German Conspiracy

I am reading Eberhard Bethge's biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and as he was involved in the coup attempts in Germany I learn some about them.

In general, it is important to understand that there were fairly large sections of the Germany population that were against Hitler and the Nazi party, especially regarding the SS and their brutality in military actions. But they were the minority and it was not safe to voice dissent. Wilhelm Canaris was the head of the Abwehr, the German military intelligence service, and he was one of the leaders in the conspiracy. He is the picture to the right. (He, Oster and Bonhoeffer were all executed together in 1945).

In September 1939, Warsaw surrendered and Hitler ordered preparations for the invasion of Holland and Belgium. The conspirators hoped that this would wake up the other generals and that they would take an overthrow of Hitler over WWII. And, information about the SS atrocities in Poland began to circulate. "Of course, the ordinary citizen assumed that the appalling stories were foreign propaganda; at first he could not, and then he would not, believe them." Canaris, together with General Blaskowitz, the military commander in Poland, gave the other generals accounts of the SS atrocities:

What the foreign radio stations have broadcast up to now is only a tiny fraction of what has actually happened ... The only possibility of fending off this pestilence lies in bringing the guilty parties and their followers under military command and military justice with all possible speed.

Hitler responded by recalling Blaskowitz from his post, denouncing his concerns as "childish."

 Hans von Dohnanyi, Dietrich's brother-in-law, was in charge of a record of Hitler's evil deeds, 'chronicle of shame' with the idea that if at some point they could overthrow or even arrest Hitler, they would have a record of their reasons.

He also made connections with a Munich lawyer named Dr. Josef Muller, who was on friendly terms with the Vatican. He was "installed" by Canaris in the German Military Intelligence and assigned to its Munich office. His real job was negotiate with Great Britain through the Vatican. Great Britain "was prepared to agree to an armistice before an attack in the west and after Hitler's removal."

Then Dohnanyi took Muller's information and his record and drafted a memo, reviewed by a very small group including Bonhoeffer, summarizing the reasons for quick action. It was given to General Halder and commander in chief of the army Brauchitsch. However, Brauchitsch's reaction was "you ought not have submitted that to me! What is happening here is absolute treason." Halder took responsibility and Brauchitsch's didn't want to arrest him. So, the "chance passed that a still undefeated Germany might negotiate terms with the Allied Powers." Muller informed the Vatican that the attempt had fallen through, and the feared offensive was to be expected.

So what was it like with Bonhoeffer during these times. Bethge contrasts the 1932 Bonhoeffer (Life Together and Discipleship) and the 1939 Bonhoeffer (to be expressed in Ethics and Letters and Papers). He writes:

In 1932 Bonhoeffer moved into the community of Christians which was confined to the group within the church that protested publically with him. Nineteen thirty-nine led him into an even more restricted circle of kindred spirits. From that time on the members of Finkenwalde felt there was something incognito about his existence that they mustn't question. For the new companions, on the other hand, his Christian existence seldom emerged openly. Whether among his old friends or his new ones, he instinctively hid the other side of his being. Anyone who had anything to do with him sensed that there was more there than could be seen; but no one had the impression of any inner conflict. Everything was in order.  

He goes on to say that the sacrifice demanded of him in 1939 was entirely different than the one of 1932 ... "the sacrifice of his Christian reputation."