If the Germans start to withdraw, there is no need for Cobra. If the Germans start to withdraw the allied fighterbombers will have a joyride.
Twilight of the Valkyries: A 20 July Plot TL
- Thread starter LumineVonReuental
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- germany valkyrie world war ii
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If the Germans start to withdraw, there is no need for Cobra. If the Germans start to withdraw the allied fighterbombers will have a joyride.
You may well be right; I think Cobra was on hold at that point waiting for better weather conditions, and a lot can happen in those five days. Without wanting to jump the TL's gun, I wonder what will happen if Kluge takes that time to try negotiating a surrender in the West as he allegedly mused about doing in OTL. The WAllies aren't going to negotiate with any German government on any basis other than unconditional surrender, but they might accept a local surrender of just Kluge's command...provided all of Kluge's subordinate commanders are still obeying him by then.
Whatever happens, I think it gets very messy indeed.
Rommel asked Dietrich OTL if he would rather keep fighting in France while the Stalin took Germany or would he follow his orders even if countermanded by Hitler. Dietrich knew what that meant.
Ah, but did I outright state that Rommel was indeed kidnapped by the SS? All Kluge and Stülpnagel know right is that Dietrich's men are now occuping Rommel's hospital, and to that they draw conclusions which are entirely personal...
But on that subject I cannot say more, not until a further update!
For some reason, I've always been fascinated by the minute-by-minute tracking of coups- and similarly, the flash points of revolutions.
Sure, they're always the product of huge social forces and political momentum, but on the day itself so much always seems to come down to who was in what building when. Who gave orders? Who hesitated? Who was down with the flu when they could have taken decisive action the day before?
So this kind of methodical, detail focused take on the July Plot is terribly satisfying for me.
Sure, they're always the product of huge social forces and political momentum, but on the day itself so much always seems to come down to who was in what building when. Who gave orders? Who hesitated? Who was down with the flu when they could have taken decisive action the day before?
So this kind of methodical, detail focused take on the July Plot is terribly satisfying for me.
Fascinating stuff, incredibly well written. Looking forward to more. Definitely subbed.
Thank you all for the comments! It's rather encouraging, especially from people that have written such fantastic TL's. Fourth update should be up tonight or tomorrow.
Great to hear! The more I read on the coup (and particularly Hoffman's History of the German Resistance) the more it surprised me how many elements came down to personality, location, and at times, sheer luck (or bad luck). And once I introduced the POD with Hitler and Keitel dead, I realized I wanted to be thorough on the first moments of the coup in order to see what scenario could emerge (although I skipped over what could have been an update focused on Berlin, as it was too much).
Naturally, the premise of my scenario also rests on personality, that is, Goering, Bormann and Himmler being paranoid of each other and making a bad situation worse.
There are several of them involved in the coup, but as far as I know there are no concrete plans to reinstall the monarchy should the coup win. So an appearence from Louis Ferdinand (who by this exact moment should be very confused on what's happening) will depend on the next few updates.
Great to hear! The more I read on the coup (and particularly Hoffman's History of the German Resistance) the more it surprised me how many elements came down to personality, location, and at times, sheer luck (or bad luck). And once I introduced the POD with Hitler and Keitel dead, I realized I wanted to be thorough on the first moments of the coup in order to see what scenario could emerge (although I skipped over what could have been an update focused on Berlin, as it was too much).
Naturally, the premise of my scenario also rests on personality, that is, Goering, Bormann and Himmler being paranoid of each other and making a bad situation worse.
There are several of them involved in the coup, but as far as I know there are no concrete plans to reinstall the monarchy should the coup win. So an appearence from Louis Ferdinand (who by this exact moment should be very confused on what's happening) will depend on the next few updates.
kazier
I ask only because Beck called himself regent. I was wondering if this was a Horthy style restoration in absentia. The use of the old imperial flag, and titles, reich crat came out of the pre 1918 system seemed to drop hints
I ask only because Beck called himself regent. I was wondering if this was a Horthy style restoration in absentia. The use of the old imperial flag, and titles, reich crat came out of the pre 1918 system seemed to drop hints
RousseauX
Donor
Extremely well researched TL on the immediate aftermath of Valkyrie and nazi poltiics at the highest level. I too have thought a long time about how a Valkyrie coup would actually play out given the fractious nature of the Nazi party and the military. To me the unraveling of the inner circles of power within Germany itself is far more interesting than how fast the western front collapses. Your setting in which, in effect, the Nazi state splits between the SS, the party, and the army plotters is extremely realistic. can't wait to see what happens next!
What are your sources btw, you seem to have captured the personalities of each key player (incredibly important to the outcome) extremely well.
Again, I've being wanting to read something like this for a long long time, cannot praise this TL more
What are your sources btw, you seem to have captured the personalities of each key player (incredibly important to the outcome) extremely well.
I agree 100%, this is how military coups play out in general when the military itself is divided
Again, I've being wanting to read something like this for a long long time, cannot praise this TL more
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Part IV: The Wolf's Lair has fallen:
Lt. Colonel Georg von Boeselager, commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade:
Lt. Colonel Georg von Boeselager, commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade:
July 21st, 1944
The Wolf’s Lair:
6:00 AM to 13:00 PM
The Wolf’s Lair:
6:00 AM to 13:00 PM
From all the men with a key part to play in the aftermath of the assassination, perhaps one of the most surprising was Lt. Colonel Georg von Boeselager, the notoriously young (only twenty-eight years old) commander of the 3rd Cavalry Brigade. Starting from Lieutenant and fighting his way through Poland, France and the Soviet Union, he gained notoriety as a bold and spirited officer, admired by his men. Once subordinate to Kluge and longtime friend to Henning von Tresckow, Boeselager had been a key part of the coordination of the conspiracy through 1943, often coming up with alternate (yet unworkable) alternatives to kill Hitler. In the end, as the commanded of one of the few Heer units the plotters could count on, a decision was made for Boeselager to take his unit away from the fighting in East Prussia to be either airlifted to or lead a march into Berlin to support the Reserve Army. And indeed, as the middle part of July 20th began, Boeselager’s men marched west, fully intending to reach Berlin until his target was reassigned to be a blockade (but not an outright assault) of the Wolf’s Lair. Pleased to retake an old idea of his, Boeselager shifted his course [1], and took an aggressive stance.
While missing Goering for a few hours as he and his entourage fly to Bavaria, the Wolf’s Lair still contains several high ranking officers without a clear place to go, and more importantly, it contains Martin Bormann, who keeps guard over Hitler’s body while attempt to mobilize support – temporarily – for Goering. Whereas the defenses of the Wolf’s Lair would make it almost impregnable in most contexts, the death of several high ranking officers and, more importantly, the arrest of Rattenhuber and many men originally set to defend the area on Goering’s orders greatly disrupt the chain of command and the ability of the remaining garrison to coordinate. To make matters worse for Bormann and the Wolf’s Lair defenders, General Fellgiebel is able to disrupt attempts to request support from the Wehrkreis I HQ in Konigsberg. The battle rages from dawn to the early afternoon, as the airport is neutralized early on by artillery fire and the 3rd Cavalry Brigade takes the outposts one by one while suffering horrific casualties. In the end, though, Bormann’s military incompetence shines through as his orders are often confusing, and when the first few units surrender and the word spreads that Boeselager is ostensibly there to “avenge the Führer’s murder”, resistance slowly collapses. By 11:00 AM Boeselager and his men enter the main building as the remaining units throw down their weapons, and links with Generals Fellgiebel and Stieff. The 3rd Cavalry Brigade has suffered horrific and virtually irreplaceable losses, but they have achieved what two days ago was impossible: the Wolf’s Lair has fallen.
Enraged at the losses suffered (which mean a march on Berlin is essentially impossible), the absence of Goering from the area and following on the “official” line of the Bendlerstrasse plotters as being the ones to avenge Hitler [2], Boeselager takes a dramatic step. Hauling Rattenhuber and Bormann to one of the meeting rooms, and despite the objections of Stieff, the young Colonel organizes a court martial for both men, charging Rattenhuber and Bormann with conspiring with Himmler to get rid of the Führer. Both men are – obviously – declared guilty, with Boeselager sentencing them to immediate execution by firing squad. Taken outside Rattenhuber goes first, being shot as he protests his innocence and loyalty to the Führer. Bormann, shaking from sheer rage, gives a disdainful look at the Colonel as the cavalrymen prepare their rifles. Heil Hitler!, shouts Martin Bormann as he falls to the ground, riddled with bullets. A dismayed and increasingly demoralized Fromm hears the news at the Bendlerstrasse, and quietly and grimly ponders who’s next.
Occupied France and Liberated Normandy:
9:00 AM to 20:00 PM
9:00 AM to 20:00 PM
Being the one front truly supportive of the Beck Government, Occupied France nonetheless is the scenario of a lot of tension on July 21st, standing at the edge of civil war. With the arrests of the SS in Paris going more or less smoothly and with Field Marshal von Kluge and General Stülpnagel teaming up, the situation looked decent enough at dawn, until men from Sepp Dietrich’s units took over the hospital where Rommel was recovering. The news almost sparked a potentially disastrous conflict, as the Waffen-SS units in the front where not only powerful, but vital to hold the frontlines. As news from Germany continued to flood in, it can only be described as an irony that the day was saved, not by Kluge and his staff, but by the Waffen-SS commanders themselves. Through Paul Hausser [3] and others Kluge receives a commitment from the SS units to refrain from any involvement in the current events, and knowing full well how much of a miracle it is that the frontlines have not disappeared at all, Kluge takes the gamble of trusting his local commanders. It is thanks to General von Falkenhausen that Sepp Dietrich and his forces at the Luftwaffe Hospital in Bernay are contacted, and Dietrich and Kluge manage to compromise on a meeting. Despite the heavy mistrust on both sides, Dietrich stresses that his loyalty rests with Rommel as his commander, and explains his movements as an attempt to protect him from assassination. With a promise from Dietrich to remain fully committed on his battlefield role, and a promise from Kluge to protect Rommel, a civil war inside Army Group B is only barely avoided.
It is around the same time that the marine group orders the release of Admiral Krancke, arrested by Stülpnagel during the night. Refusals on both sides to yield spiral out of control before long, as the marines end up attempting to fight their way to their commander. Civilians in Paris are shocked as for the better part of a couple of ours marine companies and garrison units fight across a few blocks, a shocking break from the usually disciplined façade the Germans so wish to maintain. At great personal risk Stülpnagel surrounds the rebels and arrests them, preventing the insurrection to spread at the cost of a few dozen dead. As word gets out to the local Resistance the pro-Gaullist leaders are quick in stressing that the time is in no way right for any provocation against the German garrison, but some seeds have been planted. The extremist and charismatic “Colonel” Rol-Tanguy, leader of the Paris Communists has taken careful note of what he believes to be critical weakness on behalf of the German Military Government [4]. Realizing that Germany is spiraling into civil war as the coup has not managed to get rid of Himmler and Goering by its second day, Kluge becomes convinced the time to act and save his army is now.
On the other side of the frontlines, Field Marshal Montgomery and his officers begin planning of the next phase of attacks to break out of Normandy, their own attacks temporarily suspended by the weather and the fatigue as resources are redeployed to the future operations to reach Brittany. Encouraged by the announcements of Hitler’s death – which by this point are being widely celebrated across Allied countries and particularly in London – they remain cautious despite the dwindling German strength. It is therefore a surprise when a group of Wehrmacht officers carrying a white flag reach the allied frontlines, asking to meet the Field Marshal on behalf of Kluge. To the disbelief of Montgomery’s headquarters, they bring a proposal for a negotiated ceasefire [5].
Berlin Area
6:00 AM to 17:00 PM
6:00 AM to 17:00 PM
Around the morning a small military plane lands from the East, its occupants barely avoiding the SS squads more than a few times before reaching the Bendlerstrasse. The main figure is General Henning von Tresckow, key member of the coup and the man originally intended to fill Stauffenberg’s role. Von Tresckow, who barely avoided arrest by Field Marshal Model as he flew back to Berlin, is a much needed reinforcement to the tired officers at the Reserve Army HQ, who are seeing the situation as beginning to get out of hand. Another figure to arrive is Carl Goerdeler, the former mayor of Leipzig and intended future Chancellor (despite Stauffenberg and Tresckow’s objections). As Beck continues to attempt to rally Wehrmacht commanders to his side – to little success -, Fromm is becoming increasingly hostile at the failure to prevent countercoups from Goering and Himmler, and even more aggressive as he learns of the casualties his men are suffering to Skorzeny’s hodgepodge units. When the efforts of Stauffenberg and Olbricht to reason with him are unsuccessful, Stauffenberg has Haeften and some of their men staying beside Fromm at all moments, fearing that the General might attempt to backtrack despite the circumstances [6].
While several of the Wehrkreise remain out of reach and the civil war appears imminent, the SS has been neutralized on virtually all areas under control of the Beck Government minus Berlin, and several of those units closer to the capital are ordered to converge to aid in the fight. With von Tresckow taking the lead at the frontlines and succeeding in pushing Skorzeny back for the time being, the situation improves somewhat, and under Arthur Nebe plans begin to be drafted for way to eliminate Himmler and Goering before they consolidate too much support. Panzer General Hoepner and Nebe himself will leave for Dresden before long, intending to gather Reserve Army units to take down the SS redoubt in Prague. From Norway, General Nicholaus von Falkenhorst decides to back the Beck Government, informing the plotters that SS Leader Wilhelm Rediess and Gauleiter Terboven are now under heavy guard and asking for instructions regarding the Quisling regime. With these developments, Stauffenberg and Tresckow conclude there’s three things the plotters need to regain the initiative: get rid of Goering and Himmler, and secure Guderian’s support if they want to hold Berlin.
As Skorzeny and the Bendlerstrasse worry about Guderian’s panzer troops, the units under his subordinates remain in position and make no attempt to enter the city by force. Guderian has finally showed up in his headquarters late at night alongside his aide, Major Freytag von Loringhoven, ordering for the units to stay in alert. To Guderian’s annoyance, radio reports are constantly switching as the situation remains confusing, and Major von Loringhoven has to work miracles from keeping the constant emissaries seeking an audience with Guderian at bay. In the end, the General orders any messenger from the SS to be arrested, but does not attempt to answer calls from Goering or Beck in the excuse of the communication lines being down. As the monstrous doubt of what to do next is only growing, a bloodied man with a few officers and soldiers on black uniforms reach a panzer unit led by Colonel Bollbrinker, demanding an immediate audience with Guderian. The man is Heinrich Müller, the Gestapo Chief [7].
Across the Wehrkreise and the Third Reich:
8:00 AM to 16:00 PM
8:00 AM to 16:00 PM
Despite considering the Hamburg option as attractive thanks to the presence of Grand Admiral Doenitz and the Kriegsmarine, Goering settled on Munich and Bavaria since he could count on the closeness of the forces loyal to General Ringel, and, more importantly, the war theatre of Field Marshal Kesselring. With the local Wehrkreis commander sidelined, Goering, Ribbentrop and Köller landed on Munich to be received by Gauleiter Geisler, the man that held true absolute power in the area. The move, however, is not as initially successful as Goering would wish, as the communications in the area are badly damaged after earlier Allied bombing raids and Giesler has oversold the amount of forces available to him. And to make matters more complicated, Goering soon learns of Bormann’s fate at the hands of the plotters. The good news, however, begin to materialize. Wehrkreis VI (Munster) has switched sides, with General Franz Mattenklott deciding the coup has little chance at succeeding when so many elements are siding with the Reichsmarschall. And furthermore, some of the inactive Wehrkreise are beginning to fall in line as well, with Generals Veier (Wehrkreis V – Stuttgart) and Keitel (Wehrkreis XX – Danzig) pledging support to Goering as well. On the other hand, Wehrkreis VIII (Breslau) and XII (Wiesbaden) have sided with Beck and Witzleben after much prodding. This leaves Wehrkreis XIII (Nuremberg), where General Mauritz von Wiktorin hesitates, and Wehrkreis XII (Posen), where most units are in combat and the HQ itself is in chaos, unable to take sides. Finally, Goering resolves to try and put the Luftwaffe land units in activity, although their effectivity in combat is highly questionable.
On the other hand, the situation is increasingly worse for Himmler and his orbit. Not only because large portions of the high command of the SS (and large parts of the members inside Germany) have been arrested, but because his own allies seem more than unwilling to back him following the “twin purge” of both Beck and Goering. Even if he has combat ready units in the Austrian countryside and, more importantly, in Prague, the only way for Himmler to gather the necessary forces to control the Wehrkreise is to use the Waffen-SS, with the overwhelming majority of those units locked in the fight of several fronts. It is thus that Himmler uses his still efficient backchannels to establish contact with key officers like Sepp Dietrich, Felix Steiner and Paul Hausser, asking their support in the crisis. An increasingly pale Schellenberg reports back and forth to Himmler, each time bringing negative responses. Some, like Hausser and Steiner, report that moving from the front is sheer madness, and that the Waffen SS’s place is fighting alongside the army. Others, like Dietrich, go even further, charging Himmler with treason and stressing that they will not follow him in any way [8].
By the early afternoon the view becomes clearer for Himmer and company, and it looks bad for the SS. Beyond those who have deserted, General Karl Wolf has been arrested in Italy by Kesselring, and Wilhelm Stuckart (the man controlling the Interior Ministry on Himmler’s behalf) is under arrest by Beck. Schellenberg and Kaltenbrunner aside, the few subordinates to join Himmler include Generals Otto Ohlendorf and Hans Kammler, and bureaucrat Hans Juttner. With such a limited entourage, Berlin on the balance and the messengers sent to Guderian not returning, Himmler orders a plane to be prepared. If things go wrong, he has little choice but to regroup at Prague. Informed by Kaltenbrunner of Goering’s presence in Bavaria, Himmler also orders the recently formed 24th Waffen SS Mountain Division (basically of battalion strength) to move into the zone, and more importantly, establishes contact with the 2nd and 3rd companies of the 502nd SS Jäger Battalion (Skorzeny's unit) outside Berlin. Deployed in a nearby airport the unit is ordered into alert, for the Reichsführer SS has an idea…
_____________________________________________
Notes for Part IV:
_____________________________________________
Notes for Part IV:
[1] My interpretation of von Boeselager may seem a bit too exaggerated, but this is a man who point blank stated he had a duty to God to eliminate Hitler, who was extremely harsh in dealing with partisans in Russia (and I mean harsh by Wehrmacht’s standards) and who crafted a plan to ambush Hitler and his SS guards in the woods and kill him in a fair fight. He had offered before to charge at the Wolf’s Lair with his units and was rejected by the plotters on account of the casualties this might bring, but with the plotters desperately needing to get rid of Goering, I think it’s possible they would make this gamble. And I think it’s perfectly reasonable too that Boeselager would go overboard…
[2] One of many reasons that showcase the fundamental weakness of Valkyrie. They had to claim that “members of the party” where trying to enact a coup and try all sorts of excuses to gain legitimacy, because claiming the overthrow of Hitler as a tyrant and touting their responsibility on their murder was simply suicidal. Here it’s worse because they have to contend with Himmler and Goering, and their one way out is to attempt to “avenge” Hitler against the “villainous” Reichsführer and Reichsmarschall.
[3] Of course, Hausser was, if memory serves right, a supporter of the Waffen-SS position as a combat unit, not as a group to meddle in politics. Not to mention Himmler smeared him during 1943…
[4] Having read a biography of De Gaulle and surprised by the pretty complex dynamics inside the French resistance during that time, I’m planting a few seeds for some events that are yet to come.
[5] Which is what Rommel and Kluge had wanted all along. Whether their ideas were realistic or not, and what the Allies will do, will come up later.
[6] As I said, Fromm is perhaps a bit too conscious of his desire to remain alive and on top no matter what.
[7] Müller and Guderian would come to blows over the Warsaw situation later on the war, but as that incident has not happened I would assume they are not on unfriendly terms.
[8] I think people overestimate Himmler’s ability to seize power on a July 20th, scenario. His best units are in the fronts led by commanders that (mostly) dislike him, the rank and file of the SS are liable to get arrested or shot in the first few hours, he has key enemies like Müller and Bormann, and the SS is in the middle of a manpower crisis. It was in the aftermath of July 20th that Himmler gained near absolute power, and a lot of that came on his new position as head of the Reserve Army, allowing him to bolster the SS ranks and have the forces to crush any potential coups. Thus, while on TTL he is still a powerful and dangerous man, he is hardly as powerful as he would have been on late 1944.
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Extremely well researched TL on the immediate aftermath of Valkyrie and nazi poltiics at the highest level. I too have thought a long time about how a Valkyrie coup would actually play out given the fractious nature of the Nazi party and the military. To me the unraveling of the inner circles of power within Germany itself is far more interesting than how fast the western front collapses. Your setting in which, in effect, the Nazi state splits between the SS, the party, and the army plotters is extremely realistic. can't wait to see what happens next!
What are your sources btw, you seem to have captured the personalities of each key player (incredibly important to the outcome) extremely well.
I agree 100%, this is how military coups play out in general when the military itself is divided
Again, I've being wanting to read something like this for a long long time, cannot praise this TL more
Thanks, RousseauX! I really like the intrigue aspect when it comes to writing this TL (more than the military side, if only because I am no expert at all on that area).
I've used various sources and I often had to take many details out of different websites and books, but what I use the most on the conspiracy itself is Hoffman's History of the German Resistance (best work on the July 20 Plot), Mommsen's Germans against Hitler, Hansen's Disobeying Hitler: German Resistance after Valkyrie, one of the Osprey books on Operation Valkyrie, and Boeselager's (brother of the Lt. Colonel that appears on Part IV) memories.
For personalities the main work is Inside the Third Reich by Speer, combined with Albert Speer: His Battle with the Truth by Gitta Sereny (one of my favourite books) to balance Speer's bias and farcical statements. I also used biograhpies on Goebbels (Longerich), Himmler (Longerich again), Goering (Manwell and Fraenkel), Rommel (Charles F. Marshall), Schellenberg (Doerries and Weinberg), von Papen (Koeves), Guderian (Russell Hart), Hitler (Marlis Steinert), De Gaulle (Don Cook), Mussolini (Amicucci) and Franco (Paul Preston). I also read Guderian's book, but I will only use a few details from there since the book has more lies than Speer's biography. I intend to pick up on reading on Truman, Roosevelt, Churchill, Montgomery and Stalin (basically on the Allies as a whole) once I have the time, and possibly something on the Japanese as well.
For general and specific info the list is larger, but it includes some minor studies on Valkyrie and the Reserve Army, a collection on the Second World War from a military point of view that I used to read as a child, some military studies on the fronts by 1944, a couple of works and articles on the Nuremberg Trials, and some supplementary material for flavor like Ciano's Diary.
Hardly the ideal research material since english is my second language and all I have to go on is the few books I already own complemented with some internet research, but so far it's given me some decent insight on some of the key players (still, I can't deny the fact my view is particularly influenced by Speer, although I try to balance that), but as we move on and I pick on more reading I should be able to fill some of the large knowledge gaps I have.
Tyr Anazasi
Banned
I was a lurker until now. I saw a very good TL so far. However, the Brandenburger were no part of the Waffen-SS yet. Indeed there were rivalries between them. The division was alligned to Canaris and thus to a man of the resistance. Because of that I don't think Himmler could rely on them.
I'm impressed by your reading list. You go investigating at even deeper levels than me! BTW, I agree fully with you about Boeselager. He would have acted like that
Have you read Stauffenberg's bio by Hoffmann (Stauffenberg : A Family History, 1905–1944). The part dealing with Walkyrie is highly interesting, at least from my point of view.
Have you read Stauffenberg's bio by Hoffmann (Stauffenberg : A Family History, 1905–1944). The part dealing with Walkyrie is highly interesting, at least from my point of view.
Just caught up. Lots of action and counter strikes. Boorman is stifiled and Himmler on the run but still looking for survival. It looks like the Allies will be able to advance but it will take awhile for them to process all the prisoners and land. It is hinted that things may flare up with the Resistance striking that could blow parts of the surrender.
Great stuff, and clearly well-researched. I'd watch out for Müller - he's innocuous enough to be ignored until just the wrong moment. Will everyone's favourite Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk make an apperance?
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