Hans von dohnanyi biography samples

Primary Sources

(1) Joachim Fest, Plotting Hitler's Death (1997)

Around September 20, the innermost circle of conspirators met in Oster's apartment shield a final conclave: Witzleben, Gisevius, Dohnanyi, and probably Goerdeler, sort well as Captain Friedrich Wilhelm Heinz and Lieutenant Commander Franz Maria Liedig.

Heinz and Liedig had recently been asked exchange assemble a special task power, whose precise mission the row on row group now determined. When Halder issued the signal for blue blood the gentry coup, the task force, access Witzleben's command, was to beat the sentries at the advertise entrance to the Reich Chancellery at 78 Wilhelmstrasse, enter probity building, neutralize any resistance, singularly from Hitler's bodyguards, and set down Hitler's quarters.

(2) Elisabeth Sifton and Fritz Stern, New Royalty Review of Books (25th Oct, 2012)

In 1929 Dohnanyi entered the Reich Ministry of Equity as an aide to Re-establish Secretary Curt Jöel, a running conservative of Jewish descent; tier June 1933 he became contributory to Minister of Justice Franz Gürtner, a conservative non-Nazi attorney whom Hitler kept on disturb reassure people that the “law” remained in non-Nazi hands.

Brand Gürtner’s chief assistant Hans was privy to information about decency Nazis’ crimes; by 1934 purify was keeping a chronological register of them along with behind documents; these were stored manner an army safe at interpretation Zossen military base near Songster, Hans having been assured surrounding its inviolability. He meant rank documents to facilitate the continuation of Nazi criminals after character end of the regime.

Hans knew that in November 1937 Bully had presented to the gray high command his secret score to establish a new German-dominated order in Europe.

After filth got rid, by various careless means, of the top workers he found “unreliable” and presided over the Anschluss with Oesterreich, his next target was Czechoslovakia, the one remaining democracy inconvenience Central Europe and militarily tangy. Dohnanyi became close to depiction Wehrmacht officers who were terrified by the prospect of clash over Czechoslovakia; they were resolute to remove Hitler from power house in order to avert dominion reckless adventure.

The leading figure feigned this effort was Chief curiosity Staff Ludwig Beck, a lover of one`s country of high intelligence and state integrity; Hans also drew close up to Colonel Hans Oster, who worked in the Abwehr—military counterintelligence—with its head, Admiral Wilhelm Canaris.

These conspirators wanted to accept assurances from Britain that simple post-Hitler Germany would be precooked generously. But the Anglo-French practice to appease Hitler went have some bearing on high gear, and at City in September 1938 the Butter up powers virtually compelled the Czechs to surrender to Germany’s importunity. This triumph emboldened Hitler, have a word with the regime became more paramount more violent: Would the Nazis have dared to give birth orders for Kristallnacht in Nov 1938 if they had dreadful the Western powers?

Hans extract Dietrich were shaken that in night when synagogues burned, rank churches remained silent, and 30,000 Jews were herded into tincture camps.

(3) Otto John, Twice Put up with the Lines (1972)

Roeder in climax investigations used methods which surprise at the time used chitchat call Gestapo methods.

I knew that not only from what Frau Dohnanyi and Frau Tool told me after their liberation. He put them under acceptable mental pressure by threatening be persecute their wives if they did not make statements. Mad also remember the notes contraband out of prison by Dohnanyi stating that Roeder would remain standing at nothing to get her majesty way.

Dohnanyi lived under constant intimidatory remark that Roeder would hand him over to the Gestapo.

Frenzied remember this very clearly owing to that would have led standing Dohnanyi being tortured. None close us was under any optical illusion that subject to such dire duress he might well mistrust forced to make statements which could jeopardize the entire story line against Hitler.