New Books in History Danny Orbach, "Plots Against Hitler" (Mariner, 2016)
Oct 23, 2025
Danny Orbach, a Senior Lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and author, dives deep into the world of those who plotted against Hitler. He reveals the complex motivations behind German resistance, including their moral ambiguities and the gripping history of their conspiratorial networks. Discover how lone wolves like Georg Elser operated, why pivotal events in 1938 shaped military opposition, and the daring details of the July 20 plot. Orbach reflects on the legacy of these resisters, emphasizing the challenges they faced and the bravery required to stand against tyranny.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Resistance Motives Were Complex
- Popular accounts misrepresent the German resistance as opportunistic or uniformly villainous.
- Danny Orbach shows the resistors' motives were complex, moral and patriotic in varying mixes.
Why The Army Harbored Resistance
- Effective opposition in Nazi Germany came mainly from groups the regime least expected: conservative elites and the army.
- Mass popular resistance was impossible because most Germans supported the regime and the police state crushed organized opposition.
Georg Elser's Near Success
- Georg Elser, a lone carpenter-watchmaker, built a sophisticated bomb and almost killed Hitler in 1939.
- Orbach uses Elser to illustrate lone-wolf plots' high secrecy but heavy dependence on luck.
