This Day in History: 19 March 2020
19 March 1945
75 years ago, today, the commander of the German Home Army, General Friedrich Fromm, was executed by the firing squad for his part in the July plot against the Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler, although his participation was half-hearted. The year prior, many of Germany's high-ranking officials had come to the decision that Hitler must die, as he was leading the country into a suicidal war. Assassination, they thought, was the only way to stop him. The plan was that a coup d'état would follow, and a new government was be instituted in Berlin to save Germany from the destruction of the Allies, but this was not successful. Fromm was in favour of the plot but agreed only to cooperate actively in the coup if the assassination was successful.
On July 20, 1944, Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg planted the bomb in a conference that Hitler would be attending, in a briefcase under a table. However, this was moved by Hitler, far away from where he was standing. The bomb still detonated, resulting in Hitler being wounded, charred, and suffering the temporary paralysis of one of his arms, but he was still alive. Stauffenberg was on his way back to Berlin to discuss Operation Valkyrie, involving the overthrow of the central government, but General Fromm ordered him and his men to be arrested. Once he found out that Hitler was still alive, Fromm also commanded that the conspirators be shot for treason. Within the next few days, Fromm himself was arrested by Heinrich Himmler, and in February 1945, he faced trial. Due to his decision to execute Stauffenberg and his partners, he was spared the worst punishment – strangulation on a meat hook, and instead was shot by the firing squad, on this day.
Want to find out more about the death of Friedrich Fromm? Click here for more information or here for more of an insight on his life.
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