Operation Valkyrie - Implementation

Implementation

The key role was played by Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg in actual implementation after his assassination attempt on Hitler on July 20, 1944. Stauffenberg also further improved the Valkyrie plan and made changes to address changing situations. Stauffenberg's position as Chief of Staff of Reserve Army gave him access to Hitler for reports and at the same time required his presence at headquarters for implementation of Valkyrie. At first, Tresckow and Stauffenberg sought out other officers with access to Hitler who could carry out the assassination. General Helmuth Stieff, Chief of Organization in Army High Command, volunteered to be the assassin but later backed away. Tresckow attempted several times to be assigned to Hitler's headquarters without success. Finally, Stauffenberg decided to carry out both the assassination attempt and the Valkyrie operation, which greatly reduced the chance of success. After two abortive attempts, Stauffenberg placed the bomb on July 20 and hurried back to Berlin to assume his pivotal role.

After he had discovered that the bomb had not killed Hitler, Fromm ordered the executions of General Friedrich Olbricht, his chief of staff Colonel Albrecht Mertz von Quirnheim, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, and his adjutant Lieutenant Werner von Haeften. Shortly after midnight, the condemned men were led to a mound of earth back lit by idling vehicles where each was executed by firing squad in the courtyard of Bendlerstrasse headquarters.