German resistance World War II

 

I’ll be dealing with this in novel seven. The research starts now.  A minor character from book five is going to become a major character in this one. She will also know what is going on with the Allies.  

German resistance took the form of:

·         Resistance via the churches

·         Resistance via some foreign nationals living in Germany

·         Some individuals who understood what was happening with the Holocaust and hid Jewish people.

·         Those who sympathised with communism and supported Russia in the war

·         The White Rose Organisation

·         Notable individuals: Robert Uhrig, Herbert Baum,  Saefkow Jacob Bastlein

·         Attempts were made to assassinate Hitler by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Erwin Rommel and Ludwig Beck. The most notable attempt is the Valkyrie Plot, 20 July 1944, led by Claus von Stauffenberg.    

Some resisters were in contact with the British Special Operations Executive. This is the route my character will have to go.

The resistance took place from 1933 until 1945. When we look back at 1933 and see how Hitler came to power we have much to shudder about if we also look at what is happening today.

One of the most interesting groups was the Edelweiss Pirates, an organisation for children that offered an alternative to the Hitler Youth.  They took the propaganda leaflets dropped by the Allies and stuffed them into people’s letter boxes. They would attack Hitler Youth groups. In 1944 six of them were hanged.

Another interesting event was the Rosen Strasse protest in Berlin, February and March 1943.   German women protested outside the centre where Jews were being held.     

My character will be 38 years only in 1945. She would have been a young woman when Hitler came to power. I’ll have her involved with the Edelweiss Pirates and later in contact with BSOE. She will know of the White Rose group and will also know about the assassination attempt in 1944.