Resistance in Nazi Germany was a brave but extreme reaction to the totalitarian regime, requiring individuals to confront evil, face torture, and risk death. In a country with no tolerance for dissent, opposition meant confronting the brutal consequences of one’s actions, often with little hope of changing the course of events.

Most stories of German opposition focus on the failed assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944 by Oberst Claus von Stauffenberg. However, this was just one of many plots against the Führer, involving military and political leaders who sought peace by eliminating Hitler. Many of these individuals, if they had survived, might have faced war crime charges at Nuremberg.

This book explores both the military and diplomatic figures who resisted Hitler, as well as other forms of internal opposition that predated Nazi control of the Reichstag in 1933. It highlights the tens of thousands who were imprisoned, tortured, or executed for standing against the dictatorship. The elites who welcomed the end of Weimar democracy were often more willing to accommodate Hitler, but many others—motivated by religious, political, or humane beliefs—refused to compromise, showing immense courage and sacrifice. The book also examines the Gestapo’s efforts to track down and eliminate these resistance groups.