Codename Valkyrie: General Friedrich Olbricht and the Plot Against Hitler

by Helena P. Schrader

On 20 July 1944, the last in a series of assassination attempts against Hitler failed. In the aftermath, leading conspirators and thousands of supporters and sympathizers were arrested and executed. First to fall to the vicious Nazi retribution was the man who had nurtured the coup d’état plans over three years, codenamed ‘Valkyrie’ – General Friedrich Olbricht. Helena Schrader traces the transformation of a highly decorated and senior German officer into an active conspirator dedicated to removing the Führer from power. She shows how Olbricht’s coup plans might well have succeeded if Stauffenberg had not failed at several key junctures.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, 20th Century, World War II

288 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2009

About the author

Dr. Helena P. Schrader is a highly acclaimed author with a remarkable portfolio of six critically acclaimed non-fiction history books and twenty historical novels. A testament to her storytelling prowess, twelve of her novels have earned one or more prestigious literary awards, with three titles achieving Amazon best-selling status.

Helena's deep historical insight stems from her PhD in history from the University of Hamburg, where her ground-breaking biography of a leader of the German Resistance to Hitler earned her doctorate. Her rich experiences also include a distinguished career as an American diplomat in Europe and Africa.

Her expertise spans critical historical periods and subjects, including:

Aviation

The Second World War

Ancient Sparta

The Crusader States

Award Highlights:

Helena's dedication to historical accuracy and compelling narratives has been recognized with numerous accolades:

"Cold Peace" Won the Independent Press Award for Political Thrillers 2024 and was "Runner-Up for BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023" from the Historical Fiction Company

"Moral Fibre" won GOLD in the Global Book Awards for 20th Century Historical Fiction 2024

"Where Eagles Never Flew" won the Hemingway Award for 20th Century Wartime Fiction from Chanticleer International Book Awards 2021

"Envoy of Jerusalem": Book Excellence Award for Best Biography 2017.

As the highly respected Feathered Quill Reviews noted: "Helena Schrader’s in-depth stories, fantastic characters, and ability to write an unforgettable tale make her one of the best authors out there!”

For a comprehensive list of awards and more information, please visit her author website.

Reviews

[ariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, I am so glad that someone decided to take a stand for Olbricht that I could clap. He's the most consistently maligned and misunderstood member of the Bomb Plot; a re-assessment of his role has been long overdue. Helena Schrader has done an excellent job in Codename Valkyrie of re-establishing Olbricht's vital role in the Widerstand from the early years of the Nazi regime to the final hours of July 20th, 1944. Based on interviews with survivors, including Olbricht's widow Eva and his son-in-law Friedrich Georgi, as well as critical readings of numerous first- and second-hand sources, Schrader gives us a portrait of a highly sociable, intelligent and dedicated man who was firm in his convictions yet acted with wisdom based on accumulated experience. The caricature of Olbricht as a timid, wavering "desk general" who constantly needed booster-shots of confidence from his energetic and courageous young subordinates doesn't stand up to the testimony of those who knew him and the written evidence, albeit small, that survived the SS purge. Now, here and there a few connections and conclusions felt dubious, if only because the author didn't supply much supporting evidence. For example, the suggestion that Olbricht as head of the General Army Office was in a position to save the members of the White Rose but didn't have enough time to intervene feels like a stretch. Overall, however, Schrader has done her subject justice. And while the prose may not be lyrical it's an easy and accessible read (not to mention one of the few books in English) on a very misunderstood and undervalued historical figure.

A few minor things. I know that this wasn't the object of the book but I would have liked to learn a little more about Eva Olbricht. Her role in her husband's activities sounds as if it were ten paces ahead of that of many of the surviving widows interviewed for Courageous Hearts: Women and the Anti-Hitler Plot of 1944. She seems so interesting! And Haynes needs to do something about this hideous dust jacket. There are some great photos of Olbricht & Co. included in here. Why are we stuck with Mussolini's ugly mug on the cover? Still, I'm pretty happy with this book. Hopefully over time, with more biographies like this one, popular history will finally give Olbricht the credit he deserves.

[Ber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished. I thought i never would be. It does shed a lot of light on the man that was Freidrich Olbricht but it is very biased towards him. Not one fault in the man is mentioned which makes the account a bit unbelievable. I enjoyed the first chapter and the last 3. the rest seemed somthing of a filler, but after this i definitly want to research the 20th july plot in more detail and espcially more on Freidrich Olbricht.