To Kill Hitler

“His book is a remarkable production..” — The Spectator

The attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20th, 1944 have become famous.

The true facts of the conspiracies to rid Germany of Hitler are quite astounding. Some of them have been made public in Germany since the war, but this book is the first to give them to the world at large.

The final attempt, which so nearly succeeded, which in fact was rendered unsuccessful by the merest fluke of chance, and which was reported to be the plot of a few officers, resulted in some five thousand deaths, many under conditions of the most incredible barbarity, as Hitler’s revenge was put into operation. 

“The family of Count Stauffenberg (who actually made the attempt) will be wiped out root and branch,” said Himmler, and everybody in Germany who bore the name of Stauffenberg, men, women and children, many of them unaware of Count Stauffenberg’s existence, were thrown into concentration camps to die.

What lay behind the explosion of July 20th to bring forth such ghastly retribution? 

Constantine FitzGibbon spent a considerable amount of time in Germany compiling this full account of the conspiracies which began, not when Germany faced inevitable defeat as is popularly supposed, but as far back as 1938 when full plans existed to arrest Hitler and the Nazi leaders if war had broken out over Czechoslovakia. 

In the midst of the Nazis’ triumphant sweep over Europe, when Hitler was planning his parade down the Champs Elysees, Stauffenberg, then a Staff Officer in Paris, was saying to brother officers that if Hitler could not master his lust for power he must be removed — or killed.

But by far the most elaborately planned attempt to take over the Government was that which hinged on the assassination of Hitler in 1944. 

FitzGibbon has provided a detailed and documented account of the entire conspiracy and the effort, even though Hitler was not killed, to carry out the full plan and overthrow the Nazis. 

This attempt went as far as the issuing of orders from Berlin to military commanders throughout Germany and the occupied territories, instructing them to arrest all senior Nazi officials, concentration camp guards and S.S. officers, and to occupy all broadcasting installations, Gestapo and S.D. offices.

The details of this highly complicated operation, planned under the nose of the Gestapo, and involving countless high-ranking officers spread out over Europe, making a story reminiscent of the more fantastic type of spy-thriller; but this is a report of facts. 

“Mr. FitzGibbon’s well-written and well-documented book goes far more deeply into the matter than any other I know of. In all its aspects this is an engrossing and thrilling book.” — The Bookman

“It is an excellent book. Reflection and criticism have gone into it as well as a great deal of evidence.” — Sunday Times

“Mr. FitzGibbon writes with attractive fluency and much understanding of the plight of those who try to oppose a modern and merciless despotism from within it. Exciting and skilful.” — The Listener

“This lucid narrative should finally establish for English readers the nobility and quite incredible courage of men like Helmuth von Moltke, Adam von Trott zu Solz, Julius Leber and Stauffenberg himself.” — The Times

Constantine FitzGibbon (1919-1983) was a historian, translator and novelist. He attended Munich University, the Sorbonne and Exeter College, Oxford, before joining the British Army in 1940 from which he transferred to the United States Army in 1942. His first novel, The Arabian Bird, was published in 1949. He went on to become a full-time writer, with some 20 books to his credit and over 30 translations. He also wrote for British and American newspapers and periodicals.