On July 20, 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg detonated a bomb near Adolf Hitler that damaged Hitler's eardrums, injured his right arm, and burned the Führer, but did not kill him. The failure to eliminate Hitler unleashed an immediate and murderous response.

The conspirators in the assassination attempt included important individuals within the German military establishment. They sought to end Hitler's "incompetent, unscrupulous leadership." Stauffenberg's direct access to Hitler made him the most likely candidate to assassinate the German leader.

After the bomb was detonated, the conspirators believed that they had successfully killed Hitler. They moved to take over the War Ministry in Berlin and issue orders to arrest leading Nazis and members of the SS. Hitler's miraculous survival, however, preempted plans to topple the Nazi regime.

Hitler's vengeance was rapid and severe. Participants in the attempted coup were arrested and hanged by wire, dying the most painful of deaths. The executions were filmed for Hitler, who reportedly enjoyed watching the men twist in agony. More than 7000 additional individuals were captured by the Gestapo, 200 of whom were executed.