Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg

Claus Philipp Maria Justinian Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg (German: [ˈklaʊs fɔn ˈʃtaʊfn̩bɛʁk] ; 15 November 1907 – 21 July 1944) was a German army officer who is best known for his failed attempt on 20 July 1944 to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, part of Operation Valkyrie.

Born into the ancient House of Stauffenberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Stauffenberg took part in the invasion of Poland, the 1941–42 invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa and the Tunisian campaign, during which he was severely wounded, losing his left eye, right hand, and two fingers from his left hand. Alongside Major Generals Henning von Tresckow and Hans Oster, he became a key figure in the German resistance to Nazism within the Wehrmacht. Stauffenberg was central to the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler and Operation Valkyrie, a plan to arrest the Nazi leadership following Hitler's death and negotiate an end to the Second World War.

On 20 July 1944, Stauffenberg's assassination attempt failed; the explosive he had placed only dealt Hitler minor injuries. The conspirators were arrested, and many of them executed, including Stauffenberg on the day after the attempt. His wife Nina was also arrested, giving birth to their fifth child Konstanze while imprisoned. Their children also included Berthold, who followed in his father's footsteps as a military man, and politician Franz-Ludwig.