German Resistance to the Nazis

I recently watched a documentary on Operation Valkyrie, about a plot by high-ranking German officers and diplomats to assassinate Adolf Hitler. It was a reminder that not all Germans were willing participants in the Nazi regime.

Everything was controlled by the Nazis. The Hitler Salute or Nazi Salute became mandatory as a form of greeting after Hitler came to power. In 1934, special courts had been established to punish those who refused to perform the salute. The punishments ranged from imprisonment in concentration camps to intimidation or fines. Your employment could be terminated for refusing to salute. There were some reported instances here individuals were shot on the spot. Ironically, in Germany, you can now be fined or imprisoned for performing to Hitler Salute.

The message was clear, resistance to the Nazi regime would be harshly dealt with. Yet, throughout the Nazi regime, hundreds of thousands of Germans took part in anti-Nazi resistance. Historians estimate that only about two out of every thousand Germans actively resisted. They included political opponents, religious groups, university students, brave individuals, and many others. Every person who resisted Hitler knew the immense risks they were taking, and who else they were putting at risk. But there numbers were insufficient to be effective.

Between 15,000 and 75,000 Germans were executed during the course of the war for resisting. Many more were incarcerated in concentration camps. State terror and propaganda kept most citizens in line. This is no different than what Hamas does in Gaza and the IRGC in Iran.

Here are the major resistance movements during the Nazi Regime.