

Berlin, Germany—July 20, 1944 was a sad day for Germany, An effort to end Adolph Hitler’s idea of Hope and Change failed when a bombing attempt was unsuccessful. Hundreds of German Nazi resistance patriots were rounded up tortured, tried and executed for their various roles in the movement.
Germany had a military with a proud tradition that was made up of honorable and brave men. The regular military was not suitable to carry out Hitler’s most cowardly and despicable acts. Hitler created his own parallel quasi-military group of Nazis under the SS label for that purpose. The SS were responsible for carrying out the foulest Nazi deeds instead of the regular military.
The majority of the resistance leaders were members of Germany’s regular military who learned of Hitler’s horror show and understood their duty to stop it. Hitler’s ongoing atrocities were a state secret and few Germans knew the truth. Thousands did know the truth and tried to stop National Socialism. Those heroes are memorialized today at the Bendlerblock German Resistance Museum in Berlin.
The military and civilian conspirators against National Socialism were put on trial before The Peoples Court President, Judge Roland Freisler. These were propaganda show trials that were filmed to set an example to other German citizens.
One of the plotters was a recently retired general, Erwin von Witzleben, 62 (pictured above) who understood his duty to the men, women and children of Germany. After being convicted, berated and castigated by Judge Freisler stood his ground telling the Nazi jurist, "You may hand us over to the executioner but in three months time, the disgusted and harried people will bring you to book and drag you alive through the dirt in the streets!"
Frisler escaped that well-deserved fate but was killed in an Allied bombing raid on Febuary 3, 1945 at the age of 51.
Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben was a hero and role model to Germany and civilization.