at its most suspenseful, revealing the full story of those noble, ingenious, and doomed efforts.
Orbach’s fresh research offers profound new insight into the conspirators’ methods, motivations, fears, and hopes. We’ve had no idea until now how close they came—several times—to succeeding. The Plots Against Hitler fundamentally alters our view of World War II and sheds bright—even redemptive—light on its darkest days.
432 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2016
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484 people want to read
About the author
Danny Orbach
5 books6 followersDanny Orbach is Senior Lecturer in the Departments of Asian Studies and General History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 4, 2017
One of the most consistent questions asked by historians about watershed historical events is “what if?” Counterfactual history may be an interesting intellectual exercise, but speculating when an “Adolf Hitler” could have been stopped, thus avoiding the carnage of World War II does not alter events. However, reviewing and analyzing actual attempts to kill or overthrow the German Fuhrer is not counter factual but a valid attempt to see how close conspirators actually came to removing Hitler.
There are many other questions that are associated with attempts to remove individuals who are deemed to be dangerous to society. At what point do people turn against their government? What motivates people to resist? Is it ideological, moral, or some other reason that drives individuals to say enough is enough and resort to violence to unseat an existing regime? These questions are very important when applied to the opponents of Adolf Hitler. Why did certain people oppose Nazism? Why did they wait so long to try and depose Hitler? Did some plotters of the resistance to Hitler actually participate and support genocide against the Jews and other inhumane actions? Did they try and rid the world of Hitler when they realized that the war was lost? Finally, did they find Nazism morally repugnant so they decided to strike? These questions and a discussion of those who tried to remove Hitler are examined fully in Danny Orbach’s new book THE PLOTS TO KILL HITLER. Orbach examines the full breath of available documents in a number of languages and argues that the answers to these questions are complex and conclusions cannot be considered black or white.
By late 1934 Hitler and his henchmen having taken advantage of the Reichstag fire were the sole masters of Germany. After crushing the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and centrist parties, the most important source of legal opposition to the Nazis ceased to exist. The Nazi Gleichschaltung (bringing into line) would swallow local governments, trade unions, and any possible opposition as they cemented their hold over Germany. Even military leaders who looked down on the former corporal supported a regime whose rhetoric promised to fulfill their goals of rearmament and a more aggressive foreign policy. A number of military leaders did question the idea of Hitler in power, but they, like the politicians felt they could control him. Any dissenters were silenced or forced to retire, and Hitler sealed the deal with the military by destroying the SA, his private army during the “Night of the Long Knives” (also known as the Roehm putsch) when the SA leadership was massacred. With the accession of the SS and the Gestapo, all opposition ceased.
Orbach traces the origins of the most famous attempt to remove Hitler on July 20, 1944 to the purge of the military leadership in late 1937 and early 1938. It began with the removal of Field Marshall Werner von Blumberg, the Nazi Minister of War, and General Werner von Fritsch, the commander of the army. Both were brought down through the machinations of Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering as one was married to a former prostitute, the other was framed as a homosexual. The vacuum was filled by lackeys like General Wilhelm Keitel who were deemed loyal to Hitler, but an outgrowth of these events was the development of a network that opposed Nazism and wanted to change the government led by Lt. Colonel Hans Oster, an anti-Nazi and a rising star in the Abwehr; Hans Bernd Gisevius, a Gestapo agent who became Oster’s eyes and ears inside the Nazi Security Service; and Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, the former land mayor of Leipzig who resigned his office when a statue of Felix Mendelssohn was removed from the town square. These men and others eventually found the violence against the Jews repugnant, were distraught over the persecution of the church, and felt that Hitler’s dangerous foreign policy would lead to war and the destruction of Germany.
Orbach outlines clearly the characteristics of a strong network or clique to foment a coup. He points to the recruitment of members based on previous friendship and acquaintances. Further, they must be relatively autonomous and protected from suspicion by the security services, i.e., the officer corps was autonomous from civilian authorities. Lastly, they are dependent upon networks of kinship, marriage, social ties, joint schooling and military service. This would lead to the evolution from being a social network to a conspiratorial one.
The network would expand to include Ulrich von Hassel, the former ambassador to Italy, Ewald von Kliest, an aristocrat and major land owner, Colonel Ludwig Beck, the Chief of the General Staff, General Erwin von Witzleben, the commander of greater Berlin, and on the periphery Colonel Wilhelm Carnaris, the head of German intelligence. This network is described in one of Orbach’s most interesting chapters as he describes how they organized and planned a coup de tat for September 28, 1938. For Orbach this was one of the best chances for success because following the Anschluss with Austria, Hitler ordered Operation Green, the invasion of Czechoslovakia to obtain the mineral rich Sudetenland, an area of over three million Germans. If this could be achieved then the Czech state would effectively be destroyed. A number of leading military and civilian figures opposed the operation believing that Germany was not ready for war and would be defeated. The coup was set, but the conspirators did not count on the fecklessness of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the intercession of Benito Mussolini that brought about the Munich Conference and the ceding of the Sudetenland to Germany peacefully. Once the fear of war with Britain and France was off the table, the conspirators were finished. However, Hitler would continue his aggressive actions that eventually resulted in the events of early September, 1939 with the invasion of Poland and the official beginning of World War II.
The Oster, Goerdeler, and Beck network was too small to stage a successful coup especially with higher echelons of the Nazi regime intoxicated with events up to the invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941. The expansion of the German resistance movement was a direct reaction to Operation Barbarossa, and with it the only option seemed to be the assassination of Hitler. The movement expanded and its tentacles reached further into the army, foreign office with improved connections between cells. Many like Hermann Kaiser, a former history teacher, and reserve officer; and Lt. Col. Henning von Tresckow, a senior operations officer in the Army Group Center on the eastern front reacted to the carnage and slaughter in the east perpetrated by SS Einsatzgruppen. In 1941 and 1942 there was little that could be done to stop it, but with the fall of Stalingrad the resistance was emboldened and a number of assassination attempts against Hitler were planned but failed due to a change in the Fuhrer’s schedule, bad luck or other unforeseen problems.
One of the most surprising aspects of the book was Orbach’s discussion of the role of Admiral Wilhelm Carnaris, a conservative nationalist who could not accept the brutality of the Nazi regime. Carnaris disgusted by what he saw in Warsaw worked to save over 400 people including Rabbi Joseph Schneersohn, the Lubacitche Rabbi. Carnaris worked further to smuggle Jews out of Germany using the excuse he was planting spies abroad.
By 1943 leadership of the resistance fell, almost, by default to Count Claus von Stauffenberg, a romanticist and elitist whose career would bring him to Hitler’s General Staff. Orbach presents an in depth chapter dealing with von Stauffenberg’s evolution in finally becoming the leader of the movement and deciding that only he had the courage and position to kill Hitler. Orbach carefully explains the organization of the conspirators, how they planned, communicated, recruited, and compartmentalized their networks from each other. Orbach’s analysis included the personality clashes within the movement and the shadow government that was created designed to govern Germany after the Nazis were removed. All their plans failed as Hitler survived the July 20, 1944 bomb blast and Orbach explains that none of the conspirators had any training in the art of the coup de tat which in part explains why it was not successful. Orbach drills down in reviewing mistakes that were made and the fate of the perpetrators once the plot was uncovered.
Orbach’s conclusions are well supported by his ambitious scholarship and research. I believe the most important question explored in the narrative is what led people to oppose Hitler. Was is a combination of their hostility toward murder, genocide, fear that Germany could not win a world war, opportunism, or the dechristianization of Germany? Orbach further argues that it “perhaps comes down to the elements composing motive, the aggregate of psychological processes and factors pushing one across the Rubicon into the shadowy world of revolutionary conspiracy. It may well be difficult to define the elusive mix that constitutes such an imperative. The best I can do is to suggest three necessary components: its foundation, substance, and impetus.” The foundation seems to be empathy, the substance is a system of values, and the impetus was exceptional courage.
Orbach’s narrative, at times, reads like a murder mystery, as well as a historical monograph. Orbach should also be given credit for presenting then debunking numerous myths associated with events which makes the book a useful contribution to the increasing number of studies dealing with the German resistance. Because of Orbach’s approach and smooth writing those who are interested in the topic should not be disappointed.
Orbach compares the recent attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey with those against Hitler in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, November 28, 2016. Go to http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east news/turkey/.premium-1.755427
There are many other questions that are associated with attempts to remove individuals who are deemed to be dangerous to society. At what point do people turn against their government? What motivates people to resist? Is it ideological, moral, or some other reason that drives individuals to say enough is enough and resort to violence to unseat an existing regime? These questions are very important when applied to the opponents of Adolf Hitler. Why did certain people oppose Nazism? Why did they wait so long to try and depose Hitler? Did some plotters of the resistance to Hitler actually participate and support genocide against the Jews and other inhumane actions? Did they try and rid the world of Hitler when they realized that the war was lost? Finally, did they find Nazism morally repugnant so they decided to strike? These questions and a discussion of those who tried to remove Hitler are examined fully in Danny Orbach’s new book THE PLOTS TO KILL HITLER. Orbach examines the full breath of available documents in a number of languages and argues that the answers to these questions are complex and conclusions cannot be considered black or white.
By late 1934 Hitler and his henchmen having taken advantage of the Reichstag fire were the sole masters of Germany. After crushing the Communist Party, the Social Democratic Party, and centrist parties, the most important source of legal opposition to the Nazis ceased to exist. The Nazi Gleichschaltung (bringing into line) would swallow local governments, trade unions, and any possible opposition as they cemented their hold over Germany. Even military leaders who looked down on the former corporal supported a regime whose rhetoric promised to fulfill their goals of rearmament and a more aggressive foreign policy. A number of military leaders did question the idea of Hitler in power, but they, like the politicians felt they could control him. Any dissenters were silenced or forced to retire, and Hitler sealed the deal with the military by destroying the SA, his private army during the “Night of the Long Knives” (also known as the Roehm putsch) when the SA leadership was massacred. With the accession of the SS and the Gestapo, all opposition ceased.
Orbach traces the origins of the most famous attempt to remove Hitler on July 20, 1944 to the purge of the military leadership in late 1937 and early 1938. It began with the removal of Field Marshall Werner von Blumberg, the Nazi Minister of War, and General Werner von Fritsch, the commander of the army. Both were brought down through the machinations of Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Goering as one was married to a former prostitute, the other was framed as a homosexual. The vacuum was filled by lackeys like General Wilhelm Keitel who were deemed loyal to Hitler, but an outgrowth of these events was the development of a network that opposed Nazism and wanted to change the government led by Lt. Colonel Hans Oster, an anti-Nazi and a rising star in the Abwehr; Hans Bernd Gisevius, a Gestapo agent who became Oster’s eyes and ears inside the Nazi Security Service; and Dr. Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, the former land mayor of Leipzig who resigned his office when a statue of Felix Mendelssohn was removed from the town square. These men and others eventually found the violence against the Jews repugnant, were distraught over the persecution of the church, and felt that Hitler’s dangerous foreign policy would lead to war and the destruction of Germany.
Orbach outlines clearly the characteristics of a strong network or clique to foment a coup. He points to the recruitment of members based on previous friendship and acquaintances. Further, they must be relatively autonomous and protected from suspicion by the security services, i.e., the officer corps was autonomous from civilian authorities. Lastly, they are dependent upon networks of kinship, marriage, social ties, joint schooling and military service. This would lead to the evolution from being a social network to a conspiratorial one.
The network would expand to include Ulrich von Hassel, the former ambassador to Italy, Ewald von Kliest, an aristocrat and major land owner, Colonel Ludwig Beck, the Chief of the General Staff, General Erwin von Witzleben, the commander of greater Berlin, and on the periphery Colonel Wilhelm Carnaris, the head of German intelligence. This network is described in one of Orbach’s most interesting chapters as he describes how they organized and planned a coup de tat for September 28, 1938. For Orbach this was one of the best chances for success because following the Anschluss with Austria, Hitler ordered Operation Green, the invasion of Czechoslovakia to obtain the mineral rich Sudetenland, an area of over three million Germans. If this could be achieved then the Czech state would effectively be destroyed. A number of leading military and civilian figures opposed the operation believing that Germany was not ready for war and would be defeated. The coup was set, but the conspirators did not count on the fecklessness of British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and the intercession of Benito Mussolini that brought about the Munich Conference and the ceding of the Sudetenland to Germany peacefully. Once the fear of war with Britain and France was off the table, the conspirators were finished. However, Hitler would continue his aggressive actions that eventually resulted in the events of early September, 1939 with the invasion of Poland and the official beginning of World War II.
The Oster, Goerdeler, and Beck network was too small to stage a successful coup especially with higher echelons of the Nazi regime intoxicated with events up to the invasion of the Soviet Union in June, 1941. The expansion of the German resistance movement was a direct reaction to Operation Barbarossa, and with it the only option seemed to be the assassination of Hitler. The movement expanded and its tentacles reached further into the army, foreign office with improved connections between cells. Many like Hermann Kaiser, a former history teacher, and reserve officer; and Lt. Col. Henning von Tresckow, a senior operations officer in the Army Group Center on the eastern front reacted to the carnage and slaughter in the east perpetrated by SS Einsatzgruppen. In 1941 and 1942 there was little that could be done to stop it, but with the fall of Stalingrad the resistance was emboldened and a number of assassination attempts against Hitler were planned but failed due to a change in the Fuhrer’s schedule, bad luck or other unforeseen problems.
One of the most surprising aspects of the book was Orbach’s discussion of the role of Admiral Wilhelm Carnaris, a conservative nationalist who could not accept the brutality of the Nazi regime. Carnaris disgusted by what he saw in Warsaw worked to save over 400 people including Rabbi Joseph Schneersohn, the Lubacitche Rabbi. Carnaris worked further to smuggle Jews out of Germany using the excuse he was planting spies abroad.
By 1943 leadership of the resistance fell, almost, by default to Count Claus von Stauffenberg, a romanticist and elitist whose career would bring him to Hitler’s General Staff. Orbach presents an in depth chapter dealing with von Stauffenberg’s evolution in finally becoming the leader of the movement and deciding that only he had the courage and position to kill Hitler. Orbach carefully explains the organization of the conspirators, how they planned, communicated, recruited, and compartmentalized their networks from each other. Orbach’s analysis included the personality clashes within the movement and the shadow government that was created designed to govern Germany after the Nazis were removed. All their plans failed as Hitler survived the July 20, 1944 bomb blast and Orbach explains that none of the conspirators had any training in the art of the coup de tat which in part explains why it was not successful. Orbach drills down in reviewing mistakes that were made and the fate of the perpetrators once the plot was uncovered.
Orbach’s conclusions are well supported by his ambitious scholarship and research. I believe the most important question explored in the narrative is what led people to oppose Hitler. Was is a combination of their hostility toward murder, genocide, fear that Germany could not win a world war, opportunism, or the dechristianization of Germany? Orbach further argues that it “perhaps comes down to the elements composing motive, the aggregate of psychological processes and factors pushing one across the Rubicon into the shadowy world of revolutionary conspiracy. It may well be difficult to define the elusive mix that constitutes such an imperative. The best I can do is to suggest three necessary components: its foundation, substance, and impetus.” The foundation seems to be empathy, the substance is a system of values, and the impetus was exceptional courage.
Orbach’s narrative, at times, reads like a murder mystery, as well as a historical monograph. Orbach should also be given credit for presenting then debunking numerous myths associated with events which makes the book a useful contribution to the increasing number of studies dealing with the German resistance. Because of Orbach’s approach and smooth writing those who are interested in the topic should not be disappointed.
Orbach compares the recent attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey with those against Hitler in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, November 28, 2016. Go to http://www.haaretz.com/middle-east news/turkey/.premium-1.755427
December 19, 2016
I listened to this as an audio book. I really enjoyed it. I don't recall learning much abot plots to assassinate Hitler in school or college really. So, this was a great book for me. The only plot I knew about was really Operation Valkyrie. But, it was interesting to learn about the others; as well as how "put together" the network was to assassinate him. It was inspiring to see that there were many who put country before Hitler, even though they knew they'd suffer for it if they got caught.
April 8, 2023
You know the saying "The devil takes care of his own"? My deeply Catholic mother reminded me of that one a lot when I complained about the way God arranges things; there is, she would say, another power at work in the world as well. Whatever your theological outlook, you have to admit, the history this book discusses feels like proof. I mean, I suppose it's like the thing that circulates now and then about Lincoln having a secretary named Kennedy and Kennedy having a secretary named Lincoln, etc; probably any world leader has, knowingly or not, dodged an assassination attempt or three through sheer luck.
But I don't think it can be denied that at the very least Hitler was a lucky bastard. He ascribed it to divine protection. I certainly hope not. He is a major argument for me against predestination – because if it turns out that Hitler was in some way kept alive by whatever force in order to create all the circumstances that surrounded him, for the people who died to die and for those who lived to live … I am going to complain to the management. Loudly.
The seeds of the war were something I didn't know as much about as I thought. I've never known much about Neville Chamberlain; I know a bit about the War, not so much about the buildup. I knew enough to associate him with appeasement. I didn't expect to simultaneously sympathize with and revile him. I'm always left baffled by the kind of mindset which wants to rule the world – I wouldn't take it if you handed it to me on a tea tray covered in chocolate. (I say things like "When I am queen, I will change the name of 'common sense', for it is not" – but not even to implement my own such plots would I actually accept a throne.) Maybe the poor bugger took power never dreaming a war would be necessary in his term – else he had no business seeking power with the outlook he had. I have to say as one who has been branded a bleeding heart, I sympathize with his pacifism, with his loathing for war and the waste and chaos and pain it inevitably brings. But … Hitler. "Peace in our time? Let us put it a bit more realistically. Chamberlain saved Hitler." That is a powerful condemnation.
There really are just a handful of things that can be considered incontestable facts in this world of gray areas: fire is hot, water is wet, space is vast, and Hitler was evil. What amazes me right now, what I had never really seen clearly before (not having read the book in question), is that he wrote it all down and published it for all the world to read. He laid out "his master plan" in Mein Kampf. And, apparently, most of the world went "Huh". Even some of the people who later tried to kill him apparently didn't take him very seriously. At first. It was only later that they began, some of them, to realize he was a serious threat – and some began to be very concerned about how they were going to get out of this. Stauffenberg, the most famous of the plotters, told a fellow officer, "We are sowing hatred that will visit our children one day" – the scars Nazism was leaving on Germany would shape how the country, the people, would be perceived for generations. If nothing else, they wanted to make it clear that the country wasn't homogenous, that there were attempts to put a stop to it. That didn't really work, either, really. "Notwithstanding all of their efforts and sacrifice, most Germans still followed Hitler to the bitter end."
One of my earliest memories – and I wonder now how this has shaped my psyche – is of looking through the railing of the upstairs hall into the living room where my father was watching a documentary about the Holocaust, and seeing people being put into ovens. (It's a wonder that Hansel and Gretel doesn't send me screaming into the night.) I remember my complete and utter shock when we finally got around to learning something in history class - six million people were killed? But – how – surely not – six million?? And – wait – what? The US turned away shipsful of refugees, sent them back to what was very likely their deaths? Impossible. Not my country. Disillusionment, thy name is high school.
I've come a long way in terms of what I know since that day in tenth grade, but my heart hasn't changed much. It seems like every time I read or watch anything on World War II I learn some new horrifying tidbit I'd never heard of before. This book follows the pattern: "fifteen hundred [Polish] Jews, including women and children, had been intentionally frozen to death while being transported in open trucks". That apparently was not uncommon.
And, fortunately, there were those within WWII Germany to whom this was as unacceptable as it is to me, here, now. There were those who … like an American electorate I could name … thought that the worst couldn't possibly happen, that a megalomaniac fool could never get control of everything, who were baffled and stunned by the megalomaniacal fool's victories … "The masses are ruled by idiotic indifference" is an extraordinarily relevant quote. There were those within WWII Germany who were horrified at the atrocities being committed daily – and there were those whose point of view was more along the lines of if this country continues to allow, and to commit, such acts, when this war is over we will never be allowed to lift our heads again.
Something that puzzles me – kind of random, entirely apart from "how didTrump Hitler gain power and how did he keep it" (which was addressed by the author: "As a soldier, Stauffenberg could not vote, but even a year before, in 1932, he preferred Hitler for president over Hindenburg. Just like many other German conservatives, he believed that the new leader would moderate his views after taking power". Sound familiar?) – is … whenever conspirators were caught and interrogated, I wonder why they didn't try throwing someone like Goebbels or Himmler under the bus.
The through-line of the book, of course, is summed up by the title: the plots against Hitler. Whatever might be said or conjectured about the characters or steadfastness of the plotters, there were certainly plots – and, obviously, since he survived to take his own life, all of the plots failed. This could easily have swerved off into something like the way I started this review – there must have been some supernatural thing or power making each plot fail when, on paper, it should have succeeded.
The writing is solidly written, obviously well-researched and scholarly while still maintaining an almost conversational tone at times. The main thing that made it hard to read was the obviously dreadful subject matter; I had to take a break for a while. The even temporary triumph of evil is hard to stomach. But, perhaps, there are lessons that can be taken from it. Even evil which seems to overcome all obstacles does not last forever. And there are always people, even in amongst those at the heart of it, who see it for what it is. And even if attempts to destroy it don't work, even if it oozes out from under all attempts to crush it, it will implode.
There's always hope. Even when it really, really doesn't seem like it, there is hope.
I hope.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
But I don't think it can be denied that at the very least Hitler was a lucky bastard. He ascribed it to divine protection. I certainly hope not. He is a major argument for me against predestination – because if it turns out that Hitler was in some way kept alive by whatever force in order to create all the circumstances that surrounded him, for the people who died to die and for those who lived to live … I am going to complain to the management. Loudly.
The seeds of the war were something I didn't know as much about as I thought. I've never known much about Neville Chamberlain; I know a bit about the War, not so much about the buildup. I knew enough to associate him with appeasement. I didn't expect to simultaneously sympathize with and revile him. I'm always left baffled by the kind of mindset which wants to rule the world – I wouldn't take it if you handed it to me on a tea tray covered in chocolate. (I say things like "When I am queen, I will change the name of 'common sense', for it is not" – but not even to implement my own such plots would I actually accept a throne.) Maybe the poor bugger took power never dreaming a war would be necessary in his term – else he had no business seeking power with the outlook he had. I have to say as one who has been branded a bleeding heart, I sympathize with his pacifism, with his loathing for war and the waste and chaos and pain it inevitably brings. But … Hitler. "Peace in our time? Let us put it a bit more realistically. Chamberlain saved Hitler." That is a powerful condemnation.
There really are just a handful of things that can be considered incontestable facts in this world of gray areas: fire is hot, water is wet, space is vast, and Hitler was evil. What amazes me right now, what I had never really seen clearly before (not having read the book in question), is that he wrote it all down and published it for all the world to read. He laid out "his master plan" in Mein Kampf. And, apparently, most of the world went "Huh". Even some of the people who later tried to kill him apparently didn't take him very seriously. At first. It was only later that they began, some of them, to realize he was a serious threat – and some began to be very concerned about how they were going to get out of this. Stauffenberg, the most famous of the plotters, told a fellow officer, "We are sowing hatred that will visit our children one day" – the scars Nazism was leaving on Germany would shape how the country, the people, would be perceived for generations. If nothing else, they wanted to make it clear that the country wasn't homogenous, that there were attempts to put a stop to it. That didn't really work, either, really. "Notwithstanding all of their efforts and sacrifice, most Germans still followed Hitler to the bitter end."
One of my earliest memories – and I wonder now how this has shaped my psyche – is of looking through the railing of the upstairs hall into the living room where my father was watching a documentary about the Holocaust, and seeing people being put into ovens. (It's a wonder that Hansel and Gretel doesn't send me screaming into the night.) I remember my complete and utter shock when we finally got around to learning something in history class - six million people were killed? But – how – surely not – six million?? And – wait – what? The US turned away shipsful of refugees, sent them back to what was very likely their deaths? Impossible. Not my country. Disillusionment, thy name is high school.
I've come a long way in terms of what I know since that day in tenth grade, but my heart hasn't changed much. It seems like every time I read or watch anything on World War II I learn some new horrifying tidbit I'd never heard of before. This book follows the pattern: "fifteen hundred [Polish] Jews, including women and children, had been intentionally frozen to death while being transported in open trucks". That apparently was not uncommon.
And, fortunately, there were those within WWII Germany to whom this was as unacceptable as it is to me, here, now. There were those who … like an American electorate I could name … thought that the worst couldn't possibly happen, that a megalomaniac fool could never get control of everything, who were baffled and stunned by the megalomaniacal fool's victories … "The masses are ruled by idiotic indifference" is an extraordinarily relevant quote. There were those within WWII Germany who were horrified at the atrocities being committed daily – and there were those whose point of view was more along the lines of if this country continues to allow, and to commit, such acts, when this war is over we will never be allowed to lift our heads again.
Something that puzzles me – kind of random, entirely apart from "how did
The through-line of the book, of course, is summed up by the title: the plots against Hitler. Whatever might be said or conjectured about the characters or steadfastness of the plotters, there were certainly plots – and, obviously, since he survived to take his own life, all of the plots failed. This could easily have swerved off into something like the way I started this review – there must have been some supernatural thing or power making each plot fail when, on paper, it should have succeeded.
The writing is solidly written, obviously well-researched and scholarly while still maintaining an almost conversational tone at times. The main thing that made it hard to read was the obviously dreadful subject matter; I had to take a break for a while. The even temporary triumph of evil is hard to stomach. But, perhaps, there are lessons that can be taken from it. Even evil which seems to overcome all obstacles does not last forever. And there are always people, even in amongst those at the heart of it, who see it for what it is. And even if attempts to destroy it don't work, even if it oozes out from under all attempts to crush it, it will implode.
There's always hope. Even when it really, really doesn't seem like it, there is hope.
I hope.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
February 21, 2019
This is a fresh and comprehensive review of the anti-Hitler resistance, specifically, those groups, cliques and individuals plotting to personally depose, or, usually, to assassinate Adolf Hitler, from their gradual beginnings at his rise in 1933 to the climax, the Valkyrie plot ending in the July 20, 1944 attempt. It's a new history, as the author's introduction tells us, based on new research and neglected sources, and a good premise for this book.
The book covers all the various plots, which tended to be among conservative German elites in the Army and aristocracy -- indeed, that's why the Gestapo often missed them, concentrating instead on what little remained of the leftists. Although about half the book focuses in the Valkyrie plots in 1943 and 1944, it does talk about previous and other efforts. We learn that the best chance to depose Hitler, during the September 1938 Munich crisis, might have succeeded if the French and British side hadn't caved at the negotiations, as Hitler's generals had perhaps their best-organized coup plans ready. We also learn of Georg Elser, what we would now call a "lone wolf" terrorist, who built a time bomb for Hitler's podium at a Nov. 1939 Beer Hall commemoration, the plot that would have succeeded but for Hitler's cutting his speech short and departing.
The author devotes considerable analysis, in the final chapters, of the conspirators' motives and ethics. Many of them were implicated in Nazi atrocities or German aggression themselves, and their reasons to turn on Hitler ranged from humanitarianism to disgust at Hitler. "Human beings are always complex and often conflicted; the conspirators were no different," the author tells us, adding, "the great majority consented to risk their lives for others. In that sense, and only in that sense, they were true heroes."
In all, a valuable, fresh and comprehensive look at the people stalking Hitler through Hitler's 12 years in power, well researched, with newly discovered sources and new insights. The author believes it is time for a new telling of this story, "In our world of revolutionary 'springs,' civil wars, occupation regimes, and brutal tyrannies, questions of resistance are more important than ever."
Highest recommendation.
The book covers all the various plots, which tended to be among conservative German elites in the Army and aristocracy -- indeed, that's why the Gestapo often missed them, concentrating instead on what little remained of the leftists. Although about half the book focuses in the Valkyrie plots in 1943 and 1944, it does talk about previous and other efforts. We learn that the best chance to depose Hitler, during the September 1938 Munich crisis, might have succeeded if the French and British side hadn't caved at the negotiations, as Hitler's generals had perhaps their best-organized coup plans ready. We also learn of Georg Elser, what we would now call a "lone wolf" terrorist, who built a time bomb for Hitler's podium at a Nov. 1939 Beer Hall commemoration, the plot that would have succeeded but for Hitler's cutting his speech short and departing.
The author devotes considerable analysis, in the final chapters, of the conspirators' motives and ethics. Many of them were implicated in Nazi atrocities or German aggression themselves, and their reasons to turn on Hitler ranged from humanitarianism to disgust at Hitler. "Human beings are always complex and often conflicted; the conspirators were no different," the author tells us, adding, "the great majority consented to risk their lives for others. In that sense, and only in that sense, they were true heroes."
In all, a valuable, fresh and comprehensive look at the people stalking Hitler through Hitler's 12 years in power, well researched, with newly discovered sources and new insights. The author believes it is time for a new telling of this story, "In our world of revolutionary 'springs,' civil wars, occupation regimes, and brutal tyrannies, questions of resistance are more important than ever."
Highest recommendation.
July 23, 2023
Danny Orbach's The Plots Against Hitler reassesses the German Resistance to the Third Reich. Orbach focuses primarily on the military resistance (civilian resisters like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and would-be assassin Georg Elser receive only brief look-ins), especially the Oster Circle which mobilized in 1938 after Hitler's sacking of high-ranking generals Werner von Blomberg and Werner von Fritsch. The narrative centers on Carl Goerdler, the Mayor of Leipzig who initially viewed Hitler as an "enlightened dictator" but grew appalled by his increasing brutality towards Jews and political dissidents; Ludwig Beck, who resigned from the Army amidst the Fritsch-Blomberg Affair and tried to organize military officers against the Fuhrer; Hans Oster, who pushed to overthrow Hitler during the Sudeten Crisis of 1938; Henning von Tresckow, who was horrified by atrocities on the Eastern Front and engineered several assassination plots; and, eventually, Claus von Stauffenberg, a decorated soldier who directed the organization in its final years and personally tried to assassinate Hitler with a briefcase bomb. Orbach is much more generous to the conspirators than many recent historians: he notes the conservatism and occasional antisemitism of the plotters, that Tresckow (despite his disgust with the SS) was quite possibly implicated in war crimes himself, and acknowledges that it took many of them years to turn against Hitler. But he also argues that most had sincere moral objections to the Nazis, and weren't simply motivated by pragmatism or belated recognition that a losing war would destroy Germany. Orbach's main criticism of the plotters is that, sincere though they were, they had little clear vision for what would replace the Nazis: Goerdler in particular frustrated his Allied contacts during the Sudeten Crisis by insisting that Germany retain its territorial gains of the past few years, which convinced the British that he and his colleagues wanted to have their cake and eat it, too. Similarly, Beck and Goerdler seemed to envision a conservative autocracy, though Stauffenberg had a vague vision of a coalition between anti-Nazi conservatives and Social Democrats that annoyed his more reactionary colleagues. Orbach shows that it's difficult to accurately assess whether the conspirators' tangled motives outweighs the courage of their actions, or whether the morality of trying to kill Hitler outweighs their failure, which mostly resulted in the execution or imprisonment of thousands of dissidents. Wisely, he leaves it to the reader to decide what they take away from this story. A good narrative of a well-worn subject.
October 6, 2016
A fascinating account of the various plots against Hitler. For scholars of the period, the book may not cover much new ground. But for general readers, especially those of us in the generations born after WWII, it reveals just how heartbreakingly close some of these plots came to changing the course of history forever. Engaging reading.
March 7, 2020
Had recently seen Valkyrie and thought I'd read this. I would say roughly a third of this book was about that project. All in all interesting read though at times I felt it was a little to much telling me who was at every meeting and event discussed in the book.
I found some of the breakdown of the character interesting as there seemed to be more than one reason people were part of resistance. I found the earliest attempt interesting as it was a lone vigilant and I was surprised how early on attempt was.
March 16, 2019
How does this book have less than 4 stars? This is the most authoritative work on the German resistance that I have read. The author is impartial and well-researched. He strongly supports his assertions while backing them with references. Over ten years of research went into this book.
March 14, 2021
ประวัติศาสตร์ของ “ฝ่ายต่อต้าน” ในหนังสือเล่มนี้ทรงคุณค่ามาก เพราะมันเป็นการจดจารึกเอาไว้ให้โลกจำว่า เมื่อครั้งที่ต้องเลือกระหว่างความสะดวกสบาย โหนเกาะผู้มีอำนาจเบ็ดเสร็จอย่างฮิตเลอร์ กับการเลือกเส้นทางที่ยากลำบาก ที่ท้ายที่สุดก็จบลงด้วยความตาย คนที่ถูกจดจำในฐานะ “วีรบุรุษ” ใช้ชีวิตอย่างไร
หนังสือประวัติศาสตร์เล่มหนา ผลผลิตแห่งความทุ่งเทของผู้เขียนกว่าสิบปี แนบท้ายด้วหมายเหตุอ้างอิงอีกกว่าหนึ่งร้อยห้าสิบหน้าเล่มนี้ หยิบประวัติศาสตร์ของกลุ่มบุคคลที่เรียกว่า “ฝ่ายต่อต้านฮิตเลอร์” ขึ้นมาขยายให้เราเห็นภาพ ให้เห็นการพัฒนาการ และให้เห็นว่าในเยอรมันช่วงเวลานั้น ไม่ใช่ทุกคน เห็นพ้องต้องกันกับจอมเผด็จการอย่างฮิตเลอร์
ทั้งๆ ที่รู้ว่าจุดจบของฝ่ายต่อต้าน ลงเอยด้วยความล้มเหลว หนังสือเล่มนี้ก็ยังอ่านสนุก ได้ข้อมูล เห็นภาพชัด เหมาะสมกับเวลาที่ใช้ไปในการอ่านอยู่ดี
ผู้เขียนแสดงให้เห็นพัฒนาการของฝ่ายต่อต้านที่ค่อยๆ ก่อตัวขึ้นในระดับปัจเจก โครงข่ายไม่ชัด ไปจนกระทั่งการสร้างเครือข่างที่เป็นรูปเป็นร่างอย่าง “เครือข่ายวงล้อ” ในยุคของ “ชเตาฟ์เฟินแบร์ค” ซึ่งบอกเลยว่าช่วงแรกๆ ของหนังสือนี่ค่อนข้างจะเนิบช้า ไม่หวือหวา จะมีส่วนที่ตื่นเต้นก็คือตอนที่ส่งระเบิดที่กระตุ้นชนวนแล้วไปกับเครื่องบินของฮิตเลอร์ แต่ระเบิดไม่ทำงาน
แน่นอนว่าเรื่องราวที่ชวนลุ้น ตื่นเต้น มันมาอยู่หลังจากหน้า 260 บทที่ 15 ที่เริ่มมี “ชเตาฟ์เฟินแบร์ค” เป็นแกนหลักในการเล่า
ต้องบอกเลยว่าหนังสือประวัติศาสตร์เล่มนี้บอกแ���ะสอนอะไรหลายๆ อย่าง
ไม่ใช่แค่เรื่องความเลวร้ายของฮิตเลอร์และเครือข่าย แต่ Danny Orbach ยังฉายภาพให้ผู้อ่านเห็นทั้งมโนธรรมสำนึกส่วนบุคคล, การไม่ย่อท้อต่อการทำสิ่งที่แทบจะเป็นไปไม่ได้ (และก็เป็นไปไม่ได้จริงๆ) และการยืนหยัดในหลักการ
เชื่อว่าทุกคนในฝ่ายต่อต้าน จินตนาการถึงป้ายจารึกหน้าหลุมศพของตนเองเอาไว้ล่วงหน้าอย่างมั่นคงแล้วว่า “ผู้ต่อต้านฮิตเลอร์”
หนังสือประวัติศาสตร์เล่มหนา ผลผลิตแห่งความทุ่งเทของผู้เขียนกว่าสิบปี แนบท้ายด้วหมายเหตุอ้างอิงอีกกว่าหนึ่งร้อยห้าสิบหน้าเล่มนี้ หยิบประวัติศาสตร์ของกลุ่มบุคคลที่เรียกว่า “ฝ่ายต่อต้านฮิตเลอร์” ขึ้นมาขยายให้เราเห็นภาพ ให้เห็นการพัฒนาการ และให้เห็นว่าในเยอรมันช่วงเวลานั้น ไม่ใช่ทุกคน เห็นพ้องต้องกันกับจอมเผด็จการอย่างฮิตเลอร์
ทั้งๆ ที่รู้ว่าจุดจบของฝ่ายต่อต้าน ลงเอยด้วยความล้มเหลว หนังสือเล่มนี้ก็ยังอ่านสนุก ได้ข้อมูล เห็นภาพชัด เหมาะสมกับเวลาที่ใช้ไปในการอ่านอยู่ดี
ผู้เขียนแสดงให้เห็นพัฒนาการของฝ่ายต่อต้านที่ค่อยๆ ก่อตัวขึ้นในระดับปัจเจก โครงข่ายไม่ชัด ไปจนกระทั่งการสร้างเครือข่างที่เป็นรูปเป็นร่างอย่าง “เครือข่ายวงล้อ” ในยุคของ “ชเตาฟ์เฟินแบร์ค” ซึ่งบอกเลยว่าช่วงแรกๆ ของหนังสือนี่ค่อนข้างจะเนิบช้า ไม่หวือหวา จะมีส่วนที่ตื่นเต้นก็คือตอนที่ส่งระเบิดที่กระตุ้นชนวนแล้วไปกับเครื่องบินของฮิตเลอร์ แต่ระเบิดไม่ทำงาน
แน่นอนว่าเรื่องราวที่ชวนลุ้น ตื่นเต้น มันมาอยู่หลังจากหน้า 260 บทที่ 15 ที่เริ่มมี “ชเตาฟ์เฟินแบร์ค” เป็นแกนหลักในการเล่า
ต้องบอกเลยว่าหนังสือประวัติศาสตร์เล่มนี้บอกแ���ะสอนอะไรหลายๆ อย่าง
ไม่ใช่แค่เรื่องความเลวร้ายของฮิตเลอร์และเครือข่าย แต่ Danny Orbach ยังฉายภาพให้ผู้อ่านเห็นทั้งมโนธรรมสำนึกส่วนบุคคล, การไม่ย่อท้อต่อการทำสิ่งที่แทบจะเป็นไปไม่ได้ (และก็เป็นไปไม่ได้จริงๆ) และการยืนหยัดในหลักการ
เชื่อว่าทุกคนในฝ่ายต่อต้าน จินตนาการถึงป้ายจารึกหน้าหลุมศพของตนเองเอาไว้ล่วงหน้าอย่างมั่นคงแล้วว่า “ผู้ต่อต้านฮิตเลอร์”
April 14, 2020
Capturing! Well researched
You notice the hard work that was put into writing this book. It's funny that this subject is not commonly addressed or taught in history classes.
I highly recommend it
You notice the hard work that was put into writing this book. It's funny that this subject is not commonly addressed or taught in history classes.
I highly recommend it
November 9, 2020
Why could no one kill Hitler? Fifteen attempts were made and all failed. The author explores the efforts and details why they failed. Very often, it was a function of pure luck on Hitler’s part: he left an event earlier than planned; he didn’t attend the function he was sure to be at. On other occasions a plot failed because a collaborator was concerned about appearances – it would be so unseemly to assassinate a man during dinner! or because the would-be assassin found himself too far away to get off a shot.
Georg Elser had the most meticulously devised plan. But he was a lone wolf and with no supporters or collaborators, all that was needed to foil him was one change of Hitler’s plans – and that is exactly what happened: Elser’s bomb exploded in a Munich beer hall during the time the Fuhrer was expected to speak, but Hitler cut his speech short and left.
The most famous and elaborate plan was that helmed by Claus Von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators in July of 1944. The author explains the plan from its first consideration, to its growth and eventual implementation. The reasons it failed include (again) Hitler’s luck, when a meeting was moved from a windowless building which would have amplified the bomb blast, to one with windows where the impact was far less. The fact that Stauffenberg did not realize that detonating only one of the two explosive devices would have still caused both to explode is a curious failing of the plot. But as the author explains, once a coup is set in action it calls for improvisation, and swiftness – neither of which were a part of the military training these German officers had received. They were hamstrung by their own professional demeanor.
Orbach ends the book by examining the criticisms leveled over the years at the very-human Stauffenberg conspirators, many of whom had supported Hitler or even overseen atrocities, before they turned away from their leader. He asks how perfect a person must be to eventually decide to risk their life to do what is right – and be respected for it. How perfect must any of us be, before we risk our lives to do right?
Georg Elser had the most meticulously devised plan. But he was a lone wolf and with no supporters or collaborators, all that was needed to foil him was one change of Hitler’s plans – and that is exactly what happened: Elser’s bomb exploded in a Munich beer hall during the time the Fuhrer was expected to speak, but Hitler cut his speech short and left.
The most famous and elaborate plan was that helmed by Claus Von Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators in July of 1944. The author explains the plan from its first consideration, to its growth and eventual implementation. The reasons it failed include (again) Hitler’s luck, when a meeting was moved from a windowless building which would have amplified the bomb blast, to one with windows where the impact was far less. The fact that Stauffenberg did not realize that detonating only one of the two explosive devices would have still caused both to explode is a curious failing of the plot. But as the author explains, once a coup is set in action it calls for improvisation, and swiftness – neither of which were a part of the military training these German officers had received. They were hamstrung by their own professional demeanor.
Orbach ends the book by examining the criticisms leveled over the years at the very-human Stauffenberg conspirators, many of whom had supported Hitler or even overseen atrocities, before they turned away from their leader. He asks how perfect a person must be to eventually decide to risk their life to do what is right – and be respected for it. How perfect must any of us be, before we risk our lives to do right?
December 31, 2016
Started reading this book with high expectations and indeed the beginning of the book seemed to answer them. Starts off nicely giving a detailed -but staying essential- background and builds up towards the first failed executions.
The biggest by far part of the book is about the Valkyrie operation; justifiably so, perhaps, but at the end the book feels quite lopsided.
Not that it's not interesting to read. It doesn't feel, however, like it can muster strict historiography criteria of objective analysis. For instance, at the foreword he chastises 'leftist' historians for a certain way of portrayal of the conspirators, but he fails to promote (far less, prove) his opposing (?) view. Indeed, he seems to reconfirm those 'leftist' views he disagrees with, time and again.
A very characteristic point of his one-sided analysis occurs when he accuses some historians about a view they are taking (apologies, I don't remember exactly what it was about). He goes on to offer... zero proof to disprove those views. However, since the accusation he made about those other historians was so sweeping, possibly naive and hard to swallow that I felt the need to check the endnotes. I was quite surprised to see that the single endnote was not a reference to the opposing view, but to a source agreeing with him. Instant (and big) fail.
Another somewhat bemusing element is his network theory references. A handful of them throughout the book, they all feel like Orbach read a single book (or even not all of it) on networking theory and felt the need to show off his newly acquired knowledge, without any effort to fully embed it in his work.
Still the book had its nice moments, and lots of details on Valkyrie that are usually lost in other works and help give a much more complete view than I had before.
The biggest by far part of the book is about the Valkyrie operation; justifiably so, perhaps, but at the end the book feels quite lopsided.
Not that it's not interesting to read. It doesn't feel, however, like it can muster strict historiography criteria of objective analysis. For instance, at the foreword he chastises 'leftist' historians for a certain way of portrayal of the conspirators, but he fails to promote (far less, prove) his opposing (?) view. Indeed, he seems to reconfirm those 'leftist' views he disagrees with, time and again.
A very characteristic point of his one-sided analysis occurs when he accuses some historians about a view they are taking (apologies, I don't remember exactly what it was about). He goes on to offer... zero proof to disprove those views. However, since the accusation he made about those other historians was so sweeping, possibly naive and hard to swallow that I felt the need to check the endnotes. I was quite surprised to see that the single endnote was not a reference to the opposing view, but to a source agreeing with him. Instant (and big) fail.
Another somewhat bemusing element is his network theory references. A handful of them throughout the book, they all feel like Orbach read a single book (or even not all of it) on networking theory and felt the need to show off his newly acquired knowledge, without any effort to fully embed it in his work.
Still the book had its nice moments, and lots of details on Valkyrie that are usually lost in other works and help give a much more complete view than I had before.
September 11, 2016
The Plots against Hitler takes a detailed look at the various attempts to end the Furher’s life and why they failed. It follows not only the military (abwher) efforts but also some of the lone wolf attacks that ironically were poised to be the most successful. In some cases it was sheer luck that Hitler escaped as many times as he did. The book spends about half its time on the Valkyrie plot and the efforts of Beck and Stauffenberg. The last two chapters are probably the best reason to buy this book. The first looks at the morality and motives of the various plotters and ties together their sense of duty for Germany with a Christian morality that led people like Stauffenberg and Bonhoeffer to act even if they were in different ways. The second chapter covers the various ways the plotters organized themselves from lone wolf to cell to the spoke approach practiced by Stauffenberg. There is a lot of detail here and it is covered well. Some of the plots I had not heard of before especially with regard to the lone wolf attacks. This is a great summary if you are interested in the attempts on Hitler’s life and the reasons why they took place. This book also covers some of the efforts of various groups to get the Jew’s out of Germany and although small in number does take quite a bit of storytelling in the book. Overall a great addition to the historiography on Nazi Germany.
April 10, 2019
In this book Mr. Orbach does two separate things. First, he describes the people who plotted against Hitler (here, specifically people who wanted to overthrow Hitler, thus not the White Rose organization or Cardinal Galen who protested the acts of the regime), and how they set up their plots and how they failed. Both simultaneously and at the end of the book he also discusses why they plotted and what this means for an analysis of how to act in such times.
His overall description is very good. He describes the actors, how they interacted, and what they hoped to do. There is a lot of information here and it is clearly presented.
In the personal analysis he discusses why these people acted and others did not. He notes they had mixed motives and were not always “heroes” ( here Oscar Schindler might be a comparison). But they did all have ideals, empathy, and courage. And, on more than one occasion, they came very close to success. And what might have happened then?
His overall description is very good. He describes the actors, how they interacted, and what they hoped to do. There is a lot of information here and it is clearly presented.
In the personal analysis he discusses why these people acted and others did not. He notes they had mixed motives and were not always “heroes” ( here Oscar Schindler might be a comparison). But they did all have ideals, empathy, and courage. And, on more than one occasion, they came very close to success. And what might have happened then?
November 23, 2016
A fair-minded assessment of the many plots that attempted to bring down the regime of Adolf Hitler. The author also penned an interesting chapter on "morality" and what it meant to the various officers involved in the plots against the dictator.
February 18, 2018
Goes far beyond the Valkyrie assassination and coup attempt. Superb, definitive history of the overall German resistance to Nazism and the multiple plots against Hitler it led to. Written by a remarkable young historian who is quickly emerging as the leading scholar of military coups (he has also written on the "culture of disobedience" in Japan before WWII). Masterful research and exposition. Will be of interest to all students of military culture and of coup d'etat attempts, not just in Nazi Germany. Rich and thought-provoking on the idea and ideal of moral and political resistance by the men with guns and troops, those best positioned to carry out a successful plot and change of regime in wartime. Raises profound questions about military loyalties and officer (and diplomat) honor in dictatorships.
December 3, 2024
As the name states, Orbach's "The Plots Against Hitler" is an in depth look at the multiple attempts made on the life of Germany's fuhrer. At its best, the book reads like a thriller, albeit the kind where you already know the ending. It brings to light nearly all aspects of the most famous Valkyrie plot, but also covers lesser know attempts made by bold and fearless opponants to Nazism. Admittedly, keeping up with all of the conspirators' names and roles in the 7/20/44 plot was a bit challenging.
Orbach also does a thorough job explaining that, while many of the plotters were heroic, they were also haunted by spotty pasts and other demons. The primary motivation behind their actions was to keep Germany from losing its footing in the war, although many of them were repulsed by the war crimes committed on and off the battlefield.
Orbach also does a thorough job explaining that, while many of the plotters were heroic, they were also haunted by spotty pasts and other demons. The primary motivation behind their actions was to keep Germany from losing its footing in the war, although many of them were repulsed by the war crimes committed on and off the battlefield.
September 2, 2021
This is a very interesting book. I was not aware that there were attempts to overthrow Hitler. This is the story of some of the men that surrounded Hitler and their attempt to stop him. Natually the story ends badly. However to relize even those close to him recognized that he was not the answer. I can't say enough about this book!
December 19, 2020
Discusses the plots/conspiracies to kill Hitler. Also discusses the relationships behind the conspiracies. A lot of long names, confused me a little bit, but it was interesting and learned a lot about some good people. Last pages discussing the legacy and motives behind it were very interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
Overall an ok book. Has a wealth of information about the various failed attempts to assassinate Hitler but it has a bit of a textbook feel to it. Not the best in storytelling.
July 29, 2022
Very interesting for fans of WWII
December 8, 2023
Dry. Rich. Dense. Inspires further education.
October 24, 2016
The Plots Against Hitler is a well written and well researched new look at the stories of different Germans- both military and civilian- who plotted against Hitler throughout the course of his reign. Even knowing the end of the story, the book was full of drama, intrigue, and suspense. I knew very little about any of this before reading Orbach's book and came away from it with a deeper understanding of Germany during World War II. Although I sometimes had trouble keeping track of individuals and their roles in the resistance, and the book sometimes fell into repeating itself, I enjoyed this informative and suspenseful history.
Plots is a balanced look at German resistance against Hitler from 1933 through 1945 and looks not only at famous attempts like Operation Valkyrie, but other serious attempts as well. I was often amazed at how many of these plots, including attempts by individual civilians, came very close to working and it was only sheer bad luck that kept them from succeeding.
One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the end. After exploring the various conspiracies and attempts from military and practical views, Orbach spends the last few chapters analyzing the motivations and, to a degree, the characters of members of the resistance. He tries to discover what their motives were in terms of their own morals and ethics, whether that means they were driven by religion, patriotism, or empathy. And he does this by analyzing everything not through the lens of 21st century hindsight and morals, but from the morals and characters of the men and women in 1930s and 1940s Germany. The results are thought-provoking and fascinating. The Plots Against Hitler are not the stories of kings and tyrants, but of individuals making hard decisions and struggling to decide what they can live with and what sacrifices they are willing to make for what they saw as the greater good.
A must read for any history lover, especially those interested in World War II history.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
For my full review go to:
http://bookwyrmreader.blogspot.com/20...
Plots is a balanced look at German resistance against Hitler from 1933 through 1945 and looks not only at famous attempts like Operation Valkyrie, but other serious attempts as well. I was often amazed at how many of these plots, including attempts by individual civilians, came very close to working and it was only sheer bad luck that kept them from succeeding.
One of the most interesting parts of the book for me was the end. After exploring the various conspiracies and attempts from military and practical views, Orbach spends the last few chapters analyzing the motivations and, to a degree, the characters of members of the resistance. He tries to discover what their motives were in terms of their own morals and ethics, whether that means they were driven by religion, patriotism, or empathy. And he does this by analyzing everything not through the lens of 21st century hindsight and morals, but from the morals and characters of the men and women in 1930s and 1940s Germany. The results are thought-provoking and fascinating. The Plots Against Hitler are not the stories of kings and tyrants, but of individuals making hard decisions and struggling to decide what they can live with and what sacrifices they are willing to make for what they saw as the greater good.
A must read for any history lover, especially those interested in World War II history.
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
For my full review go to:
http://bookwyrmreader.blogspot.com/20...
February 8, 2017
If all you know about the WW2 German anti-Nazi resistance is the film Valkyrie starring Tom Cruise and you're interested in this period of history you'll find this book enlightening. It does a good job of explaining how the July 1944 attempted assassination was only the culmination of a conspiracy that started as early as 1937.
The book is accessible in its language (insofar as it sticks to the story of the anti-Nazi resistance and doesn't attempt a discourse on network theory) and has the characteristics of a novel in the way that the development of the conspiracy and its final destruction follows a natural story arc.
Like another reviewer, Themistocles, I wasn't convinced by the author's attempts to analyse the structure of the resistance movement by identifying various forms of network and expounding on their strengths or weaknesses. This, to me, seemed to be shoe-horned into the book as a way of increasing its academic heft, rather than being useful to the reader. The author addressed this topic as the story unfolded and, by adding a chapter Networks of Resistance towards the end, he seemed to be giving undue weight to something that perhaps should have remained an interesting detail.
The book is accessible in its language (insofar as it sticks to the story of the anti-Nazi resistance and doesn't attempt a discourse on network theory) and has the characteristics of a novel in the way that the development of the conspiracy and its final destruction follows a natural story arc.
Like another reviewer, Themistocles, I wasn't convinced by the author's attempts to analyse the structure of the resistance movement by identifying various forms of network and expounding on their strengths or weaknesses. This, to me, seemed to be shoe-horned into the book as a way of increasing its academic heft, rather than being useful to the reader. The author addressed this topic as the story unfolded and, by adding a chapter Networks of Resistance towards the end, he seemed to be giving undue weight to something that perhaps should have remained an interesting detail.
December 11, 2016
This book was mostly good, and I think I maybe wouldn't have enjoyed it much if I already knew all of the historical details. He often just went on unnecessary tangents and sometimes it felt like he was grasping at an argument, like when you're writing a paper just for the grade and not because you really have anything new to add to the conversation. BUT, with all those complaints aside, I really appreciated the author's perspective on humans being humans. Sometimes people are conflicted and do random shit for no real apparent reason. I'm glad he avoids the whole "his whole life led to this exact moment" dramatic bs that a lot of historians do. In my mind, events didn't have to occur the way that they did, it just happened to work out that way. And I'm glad he kind of sees it that way too, it made for some interesting insights on the key players.
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December 14, 2016"Danny Orbach’s The Plot Against Hitler provides a definitive history of the anti-Nazi underground’s efforts to overthrow the Nazi dictator." Review by Jack Fischel for the Jewish Book Council.
December 12, 2016
Fascinating book. I had no idea there were so many attempts and Hitler had such luck to escape. Lots of amazing detail, well written.
September 29, 2020
Very dull and in depth. Kept waiting for the interesting stories to or plots to come out and it never did. DNF.
October 22, 2024
Very informative. What would you risk to save the imprisoned by the Nazi? Your family, friends, loved ones?
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