Lew's AUTHOR BLOG

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This is one of several books I’m reading to understand the opposition to Hitler that came close to removing him in 1938. The cast of characters who made up the”opposition” was large and included very prominent Germans. They had a plan that might have worked but were undercut at the last minute when Chamberlain (British PM) caved to Hitler at Munich.

Ritter’s book tells this story in way that’s exciting even when you know the outcome. I’m hoping to do the same when I put my fictional character into the mix of conspirators in the sequel to A Flood of Evil.

Here are some excerpts from Ritter …

… in the army command of 1938, there was not the slightest desire to fight but only a universal apprehension of the possibility of a world war.

… a rebellion was actually prepared … in conjunction with a group of conspirators which had been formed within the counterintelligence service of the High Command.

… The most difficult thing was, of course, to seize the person of Hitler right away. Witzleben was ready personally to take on this task on condition that he got from Brauchitsch as Commander-in-Chief formal orders to occupy ‘the Government quarter’; if necessary the gates of the Chancellery would be blown up by artillery and Hitler taken prisoner. To prevent the intervention of the S.S., especially of the Leibstandarte Division stationed in Munich, an armoured division commanded by General Hoepner and then in Thuringia would be ready to move. It was left obscure what was to be done with Hitler when he had been removed from the Chancellery.

… Chamberlain flew to Munich and Berchtesgaden … Hitler now had his supreme diplomatic triumph; the Prime Minister of Great Britain visited him in person in his mountain fortress in order—as the world generally interpreted it—to beg of him peace. The conspirators in Berlin saw themselves foiled. The wild beast which they had meant to snare, had escaped the net.