Opposition against Hitler between overthrow and reformation of the Nazi regime. Plot and policy planning of Nazi opponents within Amt Ausland/Abwehr of the High Command of the German Armed Forces in 1938/39

• Applicant: Dr. Winfried Meyer
• Subject Area: Modern and Contemporary History
• Term: from 2012 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 214262599

In 1938 and 1939, on orders from Hans Oster and Wilhelm Canaris, leading officers of the Amt Ausland/Abwehr, the military intelligence service of the Third Reich, Franz Liedig, one of the Amt's officers, Friedrich Alfred Schmid Noerr, a catholic author, and the diplomat Werner Otto von Hentig developed plans for a plot against Hitler and for the rebuilding of a post-nationalsocialist Germany. These 'plot-plans' which have been unknown to the historical research yet, were recently discovered by the applicant. Before the background of very controversial estimations of the early opposition of national-conservatives against Hitler, they will be analyzed under the main question whether they intended a complete break with the NS regime or just its reform in some crucial issues. For that purpose, it will be asked 1) whether aiming at an authoritarian 'Ständestaat' was just a continuation of political ideas of the 'Konservative Revolution' during the Weimar republic or developed out of the total negation of the NS regime, 2) whether and how the 'plot plans' of 1938/39 influenced later plot and policy planning of the national-conservative opposition until the plot on 20. Juli 1944. The analysis of the 'plot plans' will center on their authors' understanding of nationalsocialism as a variation of bolshevism and on their attitude towards the 'Jewish question'. Furthermore, also the official and private political activities of the members of the Canaris-Oster group and especially those of Franz Liedig, during the pre-war years will be taken into account. Investigating their official and private responses to the persecution of the Jews (Canaris as 'Inventor of the Yellow Badge'?), their efforts to influence leading representatives of the regime and considerations to involve at least Göring as one of them into the plot as well as their covered peace-feelers to the French and British Governments will provide additional evidence for answering the main question on the radicality of the 'plot plans'.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants