Valkyrie, Directed By Tom Cruise

Gilles Maurice Aguehounde
US History Since 1877
March 13, 2015

Valkyrie by Tom Cruise (2008) Valkyrie is an American-German historical film about the plot to kill Hitler in the year of 1944. It was directed by Bryan Singer for the American Studio United Artists Ceremony and written by Christopher McQuarrie and Nathan Alexander. Bryan Singer is a film director, writer and producer born on September 17, 1965 (49 years old) in New York City, New York, US. This movie has been released in December 25, 2008. It’s referred to the chapter of the World War II. Most of the fact in this film is true about the secret in Germany. One of the key plotters is the famous film stars Tom Cruise. In this movie, he played as the Colonel Von Stauffenberg.
He was born on July 3, 1962 (52 years old) in Syracuse, New York, United States. He is a famous American actor and also a filmmaker. He played in many movies such as Edge of Tomorrow (2014), Jack Reacher (2012), and Erotic thriller Eyes Wide Shut (1999), Rain Man (1988)…
Valkyrie is a film which sum up happened in Germany during the second world war (1 September 1939- 2 September) with Adolf Hitler and his Nazi (National Socialist German Workers Party) Power. Adolf Hitler (20 April1989 – 30 April 1945) is a German politician who made a lot a fear in Germany. Hitler was a lot popular in Europe after attacking the treaty of Versailles and also by expanding the Pan-Germanism, anti-Semitism and anti-communism. Hitler was an Anti-Jewish because for me they were the cause of the capitalism and communism international. According to the plot, Operation Valkyrie was the name associated for the attempt of assassination in July 1944.
This operation even approved by Adolf Hitler and it was that if one day, a problem of communication between the Nazi and Hitler happened because of something like a rebellion or allied bombing German factories or cities resulting in a breakdown in law and order. Hitler didn’t want to end up the war. The Major Claus von Stauffenberg (played by Tom Cruise) was now elected as the leader of the group which was opposed to the Nazy manifestation and rule. In 1942, he decided then to kill Adolf Hitler because Hitler was really inhumane. He executed a lot of Jewish People. It was his time to die and make a change for Germany. Stauffenberg made a group with other person who were in agreement with his decisions. It was Wilhelm Canaris, Carl Goerdeler, Julius Leber, Ulrich Hassell, Hans Oster, Peter von Wartenburg, Henning von Tresckow, Friedrich Olbricht, Werner von Haeften, Fabian Schlabrendorft, Ludwig Beck and Erwin von Witzleben. They were members of the Reserve Army, including few of the Kreisau Circle. They decided together to follow the plan of the major Stauffenberg and modify the operation Valkyrie, so it can be easy to assassinate the general Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering and Heinrich Himmler. After the plan established, some troops went in Berlin to securing the building of the government, the telephones, signal and ration station. Hitler’s death was the
key of the freedom for the soldier, and also the only way to make the peace with the Allies and end the war. Before this attempt of assassination, there were six others tried but never working. It was the first time for Stauffenberg to meet Hitler during a conference, so he put the bomb in his briefcase. The plan was to go out to make a phone call and leave the brief case in the conference room.
The bomb finally exploded at the Wolf’s Lair in Eastern Prussia so the major Stauffengerb went back to Berlin to modify the Operation Valkyrie. From Berlin, the goals of Stauffengerb was meant to spread the news about the death of Hitler throughout Germany and also to inform the Home Army about what had happened during the conference with Adolf and his members. Army was now set free from the hands of Adolf. The Germany was free according to the colonel Stauffenberg. However, everybody was waiting for a confirmation of the death of Hitler.
Late in the afternoon, exactly at 19.00 Hitler sent a message by a state radio to address to the people of Nazi Germany that he was still alive. Hitler just got badly hit on his right hand and four of his men got killed. The plan has failed, and Stauffenberg was reported dead after yelling “Long live holy Germany”. Few months later, the others members of Stauffengers complot and other conspirators got executed too on August 1944 to 1945 at the Plotzensee Prison. An estimation of five thousand German executed during this time by Adolf Hitler. Some leaders were hung and filmed while they were dying slowly as order of Hitler to show to the next one who want to kill him. The last survivor of this plot about Operation Valkyrie was Ewald-Heinrich Von Kleist-Schmenzin. He died in March 2013 at
Munich. I really liked to watch this historical film about the story of Germany. I learn a lot about Germany and the Nazi Movement. It was my first time watching an historical film (true story). This film added a lot of good information to my own knowledge. The World War II was definitely a terrible period for the Jewish and also for the Germans. Hitler also called the “Fuhrer of Germany” was not only a politician-dictator but a killer. He imposed his ideology with his Nazi Movement to the whole world. His death with a lot of doubt was a big alleviation for the humanity. According to some websites, he killed himself with a gun in Berlin when he was inside his bunker on April 30, 1945 and his wife suicide herself by drinking a chemical product called cyanide.

Works Cited Page
Cartwright, Justin, ed. "Secret Germany." The Guardian. TheGuardian, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/jan/10/valkrie-tom-cruise-hitler-plot>.
"Operation Valkyrie." History Learning Story. Historylearningstory, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/operation_valkyrie.htm>.
"World War II Resistance." Jewish Virtual Library. Jewishvirtuallibrary, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/julyplot.html>.