162. Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg became known for …

Answer options

1. a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games.
2. the construction of the Reichstag building.
3. the build-up of the Wehrmacht.
4. the assassination attempt on Hitler on 20 July 1944.

Explanation

Stauffenberg is emblematic of the military resistance to the Nazi regime; the 20 July 1944 attack was part of the coup plan “Operation Valkyrie,” intended to end National Socialist rule and restore a constitutional, rule-of-law order. Though prosecuted as high treason under Nazi criminal law, in the Federal Republic it is regarded as legitimate resistance to an unjust regime. The Basic Law draws lessons from this history: Article 20(4) of the Basic Law (Grundgesetz, GG) codifies a right of resistance against anyone seeking to abolish the free democratic basic order, and the Bundeswehr’s Tradition Decrees make 20 July a key reference for soldiers’ ethics.