On 22 June 1944, the Red Army launched a massive attack against the German forces based in Byelorussia, which were made up of two strategic Wehrmacht army groups known as Army Group Centre. By mid July, Army Group Centre had lost no fewer than 250,000 men in less than a month of fighting, making the German position close to hopeless.

In deciding what to do, a series of military conferences were scheduled at the Wolf's Lair headquarters in East Prussia. On 20 July, Adolf Hitler and his top military commanders entered the briefing hut of the headquarters, as the usual bombproof room, with no windows and thick walls of solid concrete, was considered "unbearably hot". In attendance was Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who had been severely wounded in 1943 in Tunisia, losing his left eye, right hand and half of his left hand. Undetected by Hitler's ring of bodyguards, Stauffenberg carried a British-made bomb in his briefcase. His plan was to get as close as possible to Hitler, leave the briefcase nearby, and then make an excuse to quickly leave the conference by car with his adjutant and fellow conspirator Werner von Haeften. This was part of a larger planned coup d'état led by a group of army officers who were appalled by the way Hitler was leading Germany in World War II. Everything proceeded according to plan until the bomb exploded, as Stauffenberg walked towards his car, earlier than anticipated. When the explosion tore through the hut, Stauffenberg was thoroughly convinced that no one in the room could possibly have survived. Unbeknownst to Stauffenberg, Colonel Heinz Brandt had moved the briefcase containing the bomb further away from Hitler, placing it behind a solid wooden table leg, as it was in his way. Hitler survived with only minor injuries, as did most of the others present. A stenographer was killed instantly. Three officers, including Brandt, died of their injuries.

Although strictly against security doctrines imposed at the Wolf's Lair, Stauffenberg and Haeften were allowed to pass through all three checkpoints and proceed to the airport, succeeding in getting away before clarity could be established back at the now completely demolished briefing hut. In the last hours of 20 July, Stauffenberg, Haeften, and several other plotters were arrested and summarily condemned to death. The executions were carried out by soldiers under Major Otto Remer early on the morning of 21 July.

Following the assassination attempt, Hitler came to believe that the Wehrmacht leadership could not be trusted; he launched a purge of the officer corps and also used the shock of the attack to round up all the surviving members of the old opposition in the Reichstag. At the same time, those officers who had been injured or killed by the bomb were awarded the 20 July Wound Badge and hailed as heroes. General Günther Korten, General Rudolf Schmundt, Colonel Heinz Brandt and stenographer Heinrich Berger were given a state funeral with a eulogy delivered by Hermann Göring.

Participants + Alphabetically listed per their name Name Rank Position Years of service Outcome Image 19-HGeneralleutnant Chief of the General Staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) 1915–1945and1955–1964 23-WSupreme Commander of the German Armed Forces Führer und Reichskanzler 1935–1945 20-HGeneraloberst Chief of Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) 1910–1945 15-HMajor Adjutant to Wilhelm Keitel 1-H Foreign Ministry representative 21-HGeneral der Flieger / Generaloberst (posthumously) Chief of the General Staff of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) 1914–1944 18-MKonteradmiral Liaison officer 16-HOberstleutnant Adjutant to Adolf Hitler 1932–1945 17-MKapitän zur See Staff officer Heinrich Berger 0-H Stenographer 1905–1944 17-HOberst / Generalmajor (posthumously) Aide-de-camp to Adolf Heusinger 1925–1944 0-H Stenographer 16-HOberstleutnant Staff officer 15-HMajor Adjutant to Alfred Jodl 19-WSS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Waffen-SS Schutzstaffel (SS) representative 1925–1945 20-HGeneral der Flieger Adjutant to Hermann Göring 1910–1945 18-MKonteradmiral Naval adjutant to Adolf Hitler 1917–1945 17-HOberst Luftwaffe adjutant to Adolf Hitler 1929–1945 15-WSturmbannführer Schutzstaffel (SS) adjutant and bodyguard to Adolf Hitler 1933–1945 20-HGeneralleutnant / General der Infanterie (posthumously) Chief of the Army Personnel Office 1914–1944 20-HGeneral der Infanterie Chief of Army Staff at the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) 1914–1944 22-HFeldmarschall Chief of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) 1901–1945 18-HGeneralmajor Führer's Commissioner for the Writing of Military History 20-HGeneral der Artillerie Deputy Chief of Staff of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) 1914–1945

Approximate positions of participants when bomb exploded

See also Operation Valkyrie List of members of the 20 July plot

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