Henning von Tresckow

Henning von Tresckow was a German military officer who helped organize German resistance against Adolf Hitler. He attempted to assassinate Hitler on 13 March 1943 and drafted the Valkyrie plan for a coup against the German government. He was described by the Gestapo as the "prime mover" behind the plot of 20 July 1944 to assassinate Hitler. Tresckow was born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1901. He came from a noble family with a long tradition of military service. He joined the German Army during the First World War and became the youngest lieutenant in the German Empire in 1918. He left the army after the war and pursued a career as a stockbroker. He rejoined the army in 1926 and rose through the ranks. He became a staff officer and served in various positions, including as an intelligence officer and a liaison officer to the Japanese Army. He was initially supportive of Hitler's rise to power, but became disillusioned with his policies and crimes, especially after witnessing the atrocities committed by the SS and Einsatzgruppen in Poland and the Soviet Union. He joined a network of officers who opposed Hitler and sought to overthrow him. He was involved in several plots to kill Hitler, including Operation Spark in 1940, Operation Flash in 1942, and Operation Long Jump in 1943. He also devised the Valkyrie plan, which was intended to mobilize the Reserve Army to seize control of Berlin and other key cities after Hitler's death. He failed to kill Hitler on 13 March 1943, when he planted a bomb on his plane that failed to detonate. He tried again on 20 July 1944, when he persuaded his friend Claus von Stauffenberg to carry out the assassination attempt at Wolf's Lair. However, Hitler survived the explosion and the coup attempt was quickly suppressed. Tresckow realized that his involvement would soon be discovered and decided to commit suicide rather than be captured by the Gestapo. He shot himself with his pistol on 21 July 1944 at Królowy Most on the Eastern Front. His body was buried by his adjutant, but later exhumed and burned by the SS. His grave site is unknown. Tresckow was one of the most prominent and influential members of the German resistance. He acted out of moral conviction and a sense of duty to his country. He believed that Hitler had to be removed not only to end the war, but also to save Germany's honor and future. He wrote in a letter to his wife: "The whole world will vilify us now, but I am still totally convinced that we did the right thing. Hitler is the archenemy not only of Germany but of the world."