The German Anti-Nazi Resistance Movement
German Anti-Nazis
German anti-Nazi resistance encompassed a diverse network of military officers, politicians, clergy, intellectuals, and students who courageously challenged Adolf Hitler's totalitarian regime. Operating under severe Gestapo surveillance and constant danger, these individuals organized covert opposition to halt Nazi aggression, expose wartime atrocities, and restore human dignity. From high-level military conspiracies like the July 20 plot to moral, nonviolent student movements like the White Rose and religious resistance via the Confessing Church, German anti-Nazis risked and gave their lives to defeat fascism from within and establish a democratic foundation for post-war Europe.
People
Birth
Death
Origin
Age (Death)
| 1880 | |
|---|---|
| 1881 | |
| 1884 | |
| 1887 | |
| 1906 | |
| 1907 | |
| 1917 | |
| 1918 | |
| 1919 | |
| 1921 |
Timeline
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
| Year | German Anti-Nazis |
|---|---|
| 1880 |
Birth of Ludwig Beck (Period: June 29, 1880, Location: Wiesbaden (formerly Biebrich, now Germany))
|
| 1881 |
Birth of Erwin von Witzleben (Period: December 4, 1881, Location: Wrocław (now Poland))
|
| 1884 |
Birth of Carl Friedrich Goerdeler (Period: July 31, 1884, Location: Piła (now Poland))
|
| 1887 |
Birth of Hans Oster (Period: August 9, 1887, Location: Dresden (now Germany))
|
| 1890 |
Completion of Prussian Cadet Training (Erwin von Witzleben)
|
| 1902 |
Law and Economics Studies at the University of Tübingen
|
| 1906 |
Birth of Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Period: February 4, 1906, Location: Wrocław (now Poland))
|
| 1907 |
Enlistment in the German Imperial Army
Marriage (Erwin von Witzleben, Alma Else Margarete Kleberg)
Birth of Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (Period: November 15, 1907, Location: Jettingen-Scheppach (now Bavaria, Germany))
|
| 1911 |
Service in the Solingen City Administration
Marriage (Karl Friedrich Goerdeler, Anneliese Ulrich)
|
| 1912 |
Marriage (Hans Oster, Gertrud Knoop)
|
| 1914 |
World War I
General Staff Duty in World War I
Western Front Duty in World War I
Military Duty on the Eastern Front
|
| 1915 |
Military service in World War I
|
| 1916 |
Marriage (Ludwig Beck, Amalie Christine Auguste Luise Pagenstecher)
|
| 1917 |
Russian Civil War (Period: 1917–1922, Location: Russian Empire / Various parts of Russia)
Birth of Alexander Schmorell (Period: September 16, 1917, Location: Orenburg (Russia))
|
| 1918 |
German Revolution and Establishment of the Weimar Republic
Birth of Hans Scholl (Period: September 22, 1918, Location: Crailsheim (Germany))
|
| 1919 |
Polish-Soviet War
Military Service during the Weimar Republic
Upbringing in a Liberal Family (Period: 1919 – 1930s, Location: Murnau, Munich, etc.)
Birth of Christoph Probst (Period: November 6, 1919, Location: Murnau am Staffelsee (Germany))
|
| 1921 |
Emigration from Russia to Germany (Alexander Schmorell)
Birth of Sophie Scholl (Period: May 9, 1921, Location: Forchtenberg (Germany))
|
| 1922 |
Appointment as Mayor of Königsberg (Karl Friedrich Goerdeler)
|
| 1926 |
Enlistment in the 17th Cavalry Regiment
|
| 1927 |
Theological Studies and Doctorate (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
|
| 1929 |
Great Depression and Political Crisis of the Weimar Republic
|
| 1930 |
Theological Studies in New York
Appointment as Mayor of Leipzig (Karl Friedrich Goerdeler)
Ulm Reichswehr Officers' Trial
|
| 1931 |
Creation of "Truppenführung"
Ordination as Pastor
Appointment as Reich Price Commissioner (Karl Friedrich Goerdeler)
|
| 1932 |
Resignation from the Reichswehr
Joining the League of German Girls
|
| 1933 |
Establishing of Nazi Regime and Nazification of Churches
Participation in the Confessing Church Movement
Pastoral Activities in London
Establishing of Nazi Regime and Leipzig Municipal Administration
Persecution of Jews and Racial Policies by the Nazi Regime
Bonhoeffer's Anti-Nazi Broadcast
Joining the Hitler Youth
Marriage (Claus von Stauffenberg, Elisabeth Magdalena "Nina" Freiin von Lerchenfeld)
Joining the Abwehr
Appointment as Head of the Truppenamt (Ludwig Beck)
|
| 1934 |
Command of the 3rd Infantry Division and III Corps
Participation in Youth Movements and Disillusionment with Nazism
Night of the Long Knives
|
| 1935 |
Pastor Training at Finkenwalde Seminary
Clarification of Anti-Nazi Stance
Deepening Doubts about the Nazi Regime
Friendship with Alexander Schmorell
Appointment as Chief of the German Army General Staff (Ludwig Beck)
|
| 1936 |
Education at the Berlin War Academy
Mendelssohn Monument Removal Issue
Death of Father Hermann Probst
Rhineland Occupation
|
| 1937 |
Activities as Advisor to the Bosch Company
Participation in the Oster Conspiracy
1937–1938 Suppressions and Trials of Youth Movements
1937 Arrest and Interrogation by the Gestapo
Enlistment in the German Wehrmacht
Labor Service, Military Duty, and Medical Studies
Closure of Finkenwalde Seminary
|
| 1938 |
Participation in the Occupation of the Sudetenland
1938 Anti-Hitler Plot (Oster Conspiracy)
Participation in the 1938 Anti-Hitler Resistance Plan
German Plan for the Invasion of Czechoslovakia
1938 Anti-Hitler Coup Plan
Activities as Leader of the German Resistance
1938 Anti-Hitler Plot
Becoming Civil Leader of the German Resistance
Sudeten Crisis
World War II / German Annexation of Austria
World War II / Invasion of Czechoslovakia
Anschluss (annexation of Austria)
1938 Czechoslovak War Crisis
Opposition to the Invasion Plan of Czechoslovakia
Resignation as Chief of the Army General Staff (Ludwig Beck)
Munich Conference / Munich Agreement
|
| 1939 |
Advance Warning of the Planned Invasion of the Netherlands
Heading the Abwehr Central Division
1939 Military Coup Plan
Zossen Documents
1939 Anti-Hitler Plot
Battle of France as Commander of the 1st Army
Commencement of Medical Studies
Zossen Coup Plan
|
| 1940 |
World War II / Battle of France
Graduation and Service as a Kindergarten Teacher (Sophie Scholl)
Battle of France
German Invasion of Western Europe
|
| 1941 |
Joining the Abwehr and Cooperation with the German Resistance
Operation Barbarossa
World War II / German-Soviet War
Initiation of Resistance Activities with Alexander Schmorell
Marriage to Herta Dorn
Medical Research in Strasbourg
Marriage (Christoph Probst, Herta Dorn)
Appointment as Commander-in-Chief West (Erwin von Witzleben)
|
| 1942 |
Support for Jewish Emigration and Arrest
Approach to the Military Resistance Movement
Operation Seven (Unternehmen Sieben)
Support for Jewish Emigration
Transfer to the Reserve for Health Reasons
Wartime Labor Service in Ulm
Joining the White Rose
Joining the White Rose Movement
Activities Surrounding White Rose Leaflets No. 5 and No. 6
Contact with Bishop George Bell
Studies in Biology and Philosophy at Munich University
Anti-Nazi Leaflet Campaign by the White Rose
Formation of the White Rose Movement and Anti-Nazi Leaflet Activities
Authoring White Rose Leaflets No. 1–4
Formation of the White Rose with Hans Scholl
Deployment as a Medic to the Eastern Front
Authoring White Rose Leaflets No. 1–4
Experiences on the Eastern Front and Strengthening of Resistance Ideology
Secret Negotiations by Goerdeler on the Eastern Front
Expansion of White Rose Activities
Authoring and Distribution of Leaflet No. 5
Transfer to Innsbruck
|
| 1943 |
Writing Philosophical Works Leading to "Letters and Papers from Prison"
Tunisian Campaign
Crackdown on Anti-Nazi Activities within the Abwehr
Formulation of the Hitler Assassination Plan
Becoming Candidate for Chancellor of the New German Government
Distribution of White Rose Leaflet No. 5
Authoring and Distributing Leaflets No. 5 and No. 6
Engagement to Maria von Wedemeyer
Marriage (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Maria von Wedemeyer)
Drafting of Leaflet No. 7
Anti-Nazi Graffiti Campaign
Anti-Nazi Graffiti in Munich
Distribution of White Rose Leaflet No. 6 and Arrest
Final Leaflet Distribution at Munich University
Distribution of Leaflet No. 6 at Munich University and Arrest
Final Resistance Activity at Munich University
Arrest of White Rose Affiliates
Flight and Arrest
Arrest of Hans Scholl and Sophie Scholl
Arrest of Christoph Probst
Death of Hans Scholl
Death of Sophie Scholl
Death of Christoph Probst
White Rose Trial
Execution of Hans Scholl
Death Sentence and Execution
Execution of Sophie Scholl
Death Sentence and Execution by the People's Court
First White Rose Trial
Execution of Christoph Probst
Resignation from the Abwehr
Imprisonment at Tegel Prison
Severe Injury in Tunisia
Second White Rose Trial
Death Sentence at the People's Court
Death of Alexander Schmorell
Execution of Alexander Schmorell
Execution and Postwar Honoring
Appointment as Chief of Staff of the General Army Office (Claus von Stauffenberg)
|
| 1944 |
Scheduled Designation as President of the Reich Military Court after a Successful Hitler Assassination
Taking on the Role of Executing the Hitler Assassination Plan
Last Family Visit
Flight and Arrest after the July 20 Plot
Death of Ludwig Beck
July 20 Plot (Hitler Assassination Attempt)
Failure of Operation Valkyrie after the July 20 Plot
Summary Trial and Execution of Stauffenberg and Others
Planting the Bomb at the Wolf's Lair
July 20 plot (Hitler assassination attempt)
Beck's Suicide Attempt and Execution
Execution after the July 20 Plot
July 20 Plot (Attempted Assassination and Coup d'État)
July 20 Plot (Hitler Assassination and Coup Plan)
Scheduled Designation as Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht in the July 20 Plot
Final Moments at the Bendlerblock
Arrest after the July 20 Plot
Arrest and Military Degradation of Witzleben
Trial at the People's Court and Execution
Death Sentence and Execution at the People's Court
Death of Erwin von Witzleben
Arrest of Goerdeler
Trial at the People's Court and Death Sentence
Discovery and Transfer of Zossen Documents
|
| 1945 |
Death of Carl Friedrich Goerdeler
Execution at Plötzensee Prison
Discovery of the Canaris Diaries and Execution of Oster
Execution at Flossenbürg Concentration Camp
Death of Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Death of Hans Oster
|
| Unknown |
Marriage (Hans Scholl, None, Period: Never married, Location: Not Applicable)
Marriage (Sophie Scholl, None, Period: Never married, Location: Not Applicable)
Marriage (Alexander Schmorell, None, Period: Never married, Location: Not Applicable)
|
Map
| Category | |
|---|---|
| Element |
Europe
World
Related Links
| Group | List |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | British Politics French Politics Jewish relief Nuclear Science |
| Central Europe | Nazi Germany Weimar Republic German Anti-Nazis Warsaw Ghetto Arts & Music |
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