The Plots to Kill Hitler

The Plots to Kill Hitler, originally published in 1947 as "They Almost Killed Hitler," is the account of the wartime activities of Fabian von Schlabrendorff, one of the few survivors of the Nazi resistance movement, and of other courageous men who dared to fight the tyranny in Germany. Schlabrendorff, born in 1907, was trained as a lawyer, and even before his service in the German army, had deep misgivings about the National Socialists. As a lieutenant in the reserves, he was promoted to adjutant to Colonel Henning von Tresckow, himself a major figure in the resistance against Adolf Hitler. On March 13, 1943, during a visit by Hitler to Army Group Center Headquarters in Smolensk, Schlabrendorff smuggled a time bomb, disguised as bottles of cognac, onto the aircraft which carried Hitler back to Germany. However, the bomb's detonator failed to go off, most likely because of the cold temperatures in the aircraft's luggage compartment. Schlabrendorff managed to retrieve the bomb the next day and escape detection. A second assasination effort occurred at Hitler's Wolfsschanze Headquarters on July 20, 1944. A powerful explosive device was smuggled into a conference room by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. This time, the bomb exploded but Hitler escaped with minor injuries.

Following the attempt, a massive round-up of suspects began, and Schlabrendorff was arrested later that same day, following the failure of the July 20th plot. He was sent to Gestapo prison where he was tortured, but refused to talk. He remained in captivity until freed by the Allies in May 1945. This edition includes a new Preface by Steve W. Chadde and additional photographs.