How NOT To Stage A Military Coup

by Kudakwashe Kanhutu

The best treatise on how NOT to stage a military coup has to be what was written by General Heinz Guderian in his autobiography - Panzer Leader. In enumerating the reasons why he declined to join the failed coup plot against Hitler in 1944, he tells us that nothing should be left to chance in the planning. Panzer Leader is a great book to read itself, but below, is just an excerpt relating particularly to what the plotters did wrongly in 1944 - essentially everything: 

“In the first few weeks I was fully occupied in getting the machine in running order again. I had no time to spare for the contemplation of other problems. Matters which today seem important to the men involved in them, I hardly noticed. I was so busy that I was quite unaware of the day-to-day happenings other than those at the front. My new colleagues and I worked late into the night in our efforts to save the front. 

What were the actual results of the attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20th?

The man who was to be killed was in fact slightly wounded. His physical condition, not of the best beforehand, was further weakened. His spiritual equipoise was destroyed for ever. All the evil forces that lurked within him were aroused and came into their own. He recognised no limits anymore. 

If the assassination was intended seriously to affect Germany's governmental machine, then the most important officials of the Nationalist-Socialist regime should also have been eliminated. But not one of those was present when the bomb exploded. No plans had been made for the removal of Himmler, Goering, Goebbels or Bormann to name only the most important. The conspirators made no attempt to ensure they would be able to carry out their political plans in the event of the assassination succeeding.... 

.... From every point of view the results of the attempted assassination were frightful. For myself I refuse to accept murder in any form. Our Christian religion forbids it in the clearest possible terms. Apart from this religious reason, I must also say that neither the internal or external political situation was conducive to a successful coup d'etat. The preparations made were utterly inadequate, the choice of personalities to fill the principal roles incomprehensible. The driving force had originally been Dr. Goerdeler, an idealist who believed the coup d'etat could be carried out without the assassination... 

Dr. Goerdeler had also decided on the choice of the majority of the people destined by the conspirators to hold office in the new government. He had drawn up lists of names in this connection which, through his own carelessness, fell into the hands of the Gestapo. The character of Colonel-General Beck, who was to have been Head of the State, I have already described at sufficient lengths. His behaviour on 20th July proved that my previous opinion of him was correct. Field Marshal von Witzleben was a sick man. He hated Hitler with a burning hatred, but lacked the determination necessary to carry out a military putsch in such critical and difficult circumstances..."

Notes:

Passage taken from Panzer Leader, the Autobiography of General Heinz Guderian - master of the Blitzkrieg and father of modern tank warfare - commanded the German XIX Army Corps as it rampaged across Poland in 1939 (and France in 1940).

General Heinz Guderian, Commander German 19th Army Corps. Picture Credit: Wikipedia.