{"id":31296,"date":"2026-05-04T15:17:58","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T15:17:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=31296"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:53:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:53:22","slug":"erwin-rommel-and-the-july-bomb-plot","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/european-history\/nazi-germany\/erwin-rommel-and-the-july-bomb-plot\/","title":{"rendered":"Erwin Rommel and the July Bomb Plot"},"content":{"rendered":"

Erwin Rommel\u2019s role in the July Bomb Plot<\/a> has been much debated by historians. Rommel was implicated in the July Plot and offered a choice of suicide, and an honourable death, or facing the People\u2019s Court; which would have resulted in almost certain execution for himself, his family and his aides. Rommel chose suicide and the promise of safety for his family.<\/p>\n

\"Erwin
Erwin Rommel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The extent to which Rommel was active in plots against Hitler is an area in which there are some uncertainties.<\/p>\n

Rommel and opposition<\/h3>\n

Evidence that suggests that Rommel was a participant in plots against Hitler and the leadership of the Third Reich:<\/p>\n

Mentioned in letters and interrogations<\/h4>\n

Rommel was cited as a possible successor to Hitler, and mentioned as someone worthy of holding positions of high rank and status in a post-Hitler Germany. Goerdler<\/a> mentioned Rommel in such a way in letters. His name was also mentioned during the interrogations of St\u00fclpnage and von Hofacker.<\/p>\n

Rommel being mentioned does not necessarily mean that he was an active (or even non passive) participant in any plot. The latter two examples are both from the interrogation room. People in that situation often say things that are not true, or exaggerate things for their own good. Goerdler\u2019s references are certainly worthy of investigation.<\/p>\n

Rommel’s complaints<\/h4>\n

Nazi Officials in occupied France stated that Rommel frequently complained about Nazi crimes and incompetence.<\/p>\n

This could mean all manner of things. He may well have complained. His complaints may have meant that he disliked the leadership, though just as likely, that he was frustrated at not being able to get on with his job as a professional soldier.<\/p>\n

There are numerous references to Rommel\u2019s knowledge of the plot in academic books and in interviews conducted after the war.<\/p>\n

Historical opinion<\/h4>\n

These provide examples of Goerdler making offers to Rommel; of Rommel being made fully aware of the aims of the plot and asked for his opinion about the plot and the way in which a post-regime Germany ought to be run.\u00a0This section<\/a>\u00a0of the Wikipedia entry about Goerdler refers to Rommel on a number of occasions. There are references for many of the statements to substantiate the claims.<\/p>\n

Online Sources used whilst preparing this article include:<\/strong><\/p>\n

BBC News<\/a><\/p>\n

Daily Mail Online<\/a><\/p>\n

Eyewitness history<\/a><\/p>\n

Forward.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Internet Movies Data Base<\/a><\/p>\n

Military Photos Forum<\/a><\/p>\n

Spartacus Encylopedia<\/a><\/p>\n

Wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n

World War Two Database<\/a><\/p>\n

Germany 1919 \u2013 1945 Links<\/h2>\n

The Second Reich<\/h3>\n

Unification of Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Political systems within the Second Reich<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0German Society during the Second Reich<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Collapse of the Second Reich<\/a><\/p>\n

Weimar Republic<\/h3>\n

Interim Government<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Founding of the Weimar Republic<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Impact of the First World War on Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Weimar Constitution<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01919-1923: Years of Crisis?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Spartacist Uprising<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kapp Putsch<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Reparations<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hyperinflation in Germany, 1923<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01924-1928: A Golden Era?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01925 Presidential Election<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Gustav Stresemann<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0German Foreign Relations 1919-1932<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Germany in the Great Depression<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Failings of the Weimar Republic<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Dada Movement<\/a><\/p>\n

Rise of the Nazi Party<\/h3>\n

The Munich Putsch<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Did the Economic Crisis of 1923 help the Nazi\u2019s?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Origins of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rise of the Nazi Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Nazi Germany<\/h3>\n

Totalitarian Regime in Nazi Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0How did Hitler consolidate power?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Mein Kampf<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Nazi methods of control<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Opposition to the Nazi Regime<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Organisation of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fuhrerprinzip<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kristallnacht<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Youth and Education<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Goering and the 2nd 4 Year Plan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Anti-Jewish Boycott, 1933<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Nazi Anti-Semitism<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0DAF (The German Labour Front)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Propaganda in Germany 1919-39<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Economic Policy of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kreisau Circle<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Confessing Church<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Catholic Church<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Edelweiss Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n

Biographies<\/h3>\n

Ludwig Beck<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Bishop Clemens von Galen<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Carl Goerdeler<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Robert Ley<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Helmuth von Moltke<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Martin Niemoller<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Erwin Rommel<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hjalmar Schacht<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Sophie Scholl<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Albert Speer<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Claus von Stauffenberg<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fritz Todt<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Erwin Rommel\u2019s role in the July Bomb Plot has been much debated by historians. Rommel was implicated in the July Plot and offered a choice of suicide, and an honourable death, or facing the People\u2019s Court; which would have resulted in almost certain execution for himself, his family and his aides. Rommel chose suicide and… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":789,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-31296","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31296"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/31296\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}