''Die Stunde der Offiziere'' ( en, italic=yes, The Hour of the Officers, link=yes) is a German semi-documentary movie of 2003 telling in chronological order about the

German resistance German resistance can refer to: * Freikorps, German nationalist paramilitary groups resisting German communist uprisings and the Weimar Republic government * German resistance to Nazism * Landsturm, German resistance groups fighting against France d ...

attempts to kill

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

and seize power in Germany in the

20 July plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

of 1944. Produced by German TV

ZDF ZDF (, short for Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen; ; "Second German Television") is a German public-service television broadcaster based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. It is run as an independent nonprofit institution, which was founded by all fe ...

, it parallels ''

Stauffenberg The Schenk von Stauffenberg family is a noble (''Uradel'') Roman Catholic family from Swabia in Germany. The family's best-known recent member was Colonel Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg – the key figure in the 1944 "20 July plot" to as ...

'' of Jo Baier produced by German TV ARD in 2004 for the 60th anniversary of the coup. Historian

Guido Knopp Guido Knopp (born 29 January 1948 in Treysa, Hesse) is a German journalist and author. He is well known in Germany, mainly because he has produced a great number of TV documentaries, predominantly about the "Third Reich" and National Socialism, b ...

oversaw the production of ''Stunde der Offiziere''.

Plot

On 13 March 1943,

Henning von Tresckow Henning Hermann Karl Robert von Tresckow (; 10 January 1901 – 21 July 1944) was a German military officer with the rank of major general in the Nazi Germany, German Army who helped organize German resistance to Nazism, German resistance again ...

puts a bomb on Hitler's plane, but the bomb fails to explode. On 21 March 1943, Rudolf Christoph von Gersdorff intends a suicide bombing attack on Hitler in an exhibition, yet Hitler leaves prematurely. A similar attempt by

Axel von dem Bussche Axel Ernst-August Clamor Franz Albrecht Erich Leo Freiherr von dem Bussche-Streithorst (; 24 April 1919 – 26 January 1993) was a German officer during World War II and was a member of the German Resistance. He planned to assassinate Adolf Hitl ...

fails as the event is canceled due to allied air raid on Berlin. Last hope is on

Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg Colonel Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair. Despite ...

who, being in charge of

Operation Walküre Operation Valkyrie (german: Unternehmen Walküre) was a German World War II emergency continuity of government operations plan issued to the Territorial Reserve Army of Germany to execute and implement in the event of a general breakdown in civ ...

, has access to Hitler for reports. The bomb detonates on 20 July 1944 in Hitler Headquarter

Wolfsschanze The ''Wolf's Lair'' (german: Wolfsschanze; pl, Wilczy Szaniec) served as Adolf Hitler's first Eastern Front military headquarters in World War II. The headquarters was located in the Masurian woods, near the small village of Görlitz in Ostp ...

near Rastenburg. After returning to Berlin, he orchestrates the

July 20 plot On 20 July 1944, Claus von Stauffenberg and other conspirators attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of Nazi Germany, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia, now Kętrzyn, in present-day Poland. The ...

which fails after rumors, reports and finally confirmation about Hitler's survival become known. Four officers are executed immediately, many more after staged Volksgerichtshof trials.

Background

The "docu drama" integrates re-enacted scenes, eye witness reports, and original footage to illustrate

actions in detail. It was first shown on 29 June 2004. It is frequently re-run on German documentary TV channel

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

External links

*
Informationen und Fotos zum Film bei ZDF
2004 films 2004 television films German biographical drama films 2004 drama films Films about capital punishment Films set in Germany Films set in Berlin German documentary television films 2000s German-language films German-language television shows German World War II films Films about the 20 July plot German docudrama films 2000s German films ZDF original programming German drama television films {{Germany-tv-film-stub