The Coup’s Collapse

The prospect of a military-backed coup rises with the threat of war, then fades when mobilisation is postponed and the Army does not act.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

A Conditional Promise

Opposition with Conditions Army Anxiety Some German military leaders oppose a war they believe Germany could lose. Limits of Their Resistance Their opposition is not a principled rejection of dictatorship; it depends on the strategic situation.

A Planned Arrest

The Conspirators Prepare Surprise as Their Advantage The resistance group plans to seize Hitler before he can order an invasion. A Fragile Design The plan requires other Army forces to protect the plotters from the SS after the initial move.

The Army’s Decision Point

Generals Weigh the Risk Evidence Reaches Command Hitler’s hard-line response is brought to senior Army figures. No Decisive Action The leaders hesitate, and the conspirators cannot convert private sympathy into an order to move.

The Postponement

The Opportunity Narrows Mobilisation Delayed Mussolini’s intervention postpones the deadline and changes the immediate calculation. The Coup Loses Its Trigger The Army does not act when the danger of war temporarily recedes, leaving the civilian conspirators isolated.

Agreement Strengthens Hitler

The Regime Gains Prestige A Bloodless Victory Hitler secures the Sudetenland without war and gains a political triumph. Resistance Faces a Harder Task The generals’ strategic objection weakens, making another attempt to remove Hitler more difficult.

Late summer 1938

27 September 1938, night

28 September 1938, morning

28 September 1938, early afternoon

30 September 1938, morning