International
80 years since the attack on Hitler that killed Count Claus Schenk von Staufenberg
A day like this Saturday, a bomb placed by Count Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg exploded in the headquarters of the ‘Führer’ Adolf Hitler in Rastenburg – today Ketrzyn, in Poland – to kill the Nazi dictator who, however, was only slightly injured and would soon trigger his repression against the conspirators.
Von Stauffenberg’s bomb was part of the ‘Valkiria Plan’, an attempted coup d’état conceived between 1943 and 1944 within the Wehrmacht as a desperate response to the unfavorable evolution of the war in Europe.
Shortly before, on June 6, the landing in Normandy had taken place, the allied military operation that would end up being crucial in the defeat of the Third Reich.
Among those responsible for that frustrated attempt to kill the tyrant were retired general Ludwig Beck, division general Henning von Tresckow, colonel general Friedrich Olbricht and other high-ranking officers, although von Stauffenberg was the one who was personally responsible for carrying out his attack on Hitler.
Von Stauffenberg, after being promoted to colonel and relocated as Chief of Staff of the Reserve Army Command, gained such a position in the high instances of the Third Reich that participated in meetings attended by Hitler.
Von Stauffenberg failed in the same way as his conspiratorial comrades, who had to rise up against the regime in Berlin.
That attempt cost them their lives, because the history books show that between 180 and 200 people were executed by the Third Reich, shot, hanged or even strangled, after the failed bomb of Von Stauffenberg.
Von Stauffenberg himself, and three other officers were shot without trial in the courtyard of the building that today houses the Ministry of Defense in Berlin.
Hitler did not die in the explosion of his Rastenburg headquarters, but took his life in his Berlin bunker on April 30, 1945, with Germany – and much of Europe – destroyed, and his regime having committed the systematic murder of six million European Jews on the blackest page in the history of the Old Continent.
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the attack, which happens to be the greatest act of military resistance against Hitler during the Third Reich, the Center for Military History and Social Sciences (ZMSB) in Potsdam (east) recalls through a new digital dossier a historical moment that could have given an unexpected turn to history.
In addition to a compilation of historical documents and analyses, the experts consulted by the ZMSB of Potsdam reflect on how the historical evolution of the perception of those facts has been.
Thus, in the early 1950s, the West Germans saw the heroism of Von Stauffenberg and company with some distance.
In 1951, one in three Germans did not link the date of July 20 “to any event or had no opinion,” “another third saw it with critical eyes” and the other 33% saw the attempted murder against the Führer well, according to John Zimmermann, a member of the team of investigators who has prepared the ZMSB dossier.
“The peak of this negative feeling was reached in 1952: 28% thought that Germany would be better if there had been no resistance, and 39% even believed that they could have won the war without it,” added this researcher.
If Von Stauffenberg finally ended up enjoying the status of “hero in public opinion” this is due to the “political history” of Germany, whose authorities, in particular of the administration and the academic world, have turned July 20 into a date with which to remember a man who could have dealt a mortal blow to the Third Reich before time, according to Zimmermann.
International
Ukraine declares nationwide energy emergency amid russian attacks and extreme cold
The Ukrainian government on Wednesday declared a nationwide energy state of emergency amid continued Russian military attacks and extreme winter weather, with nighttime temperatures dropping as low as minus 18 degrees Celsius.
“The consequences of Russian attacks and worsening weather conditions are severe (…) Overall, a state of emergency will be declared for Ukraine’s energy sector,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a statement posted on social media following a meeting with senior officials.
Zelensky announced the creation of a “permanent coordination headquarters” to manage the crisis in the capital, Kyiv, and tasked former defence minister and current energy chief Denys Shmyhal with overseeing support efforts for affected individuals and communities, including addressing power outages, heating shortages and other “practical issues.”
“There are many problems that require urgent solutions,” the president said, noting that repair crews, energy companies, municipal services and the State Emergency Service are working “around the clock” to restore electricity supplies. Kyiv has been particularly affected after Russian strikes last Friday disabled key parts of the power grid, as daytime temperatures hover around minus 12 degrees Celsius and plunge to minus 18 at night.
Zelensky added that public authorities will “maximize efforts with partners to obtain the necessary equipment and additional support,” while the government will ensure “maximum deregulation of all processes” to speed up the connection of backup power equipment to the grid. He also confirmed that work is underway to significantly increase electricity imports into Ukraine.
The Ukrainian leader further instructed his Cabinet to review curfew regulations in light of the extreme cold, arguing that citizens must have the greatest possible access to assistance centers, while businesses should be given flexibility to plan their operations according to the state of the energy system.
International
France joins Denmark’s ‘Operation Arctic Resistance’ in Greenland amid U.S. tensions
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed in the early hours of Thursday (Wednesday afternoon in El Salvador) that France will take part in “Operation Arctic Resistance,” after Denmark announced it would expand its military presence in Greenland amid rising tensions with the United States over Washington’s stated ambitions regarding the semi-autonomous territory.
“At Denmark’s request, I have decided that France will participate in the joint exercises organized by Denmark in Greenland, ‘Operation Arctic Resistance,’” Macron said in a brief message posted on social media at 5:18 p.m.
The French president added that “the first French military elements are already on their way, with others to follow,” though he did not specify the number of troops being deployed or the scale of France’s planned contribution.
The governments of Sweden, Norway and Germany have also confirmed the deployment of military contingents to Greenland. Germany’s armed forces will send a 13-member reconnaissance team to the Greenlandic capital, Nuuk, to take part in a mission scheduled to run from Thursday through Saturday, according to the German Ministry of Defence.
Denmark’s announcement came shortly before a Danish delegation met at the White House with U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to discuss Washington’s plans regarding Greenland. Copenhagen said the military activities would be carried out “in close cooperation with NATO allies.”
International
Iran closes airspace amid U.S. threats and deadly nationwide protests
Iranian authorities closed the country’s airspace in the early hours of Thursday, according to data from flight-tracking website FlightRadar24, amid growing threats of a possible U.S. attack as protests across the country continue and have reportedly left thousands dead.
According to FlightRadar24, the Iranian government suspended all flights to and from the country, except for international flights that have received special authorization. The notice was initially issued for a duration of just over two hours.
The move comes after U.S. President Donald Trump in recent days threatened to strike Iran if its security forces failed to halt the deaths linked to weeks-long protests that began in Tehran and later spread to other Iranian cities. Despite the threats, the White House said diplomacy remains Trump’s preferred option.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Trump claimed that “the deaths in Iran have stopped” and said there would be no executions of protesters following his warnings to Tehran. He added that his administration would seek to verify those claims.
“I’ve been told the deaths in Iran are stopping. They’ve stopped, and that there are no plans for executions,” Trump told reporters, cautioning that the United States would be “very upset” if those assurances proved to be untrue.
The statements contrast with reports from rights groups. The Norway-based NGO Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) said on Wednesday that more than 3,400 people have been killed since the protests erupted. Meanwhile, Kurdish-Iranian rights group Hengaw reported this week that a 26-year-old Iranian man, Erfan Soltani, was facing execution as of Wednesday.
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