Chapter 177 Chapter 28 The Army’s Explosion Plan (8)

The day after the bomb exploded, Hitler replaced Zeitzler, the ailing chief of staff.It was replaced by Guderian who had been sent away from the front line because of his disagreement with him.When perhaps the most respected mechanization specialist in the Army arrived at Rustenburg, he found the offices of Army General Headquarters almost empty.Zeitzler had gone in half-humiliation.Hausinger was gone too.The heads of many departments have been replaced by the Gestapo. One of the first tasks Guderian had to complete after taking office was to announce a loyalty order and assure Hitler that "the generals will be united, the officer corps will be united, and the army officers and soldiers will be united." A week later, Guderian Ann went further; he ordered every officer of the General Staff to be a National Socialist leader and officer, "to give active political education to young commanders in accordance with the Führer's doctrine." Any officer who disobeyed this order must Apply for a transfer now.There are no disobedients.Thus, the elite army formed in 1933 succumbed to a depraved end.

At this time, the western flank of the Normandy beachhead was fiercely attacked by American tanks, and the western front was on the verge of collapse. On the dusk of July 30, tanks from the United States and Germany fought a fierce battle for the Avranche Trail, which was the only place the US military had to pass through to enter the open area of ​​France after breaking through.Vallimont and others demanded an immediate evacuation from France, but Jodl submitted a draft order to the Führer, requesting "if possible, to evacuate from the coast." By the evening of the next day, American tanks had poured into the Avranches trail.Hitler wanted to go to the Western Front to take command himself, but both Gissing and Ecken forbade him to fly.Since the doctors only allowed him to be active in the "Wolf's Lair", they were helpless against George Patton's 6th Division marching into Avranches.There was nothing he could do about the fate of France being thus sealed.However, this is only one of his many worries. On August 1, 35,000 poorly equipped Polish troops (of all ages) stormed the German garrison in Warsaw; the next day, Turkey severed diplomatic relations with the Reich.

He tried to put these worries to the back of his mind. On August 2, he played the role of a first-time medical student.He asked Dr. Gissing a lot of questions about the inner ear, then put on a surgeon's white coat, and with a mirror over his forehead, he concentrated on Ringo's right ear.He can't see anything.He looked again, but still saw nothing.At this time, Gissing suggested that he use an electron microscope. "Ah!" he exclaimed in amazement, "I see something... I see a yellowish line, very clearly; that's probably the well-known eardrum." The orthotics were inserted into his left ear.Fascinated, he tested Ringer's hearing with a tuning fork and a stopwatch. "You know, doctor," he said a little shyly, "I always wanted to be a doctor when I was young. But I realized what my real calling was when I had another profession." As soon as Gissing left, Hitler The doctor started to study again.He summoned Ringer and two SS guards and examined their ears one by one until he learned to use the electron microscope.Then he asked for a book by Professor Nick on the treatment of eyes, ears, and throat.

Hitler's spirit is better.But he still felt dizzy and had to walk with his legs spread apart, like a sailor walking on a rocking ship.Nevertheless, he insisted on addressing the magistrate on August 4th.He shook hands with each of them.Many people, such as Friedrich Karl Florian of Düsseldorf, shed tears when they saw him in this state. "You will not misunderstand me," Hitler said. "I tell you, for the past year and a half, I've always believed that one day I'd be shot by my right and left." how terrible. "How much energy do I have to devote to defending our people! To think, to consider, and to solve these problems. I have to do this on my own, without the support of others, and often in frustration. After the sad speech, everyone had lunch, one pot for each person.Hitler stood up slowly. "I'm leaving," he said, "Gentlemen, you..." He put two fingers to his lips, signaling for a smoke.He staggered away, pretending not to wobble on purpose.

Not long ago, Himmler had assured these people that he would bring not only the conspirators but their families to justice. "The whole Stauffenberg family," he said, "will be uprooted, uprooted!" Applause. "Kill one to warn others, and be firm!" He conducted the investigation with this spirit.The mastermind's close relatives and other relatives were all arrested, including at least a dozen old ladies over the age of 70.To investigate the conspiracy from every angle, Himmler dispatched dozens of detectives—the investigation progressed swiftly and thoroughly, and on August 7 the trial of the first criminals began.A total of 8 military officers were brought to the "People's Tribunal". The judge was Roland Friesler, who was familiar with Soviet laws and penalties—Hitler called him "our Vyshinsky."

When handling the case, the Führer had instructed him to be strict, "with lightning speed." The accused walked into the large courtroom of the Berlin High Court dressed in shabby clothes.They described themselves as haggard, disheveled and disheveled.The trial was also made into a movie, in order to let the German people see the fate of the rebels.Field Marshal Weitzleben, with no dentures allowed and the constant tightening of beltless, oversized shorts, looked like a bum in a comedy.Like the Soviet judge he admired, Friesler, who was acting in red, called out to him: "You dirty old fellow, what are you doing with your trousers?"

Such is the tone and standard of this trial for the public to see. "In the history of trials in Germany, no defendant has ever been treated so brutally, so cruelly." A stenographer recalled.The verdict was fixed in advance; Friesler announced like a trumpet that the eight were each guilty of treason against the Führer (as it was) and treason against German history (as it was not).According to Hitler's specific instructions, 8 people were transported by truck to Prochensel Prison.They were then taken to a hut where eight meat hooks hung from the ceiling.The eight people sentenced to death were hanged with elastic thin steel bars after their upper body was stripped off.Their painful struggle was recorded by the movie camera and reproduced on the screen of "Wolf's Lair" that night.According to Speer, "Hitler loved the film and had it shown to him over and over again," but Belov's adjutant and other close confidants still say Hitler never saw it.

There were further investigations into this incident and there were other trials, but only eight were announced.Another 5,000 or so people—men and women, most not directly related to the July 20 uprising—were also executed.