Ein Mann des 20. Juli
General Olbricht: Ein Mann des 20. Juli is the published version of the dissertation with which I earned a PhD cum Laude from the University of Hamburg in 1992; it was published under my maiden name Helena P. Page. This book represents the first full-length biography of Friederich Olbricht, and it remains the primary source used by scholars today when referencing the contribution of Friedrich Olbricht to the German Resistance to Hitler
The dissertation/book was based upon extensive original research that uncovered previously unknown sources. In addition to being one of the first Western scholars given access to the military archives located inside the Deutsche Demokratische Republic (East Germany), Schrader was able to locate and interview a variety of men and women who had known Friedrich Olbricht personally including his widow, son-in-law, secretary, chief-of-staff, and more.
As a result, the dissertation proved beyond a doubt that Olbricht was the mastermind behind converting a legitimate General Staff plan into the blueprint for a coup d’etat. Furthermore—and this was an even more astonishing discovery—an interview with the intended assassin Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche revealed that concrete planning for the coup had already begun in the spring of 1942: more than a year before Count Stauffenberg joined the conspiracy.
Taken together, the newly discovered sources proved that Olbricht played a pivotal role as the “Chief of Staff” of the military wing of the conspiracy against Hitler. He was the person primarily responsible for coordinating between the various resistance cells such as the men working in the Abwehr under Oberst Oster, the officers of Army Group Centre under Colonel von Tresckow and the civilians of the Kreisauerkreis.
I am deeply indebted to Olbricht’s widow and son-in-law for putting so many personal papers at my disposal, for sharing their memories and for answering my questions.
“In memory of a brave, wise, and benevolent German man who gave his life for Germany’s freedom—falling beneath German bullets in the courtyard of the Bendlerstraße in Berlin on July 21, 1944.” Götz Friedrich
Reviews Excerpts
The book was greeted with interest and enthusiasm, earning glowing reviews in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Die Zeit and even Neues Deutschland. The small first edition sold out almost immediately and it went into a second edition. Regrettably, the Bouvier Verlag filed for bankruptcy just nine years after the publication of the second edition and the book is now only available as a used book. The reviewer excerpts below are translations by the author of the German originals.
“The undoubted highlight of the entire book is the chapter ‘The Chief of the General Staff in a Crisis: July 1944,’ in which Page recounts the various futile attempts at assassination made in the weeks leading up to July 20. Here, the author achieves a series of true analytical masterstrokes, identifying and resolving various inconsistencies found in standard historical accounts. … It is an important book and, for the most part, an outstanding scholarly achievement.” Süddeutsche Zeitung
“With great empathy, Helena Page’s book brings to life the inner workings of the conspiracy (…), the broad network of the resistance…, and, finally, the dramatic failure of July 1944.” Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung