Claus von Stauffenberg

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Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1984-079-02, Führerhauptquartier, Stauffenberg, Hitler, Keitel

Berlin-Bendlerblock-Tafel-2007

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Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg Sterbeurkunde 1944

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NinaStaufgrave

Claus von Stauffenberg
File:Claus von Stauffenberg (1907-1944).jpg Claus von Stauffenberg in 1944
Birth name	Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg
Born	15 November 1907 Jettingen-Scheppach, Kingdom of Bavaria, German Empire
Died	21 July 1944 (aged 36) Berlin, Nazi Germany
Buried	Alter St.-Matthäus-Kirchhof, Berlin
Allegiance	Weimar Republic (1926–1933)
Service/branch	Reichswehr (1926–1935)
Years of service	1926–1944
Rank	Colonel
Unit	10th Panzer Division
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Iron Cross

Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer and a leading member of the German resistance against Adolf Hitler. He is best known for his role in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler and remove the Nazi Party from power.

Early life

Stauffenberg was born in Jettingen-Scheppach, Kingdom of Bavaria, into an aristocratic family. He was one of three sons of Alfred Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and Caroline Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg. Claus and his brothers, Berthold and Alexander, were raised in a devoutly Roman Catholic household.

Military career

Stauffenberg joined the Reichswehr in 1926 and later served in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was a member of the 10th Panzer Division and saw action in the Invasion of Poland, the Battle of France, and the North African Campaign. In 1943, he was severely wounded in an air raid in Tunis, losing his left eye, right hand, and two fingers on his left hand.

20 July plot

Stauffenberg became increasingly disillusioned with the Nazi regime and joined the resistance movement. He played a central role in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler and initiate a coup d'état. On 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg placed a bomb in a briefcase under a table in Hitler's Wolf's Lair headquarters. The bomb exploded, but Hitler survived. Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators were arrested and executed the following day.

Legacy

Stauffenberg is remembered as a symbol of resistance against tyranny. His actions have been the subject of numerous books, films, and documentaries. He is commemorated in Germany as a hero who stood against the Nazi regime.

Related pages

• 20 July plot
• German resistance to Nazism
• Adolf Hitler
• Nazi Party
• Wehrmacht
• World War II