Black Orchestra

The Schwarze Kapelle (German for "Black Orchestra") was a group of conspirators within the German military who plotted to overthrow Adolf Hitler. It included many senior officers within the Nazi party.

Contents 1 Membership 2 Activities 3 The July Plot 4 References 5 See also

Membership

Schwarze Kapelle claimed members throughout all the strategic operations of the German military and Nazi party. Those believed to have been active with the organisation included:[1]:

• Ulrich von Hassell 1881–1944, German ambassador in Rome 1932–1938
• Carl Goerdeler 1884–1945, mayor of Leipzig 1930–1937
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the theologian
• Admiral Canaris, the head of the Abwehr, and his deputy Hans Oster,
• General Henning von Tresckow, chief of operations at the HQ of Kluge's Army Group Centre.
• Helmut von Moltke 1907–1945, great-grand-nephew of a hero of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870
• Adam von Trott zu Solz 1909–1944, a descendant on his mother's side of the first chief justice of the USA
• Ernst von Weizsacker 1882–1950, permanent head of the German foreign office from 1938 to 1943
• Count Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg 1907–1944, a great-grandson of August von Gneisenau, a devout Roman Catholic, an officer in a cavalry regiment in peacetime and a distinguished staff officer in war.

The main axis of operations were centred in a line between Paris-Berlin-Smolensk [2].

Activities

The Schwarze Kapelle were patriotic Germans who feared Hitler's policies would ruin the country; by overthrowing the Nazi Party they hoped to preserve German sovereignty. Through Admiral Canaris' Abwehr they were in touch with their counterparts in Britain and other Allied and neutral nations. Elements of the Schwarze Kapelle began making overtures to Britain before war broke out and while Hitler could have been easily ousted or killed. British officials said they would not interfere with German internal affairs at that time.

The conspirators were not necessarily seeking to reintegrate Germany into the family of peaceful and democratic nations. If anything, they sought to consolidate the gains Germany had already made under Hitler. Admiral Canaris, for example, had a very aggressive war record from the previous war. ^[1]Thus, although Hitler had built Germany into the world's most dominant power, the conspirators were afraid his hubris would eventually destroy that dominance. Allied officials recognized, more than the conspirators themselves, that the conspirators' goals were not necessarily those of the Allies. They were also reluctant to accept the credibility of the organisation, believing it to be a front for the Gestapo. Thus the Allies encouraged the Schwarze Kapelle to act, without promising anything in return.

By 1938 the Schwarze Kapelle had drawn up plans for a provisional government, based on the British Constitutional Monarchy. They had also organized forces to quell any opposition by the Gestapo or SS. There was enough support from high-level military commanders (including Field Marshal Erwin Rommel) that the chief conspirator, Abwehr head Admiral Wilhelm Canaris was able to offer to end the war.

When Roosevelt announced at the Casablanca Conference that the Allies would accept nothing less than unconditional surrender, Churchill and others realized this would force the Germans to fight "like rats." ^[2] Canaris also realized this demand would probably doom his efforts to recruit supporters among the German generals.[3]

The Schwarze Kapelle was prepared to move against Hitler during the Munich crisis, but Chamberlain's acquiesence made it impossible for them to recruit the Army generals whose support they needed. According to Bodyguard of Lies a time bomb was placed aboard Hitler's plane on March 13, 1943, right after Stalingrad, but failed to go off.

The July Plot

After the July 20 Plot failed the Schwarze Kapelle was rounded up by the Gestapo and destroyed. Canaris was executed by slow strangulation and Rommel was forced to commit suicide. Because of his popularity with the German people, Rommel was given the choice of suicide (thus preserving his reputation as a war hero), and the murder of his entire family and staff. To save his family, Rommel chose the former. Others were executed by hanging from meat hooks at Plötzensee Prison [4].

References

• Brown, Anthony Cave (1975) Bodyguard of Lies

Newspaper article relating to the Schwarze Kapelle and the July 20 plot

History of the Schwarze Kapelle (in French)

See also

• July 20 Plot
• Red Orchestra (spy)

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