Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler by suicide bombing on 21 March 1943, and obviously, without success. The plan failed because Hitler left early. That same month, soldiers from his unit discovered the mass graves of the Soviet-perpetrated Katyn massacre.
To be honest—I am a bit sceptical about this failed assassination attempt.
His plan was that on March 21, 1943, Gersdorff, as an expert, should explain individual exhibits to Hitler in the Zeughaus in Berlin. While Hitler was touring the exhibition rooms, Gersdorff kept close to him constantly with two bombs in his coat pockets. But unlike in previous years, on this occasion, Hitler left the exhibition after only a short tour.
The plan was to set off two ten-minute delayed fuses on explosive devices hidden in his coat pockets. His plan was then to throw himself around Hitler in a death embrace that would blow them both up.
Why am I a bit sceptical? Hitler left the venue earlier than planned, but that didn’t mean that von Gersdorff had to stay in the building. He still could have carried out his plans afterwards. In many ways, it wouldn’t have looked suspicious. You could delay someone from leaving, especially a megalomaniac like Hitler, who loved to get his ego stroked.
Von Gersdorff said he defused the devices in a public bathroom “at the last second.” After the attempt, von Gersdorff was immediately transferred to the Eastern Front, where he managed to evade suspicion. So basically, no one actually knows if he had been carrying these devices at all, and the Gestapo never found them. All there is are his words afterwards.
In general, people who are willing to sacrifice themselves do so unless there is a drastic change of circumstances, and Hitler leaving an event a few minutes early is not one of those. He was also allegedly involved in the preparation for the 20 July plot—this was also never discovered. Conveniently, those who knew were all killed.
However, I could be wrong in my analysis. Maybe Von Gersdorff was a hero, but I doubt it.
In 1955, he was the military advisor on the movie The Plot to Assassinate Hitler.
Sources
https://military-history.fandom.com/wiki/Rudolf_Christoph_Freiherr_von_Gersdorff
https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/118538799.html?language=en
Donation
Your readership is what makes my site a success, and I am truly passionate about providing you with valuable content. I have been doing this at no cost and will continue to do so. Your voluntary donation of $2 or more, if you are able, would be a significant contribution to the continuation of my work. However, I fully understand if you’re not in a position to do so. Your support, in any form, is greatly appreciated. Thank you. To donate, click on the credit/debit card icon of the card you will use. If you want to donate more than $2, just add a higher number in the box left from the PayPal link. Your generosity is greatly appreciated. Many thanks.
$2.00
History of Sorts 
Leave a comment