Name:
Whitchurch High School
History Department
A-level
Nazi Germany 1933-1945
HY3 - coursework
The July Bomb Plot, 1944
‘A very small clique of ambitious, conscienceless,
criminal and stupid officers.’
How valid is this
assessment of the men who plotted against Hitler in
1944?
For this unit you are required to write an essay in answer to the question below:
A very small clique of ambitious, conscienceless, criminal and
stupid officers.’ How valid is this assessment of the men who
plotted against Hitler in 1944?
 Worth 20%
 You will be assessed on:
A01a – Historical knowledge and understanding
(10 marks)
 detailed and relevant knowledge
A01b – Explanation, analysis and judgement of issue
(10marks)
 arguing for and against each aspect of the interpretation put forward in the
question
 sustained judgement throughout the question
A02a – Analysis and evaluation of sources
(28 marks)
 sources used to support/contradict a view
 analysis of the usefulness of the sources
A02b - Analysis and evaluation of interpretations
(32marks)
 discussion of at least two historiographical interpretations of the July Bomb Plot
 analysis of the context of these interpretations to assess reliability
 Total marks – 60
 All work must be kept (including rough notes) as evidence that work has been
completed independently. This work can be called for by the Exam Board if there is
any doubt.
 Word limit – 3500
 You must use 12-15 sources (no more than 1-2 from the internet). You must find
most of these sources yourself. You must look for a variety of sources, which
contain more than one interpretation and that are primary and secondary.
 Your work must be word processed and include the following:1. Sources that are labelled (with their attributions) clearly in the body of the
essay
2. Additional sources and school sources must be clearly identified
3. Numbered pages
4. Word count
5. Bibliography
Timeline for completion
By start of Year 13 – Read about the July Bomb Plot and start gathering evidence for and
against the interpretation. Particularly read two different historian’s accounts of the Bomb
Plot and summarise the main interpretations ready to feedback to class
By October Half Term – Hand in your source pack of 12-15 sources which you will use in
your coursework.
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Sources should be lettered (A.B.C etc). They should be set out using the same
format as the school document pack.
Clearly indicate which sources are from the school document pack.
Sources should be between half and a full side of A4.
Make sure the attributions are complete – author, title, date, indication of
interpretation
After October Half Term – Tutorials on progress so far.
By Christmas – First draft completed.
After Christmas – Tutorials on progress so far.
By February Half Term – Coursework completed!
HISTORIOGRAPHY TASK
Research using the internet to find out what interpretations of resistance and the July
Plot the following historians hold:
Hans Mommsen
Sir Ian Kershaw
Martin Broszat
Tim Mason
Detlev Pekert
Joachim Fest
Include in your notes their nationality, their area of specialism, when they were at the
foreground of the debate, and any other significant information.
JULY PLOT TASKS
Use the following notes taken from www.joric.com (Resource Booklet) to complete the
following tasks.
1. As you read through the notes, keep a ‘Glossary’ to write down the meaning of
any words and a ‘Questions’ sheet to write down any questions the notes makes
you want to ask.
2. Complete a spider diagram on ‘Who was Involved’.
3. Complete a spider diagram on the various ‘Reasons for Conspirators’
Involvement’.
4. Make notes explaining ‘The Relationship between Hitler Germany Military’.
5. Makes notes explaining the ‘Background to the July Plot : previous
assassinations attempts and the involvement of Stauffenberg (why, how)’.
6. Make notes explaining ‘The Plan’.
7. What do you think of the plan?
8. Draw a flow diagram to show ‘The Events of 20th July, 1944’.
9. Complete a table showing ‘Successful/Unsuccessful aspects of the Plot’.
Complete the following table to analyse the usefulness of the film Valyrie for finding out
about the July Bomb Plot.
USEFUL
CONTENT
ORIGIN
PURPOSE
LIMITED
‘A very small clique of …officers’
AGREE
HISTORIANS’
INTERPRETATIONS
EVIDENCE
USEFUL
SOURCES
Who were the conspirators?
What individuals/groups were involved?
How widespread was the conspiracy?
DISAGREE
‘Ambitious, conscienceless’
AGREE
HISTORIANS’
INTERPRETATIONS
EVIDENCE
USEFUL
SOURCES
What were the conspirators’ motivations – personal
ambition, conscience, morality, hatred of Hitler?
What were their aims – democracy, nationalism?
DISAGREE
‘Criminal’
Did they commit a criminal act? Can it be justified?
Were they traitors?
AGREE
HISTORIANS’
INTERPRETATIONS
EVIDENCE
USEFUL
SOURCES
DISAGREE
‘Stupid’
Why did the plot fail? Was it badly planned? Was it badly executed? Is
this evidence that they were stupid? Were they stupid for believing it
might work?
AGREE
HISTORIANS’
INTERPRETATIONS
EVIDENCE
USEFUL
SOURCES
DISAGREE
Bibliography
Texts
Bracher, K. The German Dictatorship, pp. 450-483 & 533- 569, the Bomb Plot is at pp.
549-569. (This is a leading German historiographical interpretation of opposition within the
Third Reich.)
Bullock, A. A Study in Tyranny, pp733-752 (Classic biographical account of
Opposition and Bomb plot).
Burleigh, M. The Third Reich, pp 665-671 Ch. 9 (British historian favourable to opposition)
Collier & Pedley, Germany 1919-45, pp 135-141 (AS style overview)
Craig. G, Germany 1866-1945, pp 663-673 (Classic General narrative overview of events)
Evans & Jenkins, Years of Weimar & The Third Reich, pp 305-322, Bomb Plot at
pp 312-318 (Course textbook style overview)
Fest . J, Plotting Hitler’s Death (general text on assassinations on Hitler’s life including
Bomb Plot)
Haffner .S, Defying Hitler: A Memoir, (one leading historian’s view of what it was like to an
opponent in Nazi Germany)
Hildebrand, K. The Third Reich, pp 82-90 & 152-157 (Leading German historiographical
debate about value of opposition)
Hoffman, P. The History of German Resistance
Housden, M. Resistance and Conformity in the Third Reich, CH 5 is on the Bomb Plot
(Key text book which is solely on opposition within the Third Reich)
Kershaw, I. Hitler Nemesis 1936-45 Ch 14 & 15 on Bomb Plot (Classic best-selling recent
biography of Hitler)
Kitchen, M. Nazi Germany at War, Ch. 10 on opposition and pp 251-260 on Bomb Plot
(Good example of book which examines the success of different sections of opposition)
Laffen, M. (Ed), The Burden of German History, pp192-204 with the Bomb Plot on p202
(Essay style analysis of Nazi opposition)
Layton, G. The Third Reich pp 140-153 (Key textbook style overview)
Lee, S. Hitler and Nazi Germany, pp 54-58 (Basic essay style analysis of Nazi opposition)
McDonough, F. Opposition and Resistance in the Third Reich, (text book for AS/A2
based solely on opposition - course text)
Mommsen, H. Alternatives to History ( Marxist interpretation of opposition with the Bomb
Plot at Ch 6 pp 181-193 and Ch 11 pp 238-252)
Moorehouse, R. Killing Hitler, ch7 (up to date overview of the attempts to kill Hitler Bomb
plot described in detail in chapter 7)
Niven, W. Facing the Nazis Past, ch3 (historiographical debate about the role of the Third
Reich on German post war society, a difficult read but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t
read it)
Simpson, W. Hitler and Germany, pp 132 -140 with Bomb Plot at pp136-140 (Document
style interpretation)
Williamson, D. The Third Reich, pp 75-82 (useful overview analysis of opposition)
Periodicals
Housden, M. Germany's Conservative Elite's and their resistance to Hitler, MHR, Vol 9
issue 2, Nov 1997.
Housden, M. The Diversity and Vigour of Opposition in the Third Reich is readily
Overlooked, New Perspectives, Vol. 3 no 3, March 1998.
McDonough, F. Resistance in German Society, New Perspectives, Vol 8. no 3, March
2003.
Moorhouse, R. Killing Hitler, BBC History Magazine, April 2006
Lang, S. Nazi- Soviet Pact, 20th Century Review, Vol 1.no1, Sept 2005.
Housden, M. Appeasement, 20th Century Review, Vol 1.no1, Sept 2005.
Overy, R. Nuremburg Trials, BBC History Magazine, October 2006.
Museum guides
The German Resistance Museum guide
Plotzensee Memorial guide
Internet
www.historylearningsite.co.uk/july_bomb_plot.htm
(A good general starting point)
www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERjuly.htm
(A good general starting point)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3909635.stm
(An article entitled ‘Honouring a would-be assassin’)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3908431.stm
(An article entitled ‘Hitler plot 'heroes' commemorated’)
http://www.worldwar2database.com/html/julyplot.htm
(A very useful site)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/jul/11/germany.secondworldwar
(An article entitled 'Why my friends felt they had to kill Hitler’)
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_revie
ws/article5424086.ece
(An article entitled ‘Valkyrie: The Plot to Kill Hitler by Philipp Von Boeselager; Germans
Against Hitler by Hans Mommsen; Luck of the Devil by Ian Kershaw’)
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/tim_hames/article458783.ece
(An article entitled ‘Remember, tomorrow, the brave patriots who almost saved Germany
from Hitler’)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_resistance
(Not usually recommended as an academic resource, but contains some useful information
on the historiography of resistance)
www.joric.com/Conspiracy/Conspiracy.htm
(This seems to have been removed from the net recently but keep an eye out for it because
it is a frighteningly detailed account of the bomb plot will keep you out of trouble for hours)
http://valkyrie-plot.com/
(A hugely detailed website – definitely worth a look!)