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 …
If you liked the episode, please share it: the episode link is here.
And you can help us by writing a brief review and giving us a (five star!) rating.
By all means contact me, Brian Walters, by email on walters@vicbar.com.au
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Ridiculous History
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.