The July Plot (Operation Valkyrie)

Lieutenant Colonel
Claus von Stauffenberg
1907-1944

The July Plot (or Operation Valkyrie) was a plan to assassinate the leader of Germany and the Nazi party, Adolf Hitler. The plan was to kill Hitler and then seize the state and replace the government with a new one to prevent destruction by the Allies by ending the war. The plot was planned and executed by a group of German military leaders who saw that Hitler was driving Germany to defeat. Even if they failed they wanted to show history that not all German's and army officers followed Hitler's beliefs and views blindly.

The leaders of the plot were Colonel General Ludwig Beck, former chief of the army general stuff, Colonel General Friedrich Olbricht and Major General Henning von Tresckow. 

However since 1933, there had been many attempts of assassination of Hitler by various groups. So Hitler became suspicious and was heavily guarded and often changed his schedule at short notice. 

The Wolf's Lair after the July Plot.

During a meeting at the Wolf's Lair with Hitler and more then 20 German officers and stuff, a bomb in a briefcase under the table went off during the meeting on the 20th July 1944. The briefcase was planted by Lieutenant Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, the chief of staff of the reserve army. Stauffenberg said he had to make a phone call and left the room. Moments later the briefcase exploded which killed three officers. However, Hitler suffered only minor injuries.

After the bomb went off Stauffenberg believed Hitler was dead and flew to Berlin to start operation Valkyrie. Valkyrie was to use the reserve army to takeover the Nazi regime. Although, without confirmation of the death of Hitler the plan was at a standstill. General Friedrich Fromm, Commander of the reserve army and member of the plot, turned on his fellow conspirators to cover up his involvement, after he learned of the news that Hitler was still alive.

Stauffenberg and Olbricht
being shot on 21st July 1944.

Stauffenberg and Olbricht were arrested and shot on 21st July. Then hundreds of people who were suspected of being involved in the plot were arrested. Around 200 of them were executed. Tresckow committed suicide after he heard about the plot failed. Beck also committed suicide after he was arrested rather than stand trial. Erwin Rommel, a highly respected field marshal who was also linked to the plot, committed suicide to protect his family from facing a trial (as Rommel was a popular figure, the Nazis covered up the truth of his death and even gave him a state funeral). Fromm was shot in 1945 for his involvement. 

After the plot, Hitler believed it was fate he survived. "Having escaped death..." Hitler stated, "I am now more convinced that the great cause which I survive ... can be brought to a good end."   

On 30th April 1945, before Germany surrendered, Hitler committed suicide. The Wolf's Lair was blown up in January 1945 by the Soviet Army. I like to believe members of the July Plot ideas and beliefs to show not all Germans believed the same crazy views as Hitler.

500 Years of the Royal Mail - Online Museum

LEGO postman with a LEGO
Penny Black, first and
rarest British stamp from 1840.

Well you don't see many of these every day, a on-line museum for the 500 years of the Royal Mail. Now I know some museums are doing digital stored collection and I am happy to see this happening more and more as years go on. You can go to museums without leaving the comfort of your own home or pay for entry. These stored collections catalogs get the collection out to the public easier (one of the fundamental principles of a museum) and are great for researchers to see what they have before inquiring to see the items. 

This beautifully done on-line archive of images of portraits, documents, engravings, artefacts, stamps etc. Each image is provided with a few paragraphs of information describing what it is and the history behind the item you have selected. The layout almost gives a similar style to some social media sites, e.g. Instagram or Pinterest. A unusual way of displaying this but I think it works really well.

You have 6 categories to choose from to help you narrow down your search of items and information. Although the images and information is repeated in some of the different categories provided. The categories include:

• Moments in History - taking a look at the main milestones of the Royal Mail.
• Stamps - taking a look at main milestones in design and changes of the history of Stamps.
• The Beginning of the Royal Mail - obviously looking at the beginning of the Royal Mail and how it came about. 
• World Firsts - taking a look at what the Royal Mail started first in the world of the postal service.
• Iconography - taking a look at the visual images, symbols, or modes of representation collectively associated with the Royal Mail.
• People - taking a look at all the people who were involved in the Royal Mail and how they impacted it.

To help you even farther with navigation around the site you have a filter system in which you can select for all an item you are specific looking for. So you can choose the century the item was made or used in and which category you wish it to be from and the order they are all listed in. For example I want everything from the 1500s, themed to The Beginning of the Royal Mail and be viewed by latest - oldest items. 

Another feature with this section is you have a option to favorite items that you like best and gives you a opportunity to come back to them later on.   

Victorian post

Now you also have a search engine to search for specific item. However, if you don't visit the site often you can't possibly know what is there specifically. So this is only good if you know you way around and know what is actually there to see. 

Now it doesn't stop there you have the Features section which house additional thing to take a look at. This are some:

• By Land, Sea and Air - this section talks about the evolution of how the post got from a) to b) and how this benefited society. 
• The Letters of our Lives Campaign - a campaign to collect letters on hidden social and political history of the UK through the people who lived it.
• And so much more...

Now this is a great public resource which the Royal Mail had provided us. The complete collection which is provided here can be interesting to a Royal Mail enthusiast, Stamp collectors or any history buff who fancies knowing more on the Royal Mail and its history behind the British postal service we know today.