Chapter 159 Chapter Twenty-Six With the Family (2)

Journalist Louis Robner told Roosevelt several times about the resistance movement in Germany, hoping to convince him that not all Germans were Nazis. He was also going to tell Roosevelt the telegram codes of the two groups of anti-Hitler elements, so that he could tell them directly what kind of regime allies would accept in Germany.Rochner tried unsuccessfully to meet the president through the presidential secretary who arranged the meeting.Therefore, he drafted a private letter, signed the codes of the two telegrams, and repeatedly stated that they were only allowed to be delivered to the president himself.No reply.A few days later, Rosina was notified that his views had been read by officials and found "very embarrassing".Unbeknownst to Rochner, Roosevelt's refusal to see him was official U.S. policy, consistent with the policy of unconditional surrender.The purpose of this policy was not only to discourage German resistance, but also to avoid important contacts.It is forbidden to acknowledge the existence of an anti-Hitler resistance movement within Germany.

While the resistance movement was thwarted, it was still plotting to overthrow Hitler's regime.It was agreed that the seizure of power was not enough.The first person to be assassinated was the Führer himself.Therefore, General Oster and his team selected General Henning von Treskov, Chief of Staff of Field Marshal von Kruger, as the executor.He decided to lead Hitler to the front line, plant a time bomb in his plane, and explode when he returned. On the evening of March 13, 1943, Fabian von Schlabrendorf, a young officer in Treskov, arrived at the airport with a package containing two bottles of so-called brandy.It was a bomb, made of British plastic explosives.Schlabrandorf took the key and pressed the fuse down hard, timing the bomb.Moments later, he handed the package to a colonel in Hitler's entourage - the colonel had promised to take it to a friend in the "wolf's den" for him.

After the Führer got on board, the plane took off.The bomb was scheduled to explode over Minsk.But two hours have passed without any news of the crash.Later, the news came: the plane had landed safely at Rustenburg.The conspirators were dumbfounded.Now, they have to get it back before the bomb goes off or is discovered.Schlabrendorf retrieved it and found that although the firing pin was seated, the detonator failed to detonate. A few days later, the conspirators made another attempt. At midnight on March 20, in his guest room at the "Hotel Eden" in Berlin, Schlabrandolph handed over the pack of plastic explosives to Kruger's intelligence chief, Rudolf Christoph von Gersdorff Colonel.His mission was suicidal.Hitler will take part in the "Heroes' Day" celebrations at the Berlin Armory the next day.He will take the opportunity to get close to the Führer and blow Hitler and himself to pieces.

The next day, Gersdorf appeared at the armory wearing a greatcoat with a bomb in each pocket.At 11 o'clock in the morning, Hitler came.After listening to a piece of Bruckner's work performed by the Berlin Symphony Orchestra, the Führer gave a short speech in the courtyard.As the Führer headed to the Great Hall to view an exhibition of loot captured from Russia, Gersdorff reached into his left pocket and dislodged the acid sac of the imperial fuse—it would take at least ten minutes to detonate.Hitler was accompanied by Himmler, Keitel, Goering, and a dozen other entourages.The would-be assassin approached lightly to the Führer's left.

Schmondt had told Gersdorf that the Führer would visit the exhibits for half an hour.Unexpectedly, the head of state was not very interested in the exhibition, and he left the building in less than 5 minutes, which made Gersdorf stunned.It was impossible to follow Hitler out, and he had only 5 minutes to deal with the fuse without being detected.He squeezed his way into a corridor and found a men's room—fortunately, it was empty.He hastily removed the lead from his pocket, threw it in the urinal, and flushed it down seconds before he was scheduled to explode.He left the building with the bomb.

Although the Gestapo did not suspect these two attempts to kill Hitler, they suspected that there were many traitors entrenched in the army. Fifteen days later they arrested Hans von Dounany at the army headquarters.Although Oster destroyed the evidence in time, he was also arrested not long after.Not only did the conspirators lose an able leader, but they also lost the best means of communication with each other and with any friends in the West.