Hitler survives assassination attempt

20th July 1944: The Nazi dictator believes his survival is a sign - fate has spared him to 'complete his mission'

Mussolini arrived for a pre-arranged meeting with Hitler just hours after the bomb exploded.

Germany's war situation had seriously deteriorated within just one month. The outlook was now bleak. The collapse of the Eastern Front was an ever-growing disaster - and meant that the Red Army would soon threaten Germany. The mounting strength of the Allies in Normandy could not be contained - another severe collapse seemed imminent in the west.

Only a diminishing group of committed Nazis continued to have faith in Hitler. Many senior German officers knew that the war was lost. One of the few men with a complete overview, Kurt Zeitzler, Hitler’s Chief of Staff, had had a nervous breakdown at the beginning of July.

A relatively small group of Wehrmacht officers now chose to take action. It was evident that only Hitler's removal could end the war.

After several abortive attempts, Claus von Stauffenberg, a Staff Officer with access to the ‘Wolf's Lair’ HQ Conference room, came very close to succeeding. Several things went wrong.

Stauffenberg (left) standing to attention at the Wolf’’s Lair earlier in July 1944.

Stauffenberg only had one eye and three fingers on his left hand so could only arm one of the two bombs. Then, because of the hot day the meeting was transferred from an underground bunker to a wooden hut.