Klaus-Jürgen Müller in his 1983 work "The German Military Opposition before the Second World War" wrote (if Wikipedia is to be believed): In Beck's opinion, once Germany was sufficiently rearmed, the Reich should wage a series of wars that would establish Germany as Europe's foremost power, and place all of Central and Eastern Europe into the German sphere of influence
How exactly is that not opportunism? Beck as you admit saw military action as a way to achieve political aims but only wished to conduct military action when the opportunity was right in his opinion. The fact that he viewed situations differently in terms of whether or not they presented a relatively risk-free opportunity than say Hitler or the Nazi party in general does not mean he was not opportunistic.
Opportunism to me (& wiki) means selfish behavoir without regard of principles or the constant shifting of principles and loyalities as it suits for temporary gain.
Beck never did this. His goals (a strong army and a strong Germany) stayed constant and his morals never changed (he always saw war as an aceptable tool of politics, although there were some boundaries he was unwilling to cross).
Opportunists change their opinions and principles, when their personal position changes (Stalin and Stalinist politicans in the west are a good example: changing from world revolution to peacefull coexistence to the social facism thesis to the popular front and back to the begining just as it suited the SU, but always claiming that reason and moral were on their side).
Beck never changed his principles and changed his opinions when facts demanded it as any sane person would.
(Not crossing the street right before an truck is just sane, as is not strating a war, when you can not win it.
All that you said about Beck and Goerdeler may have been right Uriel, but I don't see how Beck could not have been characterized as an opportunist. What exactly was he then?
A nationalist, not afraid to step over a few bodies if it suited his country (just like Churchill, Pearse, Clemencau, Bush, de Gaulle, ...)
Of course he was calculating and not allways screaming around what he thought, but that are basic treats of any officer or politican (I never said he was a nice person (though most who knew him do))
All well and good. However, how does that impact on the fact that the Allies were intent on...
Agree with all the following. Just wanted to make a point about the plotters.