CLAUS PHILIPP SCHENK
VON STAUFENBERG
On July 20, 1944 at 12:42
p.m. a time bomb exploded and ripped through the War Office at Wolf's Lair -
the East Prussian Headquarters of the Third Reich. The primary target of this
drastic assault was German Chancellor and Führer Adolf Hitler. Although injured
in the attack Hitler would survive this harsh assassination attempt.
As the heat from the blast emanated from the structure it caressed the face of
a young German colonel who stood about 50 yards from the flame engulfed
building. Although this officer bore the marks of war wounds that included an
eye patch and missing hand he still possessed an aristocratic and noble bearing
in his tailored officer's tunic. Believing that no one could have survived such
a powerful explosion the colonel muttered to himself that 'the beast is dead'.
This regal looking colonel was Count Claus von Stauffenburg and as the small
building he had just bombed with a timed explosive hidden in a brief case began
to smolder in flames, he hurried to a waiting staff car. His driver and co
conspirator sped to a nearby airfield where a plane waited to fly von
Stauffenburg to Berlin where his destiny beckoned. [1]
Thus began the famous July Plot to kill Adolf Hitler and overthrow the Third
Reich. History was been very kind to the conspirators who attempted this daring
coup d'état. They are heralded as heroes and as allies in the war
against Hitler. The primary architect of this conspiracy was Claus von
Stauffenburg and he especially is honored as a valiant soldier who sought to
destroy the despotic figure of Adolf Hitler. In major cities throughout Europe,
the United States and even Israel streets and parks have been named after
Stauffenburg in honor of his bold effort to annihilate the Nazi Hierarchy.
Now that over fifty years has passed since the July Plot was hatched a fresh
examination of the motivations and ultimate aspirations of the primary
conspirator is necessary to understand the true reasons for this audacious
attempt to seize power. Some of the conclusions drawn from this reevaluation
may not fit the 'official' historical interpretation of the events surrounding
the July Plot. Some may even be offended by the conclusions proffered.
The primary thesis of this examination contends that the July Plot was not in
any way, shape or form an attempt to restore democracy to the German people as
it is often portrayed. Neither was it a concerted effort to stop the horrors of
the Holocaust and to save the various Jews, Gypsies, Gays and political
dissidents who so greatly suffered in the concentration camps. Nor was it an
attempt to bring freedom to the many occupied countries that endured German
control on a daily basis.
The July Plot was an attempt to restore monarchy to Germany and to continue the
domination of Europe by the German people. In order to explain this hypothesis
it will be necessary to examine the background of the principal conspirator
Count Claus von Stauffenburg. What motivated von Stauffenburg to plant a bomb
as a means to kill Hitler on that hot July day is far more complex than
historians have acknowledged. It involves his own family history, the mentors
of his youth and his opinions concerning the social class and standing of the
leaders of the Third Reich. It is a lot to unravel and it would be best to
begin with Stauffenburg's family history.
Claus Philipp von
Stauffenburg was born on November 15, 1907 to Alfred and Koraline Schenk Graf
von Stauffenburg in Swabia Germany. His father could trace his ancestry back to
medieval times. It is believed that the Stauffenburgs emerged from the House of
Staufen who ruled Germany as Holy Roman Emperors form the early 800 rds until
1273 AD when the Habsburg Dynasty took the imperial crown. The Stauffenburgs
were most likely Staufen princes who became warriors as a means to defend the
German Empire.
The first traceable ancestor of the von Stauffenburgs is one Werner Schenk von
Zollern who is mentioned in a legal document written in 1257. Schenk means 'cup
bearer' or steward in Old German and this title suggests that the Werner in
question was a courtier. A script dated in 1317 mentions the name Stauffenburg
for the first time. The signature of Hannes Schenk von Stauffenburg appears on
this document and it is from this figure that Claus von Stauffenburg could
trace his direct lineage. [2]
The von Stauffenburgs held the title 'Free Knights of the Empire' meaning that
they answered only to the Emperor in matters of law and personal honor. This
imperial designation was of equal status to that of a baron. The difference
being that a baron was bound to a particular region while a Free Knight was
allowed to roam unreservedly throughout the Empire. This family produced a
number of notable military figures. Three von Stauffenburgs were listed as
members of Teutonic Knights and two others were known to be members of the
Knights of Saint John - one of them becoming a leader of this illustrious
order.
Another von Stauffenburg served with the Habsburg Emperor Charles V when he
defeated the King of France in 1519 and then continued on with the Holy Roman
Emperor when he seized Vatican City and held the Pope captive. Some von
Stauffenburgs converted to Protestantism after Luther but many remained within
the Church of Rome. By the seventieth century the Stauffenburgs boasted a
Jesuit priest, two prince-bishops and a Field Marshall of the Swabian Order of
Saint John. The famous poet and playwright Friedrich von Schiller was a
Stauffenburg on his mother's side.
By 1874 General Konrad von Stauffenburg was raised to the rank of Count [Graf]
by King Ludwigg II of Bavaria. [3] His grandson Alfred Schrenk Graf Von
Stauffenburg married Karoline von ÜxKüll and to them were born Alexander,
Berthold and Claus von Stauffenburg.
Claus von Stauffenburg's mother Karoline von ÜxKüll was of Prussian descent and
her family boasted a great many important military figures among their
ancestors. Among these were Field Martial Peter von Wartenburg who began his
career as a soldier of fortune and eventually found himself upgrading the
Prussian Army as an advisor. Another famous scion of the von ÜxKüll family was
Field Marshall August von Gneisenau. He served as an advisor to General George
Washington at the end of the American Revolutionary War. Both men were
instrumental in the defeat of Napoleon.
The von Stauffenburg brothers were raised with a strong sense of their noble
heritage. They lived in a castle owned by the Wittelsbach King of Wütteremberg.
Alfred von Stauffenburg served as Senior Marshal [special advisor] to the King
and counseled the Bavarian Monarch on matters of foreign relations and
diplomacy. His wife Karoline served as 'Lady in Waiting' to the Queen. Her
duties included organizing cotillions and other formal social occasions. It was
in this fairy-tale milieu of Bavarian aristocracy that Claus von Stauffenburg
took his first steps, learned to talk and eventually to dance, fence and ride a
horse. [4]
When the Württenburg Monarchy was dissolved in 1918 as a condition of the
Armistice the von Stauffenburgs moved to their country estate which had been
their ancestral home for over 300 years. The village of Lautingen lies in the
Swabian Alps just south of Stuttgart and the Schloss Stauffenburg, with its
high roof and lily-white exterior, dominates the small town. The rolling Alpine
foothills dotted the countryside the three brothers reveled in exploring the
glorious landscape. [5]
Non-Germans can never fully appreciate the significance of the countryside in
the make up of the German soul. For the German, and especially the Bavarian,
the land and the people merge and fuse in an enigmatic mystical union. Unlike
other nations which speak of national spirit, the Germans have always spoken in
terms of blood and land. It can be seen everywhere in 19th and early 20th
century literature and even propaganda - Blood and Iron, Blood and Soil, Blood
and Honor. In effect, the German worldview may be described as a sort of
spiritual materialism the likes of which non-Germanic peoples can only grasp a
slight understanding.
It is in this context that the young Claus von Stauffenburg and his two older
twin brothers roamed and explored the Swabian countryside. They saw themselves
as being physically and metaphysically merged the environment. This mystical
communion with the land combined with the high culture and respect for tradition
and family history they received at home made them aristocrats in the highest
sense of the term.
As the brothers grew into their teen years their parents recognized the need
for them to be tutored and mentored in life and art by an outside party. The standard
gymnasium education was limited in its scope and the elder von Stauffenburgs
understood their children required more than the regular instruction offered in
the German school system.
In this regard they sought out the help and advice of German poet Stefan George
[pronounced Gee-org-ah]. George was the definitive German language poet of his
era outshining even Rilke in reputation and status. In his early years George
roamed the vineyards owned by his parents and soon became aloof and somewhat
detached from his contemporaries. During his teens and early 20's George
traveled Europe and began to explore poetry and various forms of esoteria. He
flirted with Ariosophy - a German form of theosophy which accented German
identity but soon found it overly anti Semitic for his tastes. [6]
Eventually he settled back in Germany and formed the 'George Circle' around
1892. This group comprised an esoteric brotherhood which sought to explore
poetry, spiritualism, arcane rites and spiritual doctrines. This group eventually
merged with a pre-existing fraternity known as the 'Cosmics' - a fellowship
which centered around George when he relocated to Heidelburg. There is much
speculation concerning George and his followers. One overriding observation
concerning this group was its total domination by George. There was absolutely
no room for individual opinion besides that of George himself. Followers even
had to take a 'loyalty oath' to Meister George promising to following him
unconditionally and agreeing never to reveal his inner teachings to outsiders.
[7]
Sometime in the early 1900's George began to done what looked very much like a
curate's cassock and soon his followers began to copy his dress and mannerisms.
There were rumors centering around George's use of secret ceremonies in which
he wore ornate robes and regalia, burnt incense and performed occult rituals
while uttering incantations. Some unfounded rumors surfaced which spoke of
homosexual initiation ceremonies. It seems that George formed a Golden Dawn
type organization in pre WWI Germany. [8]
At this point George began to publish volumes of poetry which were to capture
the imagination of an entire generation of young German intellectuals. His
poetry was to German literature what Nietzsche was to German philosophy.
Nietzsche captured the essence of German identity while George's poetry
explored the Germanic soul. As his poetic star rose George himself became more
and more reclusive insisting that he only wanted to be surrounded by spiritual
aristocrats.
George proffered a mystical/poetic purview in which a sort of priest king would
emerge to lead the German people into a spiritual utopia. [Many Nazis saw this
personified in Hitler] This is best reflected in his masterpiece The New
Kingdom [1928]. In this work George expresses his hopes and aspirations for
the German people and the mystic imperium he hoped would imbibe and revive his
nation. [9]
When Karoline von Stauffenberg approached Stefan George concerning tutoring her
three sons the famous poet could not be more pleased. He saw in the three
youths the very embodiment of his spiritual and aristocratic leanings. The
Stauffenburg brothers saw in George a mentor who understood their background
and desires. Soon the three took George's 'loyalty oath' and entered the inner
circle of his esoteric secret society. [10]
During his frequent visits to the Stauffenburg home George had the boys learn
poetry by heart and even had them compose some of their own poems. He also
tutored them in classical civilization and literature with an emphasis on Plato
and the Greek dramatists. George had the brothers explore occult philosophy
which most likely included the works of Rudolf Steiner and Thule Society
literature. Although a neo-pagan at this juncture in his life, George encouraged
the three boys to explore the numinous temper of Roman Catholicism with its
stress on sacrifice and the mystical nature of divine kingship. [11]
In essence George taught the boys that their duty as aristocrats was to promote
a new divine monarchy and to ensure that, within the limits if their
circumstance, that they should always act with duty and honor as their
watchwords. Nothing less would be befitting those of their high social station.
The two older von Stauffenburg brothers eventually went off to university and
were to gain doctorates in the humanities. However, Claus was so infatuated by
George's philosophy that he chose a military career over university. Claus von
Stauffenburg saw this as his only opportunity to put into practice what his mentor
had taught him.
After rising through the ranks to Lieutenant in the German Army von
Stauffenburg was surprised when an Austrian named Adolf Hitler came to power in
1933.
At first von Stauffenburg celebrated the rise of the National Socialist Workers
Party. He saw in their symbols and their dedication the very essence of the New
Kingdom he had envisaged for his entire life. However, his taste for the Führer
soon soured. For one thing Stefan George hated Hitler and refused to meet with
the new Chancellor. George declined Hitler's invitation to head the Germany
Poetry Academy. As a final smear to the 'Leader' George denounced the Führer
stating that Hitler was a mere vulgarian who would lead Germany to ruination.
To demonstrate his complete and utter contempt for the Third Reich George left
Germany in protest of the new regime and exiled himself to Switzerland. There
he died not long after his expatriation in 1933. The Stauffenburg brothers
acted as pole bearers at George's funeral. [12]
As the military prowess of the Third Reich grew Claus von Stauffenburg remained
as an officer in the regular German Army although his distrust of Hitler grew
as the years moved on. When war broke out in 1939 Stauffenburg held a number of
combat assignments. He served in all of Hitler's major campaigns from the
Sudetenland, to Poland, to France, to Russia and finally North Africa.
On April 7, 1943 Claus Von Stauffenburg was seriously wounded along the
Kasserine Pass in the North African desert when Allied fighters strafed his
convoy and vehicle. In a hail of machine gun fire Stauffenburg lost his left
eye, right hand, two fingers of his left hand and a kneecap. [13]
It was during his recovery that von Stauffenburg, by then a lieutenant colonel,
began to plot against the life of Adolf Hitler. Stefan George's opinions
concerning Hitler all rang true. He led Germany into the greatest military
disaster in modern history. In his initial plan von Stauffenburg knew that any
cogent overthrow of the Third Reich would mean the deaths of Hitler and his two
closet power sharers - Himmler and Goering.
Upon reflecting on the lives and careers of the three prominent leaders of the
Third Reich von Stauffenburg felt nothing but loathing for these commoners who
were as far away from George's vision of Divine Kings as one could get.
Considering Stauffenburg's aristocratic upbringing - dancing with the Queen of
Bavaria as a boy, exploring the Swabian countryside, listening to his parents
speak of their lineage and especially studying the mystical poetry and
teachings of Stefan George - Hitler, Himmler and Goering were nothing more than
mere plebeians.
In Stauffenburg's reckoning Adolf Hitler was an Austrian prole whose military
record did not even involve participating in a charge. Upon leaving the armed
services Hitler was a failed artist, paper hanger and one time vagabond. Given
his chance this ruff-hewn peasant ran Germany into the ground.
Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, was not even physically-fit enough to pass a
basic medical exam for entry into the army. He worked raising and selling
chickens for a time but he even failed at this inane employment. Himmler's
greatest claim to fame was that he once received a government grant to study
the nature of dung in the production of manure but even this study was never
completed. Yet on the death of Hitler this ex-chicken farmer possessed the
manpower to seize the government as his dreaded SS followed him blindly.
Herman Goering may have had some merit in Stauffenburg's reckoning as he was a
WWI flying ace. However, he was a throw back to earlier age and made his living
as a stunt pilot and barn stormer after the Great War. He was even an
insignificant wine salesman at one time. However, Goering controlled the entire
Prussian interior police consequently making him a threat after Hitler's death.
From the Fall of 1943 to the Summer 1944 Claus von Stauffenburg became the
leader of a conspiracy to kill Hitler, Goering and Himmler and overthrow the
Third Reich in one decisive action. In June 1944 he was promoted to full
colonel and appointed Chief of Staff to Home Army Commander General Friedrich
Fromm. Now von Stauffenberg had direct access to Hitler's briefing sessions and
he made his final move against the man he referred to as 'The Anti Christ'.
On July 20 after returning to Berlin after the bombing von Stauffenburg soon
discovered that Hitler had miraculously survived the blast and that his co
conspirators had failed to launch the coup. The plot quickly collapsed and
Count Claus von Stauffenburg was subsequently shot for sedition.
If the coup had succeeded it is doubtful von Stauffenburg would have restored
democracy. Although his provisional government would have placed General Ludwig
Beck as Head of State von Stauffenburg would have had full control of all armed
forces as Secretary of War. Most likely he would have sued for a negotiated
peace with the allies and retained most of the new Reich.
In this regard it can be plausibly argued that von Stauffenburg would have
eventually restored some form of monarchy in Germany with either himself or one
of his brothers appointed as King or Holy Roman Emperor of Germania.
Considering Stauffenburg's aristocratic background, the monarchical influence
of Stefan George, and his overall disdain for the lower class types who gained
political power in democractic regimes, this theory constitutes a reasonable
conclusion.
It is unclear what Stauffenburg's opinions were concerning the Holocaust but it
is certain that he hoped to bring diehard Nazis, like Albert Speer, into the
new provisional government. [14]
Stauffenburg also recruited the German commander of France into the plot and,
consequently, did not seem to plan to give up any segment of the Greater Reich
if the coup had been successful.
It is very unlikely that von Stauffenburg would have bought back some scion of
the Kaiser's family to act as king. In his the reckoning the Hohenzollern
dynasty was too quick to jump on the National Socialist bandwagon in hopes of
regaining power. Nor were the Kaiser's heirs raised with the same mythical
concept of kingship and sacrifice as were the Stauffenburg children.
Count Claus von Stauffenburg was only 37 at the time of the plot and thus
required an older and respected leader like General Beck to smooth over the transition
of government after the coup. It is clear that Stauffenburg would retain
control of the military and even went as far as to form an alliance with Field
Marshal Irwin Rommel as a means to consolidate his hold on the armed forces
after the Third Reich was deposed. Consequently, Stauffenburg would control the
military and could eventually impose any form of government onto the Greater
German Reich. [15]
In the final analysis Count Claus von Stauffenburg would have inaugurated the
New Kingdom that Stephan George had conceived and would have coronated himself
or some scion of his family as Monarch of the New Reich.
End Notes And Sources
1] See: http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/ResearchPaper.html#15 also An
historically accurate recreation of the events surrounding the July Plot can be
found in the docudrama The Plot to Kill Hitler [1990] See:
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100376
2] Baigent, Michael & Leigh, Richard, Secret Germany: Claus von
Stauffenburg and the Mystical Crusade Against Hitler, Jonathan Cape London,
1994: 79-80
3] Baigent & Leigh: 85
4] Baigent &Leigh: 97 - 98
5] Baigent & Leigh: 99
6] See: http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=37211
7] Baigent & Leigh: 257
8] Baigent &Leigh: 112
9] See: http://www.alb-neckar-schwarzwald.de/s_george_poems.html
10] Baigent & Leigh: 11
11] Baigent & Leigh: 115
12] Baigent & Leigh: 130 - 133
13] See: http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/CStauffenberg.htm
14] See: http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Speer.htm
15] See: http://www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Newgvt.htm