On July 20, 1944, an insane plot was set out to kill the leader of the German country, Adolf Hitler. Colonel Count Claus Schenck von Staauffenberg entered a conference room where Hitler was discussing how to create new front-line divisions to stop the Russians advancement. This conference was in East Prussia, only 50 miles away from the Russian front line. As Stauffenberg came in, he slipped a brief case under the conference table next to Hitler.
Inside the brief case was a plastic explosive called hexite. Before entering the room, Stauffenberg put a fuse into the bomb which was supposed to set the bomb off in ten minutes. The bomb was then expected to go off approximately at 12:45 p.m. Stauffenberg hated Hitler... Stauffenberg suffered a lot of wounds, included losing his left eye and right hand. Stauffenberg decided he would kill Hitler.
Behind the bombing were the Colonel General Ludwig Beck, Field Marshal Erwin von Witzleben, Count Helmuth von Moltke, and Dr. Karl Goerdeler. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was accused, but it was never prooved he was involved.
Stauffenberg left the room, and another man who found the suitcase moved it to the far side of the table. The bomb went off at 12:42 p.m. It killed 4 people and wounded 20. Hitler's arm was paralyzed, he lost his right ear hearing, and he was burned badly.
Hitler then went ballistic. Stauffenberg's family was killed, and some of the children were given to new parents. All of the conspirators were to be hanged. The assassination put Hitler in an awkward position, starting to get a glimpse that Germany was starting to lose her way.
On July 17, 1944, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was being driven to the front lines in France to try to get back his troops support. His car was bombed between Livarot and Vimoutiers by Allied air planes. Rommel was seriously injured. He was moved to a Luftwaffe hospital, where he gained consciousness on July 24th.
Although Rommel was unconscious during Hitler's assassination attempt, he was still a suspect. On top of that, Rommel was taking full blame of the Normandy breakthrough from Hitler. Rommel was also a great rival of Hitler. If Hitler was killed, then Rommel would be head of the country and the war would be over. Hitler found the assassination a perfect opportunity to get rid of Rommel for good.
Rommel was in his home in Ulm to recover. On October 14, 1944 General Wilhelm Burgdorf and Lieutenant General Ernst Maisel told Rommel that Hitler was out to get him. They said you can either go on trial and most likely lose, or take some poison and die an honorable death. Rommel took the poison after seeing his house was completely surrounded.
All of Germany was saddened by his death. It was said that he died because of the car bombing by the Allied planes. One of the greatest Generals to walk the Earth was now dead. This was one of many setbacks by Hitler. There would be more.
