Ridley, Norman Standing up to Hitler

Resistance in Nazi Germany

Resistance in Nazi Germany was a courageous but extreme reaction to the totalitarian regime, requiring individuals to confront evil, endure torture and risk death. In a country that had no tolerance for dissent, resistance meant facing the brutal consequences of one's actions, often with little hope of changing the course of events. Most stories about the German resistance focus on the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944 by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. However, this was only one of many conspiracies against Hitler involving military and political leaders who wanted to achieve peace by removing Hitler. Many of these individuals, had they survived, could have been tried for war crimes at Nuremberg. This book examines both the military and diplomatic figures who opposed Hitler and other forms of internal opposition that existed even before the Nazis seized power in the Reichstag in 1933. It highlights the tens of thousands who were imprisoned, tortured or executed for their resistance to the dictatorship. The elites who welcomed the end of the Weimar democracy were often more willing to conform to Hitler, but many others motivated by religious, political or humanitarian convictions refused to compromise, demonstrating enormous courage and self-sacrifice. The book also examines the Gestapo's efforts to track down and eliminate these resistance groups.