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Heroes or Traitors: The German Replacement Army, the July Plot, and Adolf Hitler

Heroes or Traitors: The German Replacement Army, the July Plot, and Adolf Hitler

Author: Walter S. Dunn Jr.

Condition: Like New

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When a German victory became impossible, the July 1944 conspirators plotted to bring a quick end to the war, hoping to negotiate a peace with the Western allies and possibly to join them in a war against Russia. Because the Allies would not negotiate with Hitler, the plotters planned to assassinate him and seize control of the government, using the Replacement Army to overcome the S.S. and the Nazi Party.

This army would also maintain order within Germany, a task that would require more than half-a-million trained men. The conspirators convinced key Replacement Army officers to withhold men from the Field Army in the spring of 1944 in preparation for taking over the country. The result was a German army that lacked enough reserve divisions to counter the invasion of France and the Red Army attack in Russia. Although the plotters failed to kill Hitler, they hastened the war's end by weakening the German army. Dunn examines the 1944 July Plot from a manpower and logistics perspective to demonstrate that the conspirators did, in fact, achieve their goal of hastening the war's end.

Keywords, content and topics in this Book


Core bibliographic data

World War II
Germany – Wehrmacht
German Replacement Army (Ersatzheer)
Reserve Army – Germany
July 20 Plot / 20 July 1944 assassination attempt
Adolf Hitler
Walter S. Dunn Jr.
Praeger Publishers (Holtzbrinck)
First published 2003



Theater(s) of war / geographical focus

German Home Front
Berlin – Bendlerblock
Germany – internal military affairs



Operations, campaigns, and events

Aftermath and repression following the July Plot
Late‑war phase of WWII (1943–1945)



Main nations and belligerents

Germany – Nazi regime
Axis Powers – internal German politics



Type of book

Scholarly monograph
Military history
Political and institutional history
Analysis of coup / assassination plot



Focus and subject scope

Structure and role of the German Replacement Army (Ersatzheer)
German manpower and replacement system
Use of Replacement Army troops for frontline reinforcement
Internal opposition to Hitler inside the German Army
Planning and execution of the July 20 coup attempt
Motivations and calculations of the conspirators (anti‑Hitler resistance)



Branch / unit / institution emphasis

German Army (Heer)
German Replacement Army / Reserve Army (Ersatzheer)
OKH / OKW (German High Command) – relations with Replacement Army
German officer corps – resistance elements



Key historical figures featured

Adolf Hitler
Other July Plot conspirators in the Wehrmacht high command (treated collectively)



German resistance to Hitler
Military coup planning
Assassination plots against heads of state
Manpower policy and mobilization – Nazi Germany
Frontline reinforcement versus strategic reserve
Civil–military relations in dictatorship
Loyalty versus treason in wartime
Moral and strategic evaluation of the July conspirators (“heroes or traitors”)
Impact of internal dissent on German war effort
Endgame of the Third Reich



Form, apparatus, and scholarly features

Archival and secondary‑source research



Suggested cataloging / subject tags

World War, 1939–1945 – Germany
World War, 1939–1945 – Campaigns – Eastern Front – German perspective
World War, 1939–1945 – Campaigns – Western Front – German perspective
Germany – Armed Forces – Reserve – History – 20th century
Germany – Politics and government – 1933–1945
Coups d’état – Germany – History – 20th century
Anti‑Nazi movements – Germany
Conspiracies – Germany – History – 20th century
Hitler, Adolf, 1889–1945 – Assassination attempts
Stauffenberg, Claus Schenk Graf von, 1907–1944
Officer corps – Germany – History – 20th century
Military planning – Germany – History – 20th century


Book Condition: Like New

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Before you enlist a new title into your personal library, check the Condition Report below to see how much action these volumes have seen:

New: Fresh Out of Bootcamp
Flawless and untested. This book is in pristine, new condition and ready for its first assignment.

Like New: Light Combat Experience
Almost new and in great shape. It has clearly been read before and is ready to fight again, but it shows very little wear from its time in the field.

Good: A Few Scars or Shell Shock
A reliable veteran. The book might have some bent corners or a dust cover with a few scratches, but it’s still sturdy and standing tall.

Fair: Battle-Hardened
Visible signs of a long campaign. Expect some stains, bent pages, and perhaps some minor tears on the cover. It’s seen the trenches, but the intel inside is still solid.

Poor: Survived Iwo Jima
This one has been through the meat grinder. It carries noticeable damage, heavy staining, or significant wear—but like any old soldier, it would love to be read one last time before it retires.

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