While I take a break from Bonhoeffer, here is a first stage post re. my latest project. A portrait of a man who I consider one of my few personal heroes and a man the July 20 Commission and Gestapo accurately called the prime mover and evil spirit behind the plot to assassinate Hitler. A man of courage, morality, honour and action. Hermann Robet Karl “Henning” von Tresckow (January 10, 1901 - July 21, 1944).



From the site of the German Resistance Memorial, a short biography – “von Tresckow volunteered at the age of sixteen and served in the First World War in 1917-18. In 1920, he left the army and took up the study of law. Four years later, he took over his father's estate in the Neumark region only to join the Reichswehr again two years after that. Tresckow was initially skeptical of the Weimar Republic. He completed training for the General Staff and was married to Erika von Falkenhayn, with whom he had two daughters and two sons. He initially welcomed the National Socialist takeover but became increasingly skeptical of Hitler's policies and finally joined the ranks of the resolute opponents to the regime following the November pogroms in 1938. Tresckow strengthened the connections between the military resistance and Ludwig Beck and Carl Goerdeler and assumed a dominant position among the officers of the opposition. He believed it was necessary to "shoot Hitler like a mad dog." For him, the assassination attempt was an act of self-defence and the consequence of a moral obligation. Tresckow succeeded in finding several fellow officers who were prepared to risk their lives to carry out the assassination that they knew to be necessary. Assigned to the command of Army Group G under General Gerd von Rundstedt as a major in 1939, Tresckow was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1940 and transferred as First General Staff Officer (Ia) to Army Group B, which in 1941 was renamed Army Group Center in preparation for the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Tresckow was promoted to colonel in the General Staff in 1942. From mid-1942 on, he repeatedly tried to organize attempts on Hitler's life but these assassination attempts were repeatedly aborted. Tresckow was transferred to the "Führer's reserve" in late July 1943. In Berlin, he used this opportunity to work together with Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg on the "Valkyrie" plans for a coup. In the fall of 1943, Tresckow was transferred to the southern segment of the eastern front, where in late November 1943 he was appointed chief of staff of the 2nd Army. In 1944, now with the rank of major general, he maintained contact with the conspirators although he was unable to be directly involved in the preparing the coup. Immediately before the assassination attempt of July 20, 1944, Tresckow strengthened Stauffenberg's determination to carry out the assassination attempt. When Henning von Tresckow heard that the coup had failed, he took his own life at the front near Ostrów on July 21, 1944.”

As seen in the recent film Valkyrie, Tresckow was the organizer of a successful plot to smuggle two bombs onto Hitler’s personal aircraft for his return trip from a visit to Army Group Centre headquarters on March 13, 1943. The bomb was constructed of captured British plastic explosive and fashioned to look like a gift of Cointreau for an officer at Hitler’s HQ. The bomb’s acid time fuse did fire but the plastic did not ignite, probably due to the extreme cold at high altitude. Unlike the scene in Valkyrie, the bomb was retrieved from the officer who had inadvertently carried it by ADC Lt. Fabian von Schlabrendorff, one of the few survivors of the German Resistance, who went on to write a fascinating memoir.

This well known photo shows Tresckow and his staff (many of whom were conspirators). Schlabrendorff is on the right with glasses.



On March 21, 1943, Tresckow tried again, plotting with Army Group Centre Intelligence Officer Major Rudolf Christoph von Gersdorff to kill Hitler in a suicide bombing while Hitler toured a display of captured Russian war materiel at the Berlin Armoury during a service on Heroes Memorial Day. Hitler apparently detected something was amiss and sped through the exhibit, leaving by a side door and causing Gersdorff to race to the loo to successfully deactivate his bombs. Gersdorff also survived the war, earning a Knight’s Cross at Falaise. Gersdorff can be seen in the following photo standing to the right of Karl Doenitz and to the left of Keitel - how would history have been changed had Hitler spent the appropriate time in the exhibit and Gersdorff's plan succeeded?


Tresckow committed suicide on July 21 with a rifle grenade held to his head after learning of the failure of Valkyrie. His stated rationale was to avoid torture and implicating others involved in the conspiracy. Per Schlabrendorff, his last words were:

"The whole world will vilify us now, but I am still totally convinced that we did the right thing. Hitler is the archenemy not only of Germany but of the world. When, in few hours' time, I go before God to account for what I have done and left undone, I know I will be able to justify what I did in the struggle against Hitler. God promised Abraham that He would not destroy Sodom if only ten righteous men could be found in the city, and so I hope for our sake God will not destroy Germany. No one among us can complain about dying, for whoever joined our ranks put on the shirt of Nessus. A man's moral worth is established only at the point where he is ready to give his life in defence of his convictions."

After D-Day and prior to July 20, Stauffenberg asked Tresckow if the attempt on Hitler should still be made. He responded:

"The assassination must be attempted at all costs. Even if it should not succeed, an attempt to seize power in Berlin must be made. What matters now is no longer the practical purpose of the coup, but to prove to the world and for the records of history that the men of the resistance dared to take the decisive step. Compared to this objective, nothing else is of consequence."

Tresckow knew the plot would likely fail, noting:

"It is almost certain that we will fail. But how will future history judge the German people if not even a handful of men had the courage to put an end to that criminal?"

In recent years, Tresckow's reputation has been attacked by revisionist German historians out to make a name for themselves. Documents found in various archives show that Tresckow was aware of the genocidal activities of Einsatzgruppe B, then deployed behind Army Gruppe Centre, and they indicate that he initialed reports showing the numbers of murders committed and that he may have signed orders providing army logistical support to the SS. Duh! As primary staff officer to the Army Group, he was clearly in the know on local intelligence and was required to provide support based on OKW orders. The knowledge of SS crimes was a major driver in him trying to kill Hitler.

Tresckow has been effectively portrayed by Ulrich Tukur and by Kenneth Brannagh in the most recent film versions of the July 20 bomb plot.

Colin

Started him this morning and still lots to do. His face is too angular and there is a lot of smoothing and sanding to come. Small revisions to lips etc, adding ears and hair.

Colin

Interesting read Colin.

I think you could round his chin a bit as seen from the side. And my impression is his forehead should be a bit flatter and larger. Just a quick first impression.

Good luck!

Adrian

Thanks Adrian. Very useful and I think I agree....adding these observations to the review list.

Colin

Another challenging undertaking, my friend. I hope you find a sense of flow with this project so you are able to progress further than the last one. I know when you hit a wall like that the project can die on the vine... fingers crossed for the health and success of this one.
As usual, your background story is very eyeopening for novices in this historical epoch... like myself

Hope you have some decent results for us to see at the next meeting.

Cheers

Colin

Nice start and great background literature Colin.
I'm locked on to this one.
Cheers,
Keith

Good luck with this

This morning's work. Still a lot of cleanup. My nostrils are too flared for eg. The ears are sculpey firm as it is more durable and takes drilling with a dremel better. Also an image of an art bust of Tresckow I found online (eyes are too big IMO).






Colin

Excellent start on an interesting subject. I am interested to follow along and learn from your technique. What is the base reddish material that you are using?
John

John - thanks. It's sculpey oven bake polymer clay. The grey is sculpey firm, same material but stronger.

Cheers

Colin

Some nose and chin surgery. Fine tuning progresses.



I found Tresckow's Truppenausweiss (ID) in a photo on another forum of an exhibit of July 20 memorabilia in Dresden last year. Excellent resource for his hair and eye colour - blonde and blue.



Colin

Hello Colin, A very interesting project, and very interesting man. You, and I have disscussed Valkyrie, and the July 20th bomb plot before, so I know how compelled you feel towards all the main characters who were involved. I like your start to Tresckow so far. The likeness will be even closer once you make the adjustments you mentioned. Best of luck to you. Regards, SG

Great start Colin. The nose and chin look much better. Maybe it's the angle of the pics, but Tresckow's face seems very thin through the cheeks and lower jawline, especially in the sculpture. Maybe a slight 'shaving' of that area? Again it may just be the pics.
I really see "Red" Foreman from "That 70's Show" Maybe I should watch less TV

Keep up the great work my friend

Colin

More mouth, nose and forehead tweaking. Nice thing about sculpey is you can add material and smooth it on with a brush wet with clay softener.

Colin

Undercoated - the rest of the bust will be Magicsculpt over a core of sculpey. Started yesterday morning. I may start another personality portrait rather than push on with Tresckow's bust right now as I am missing some necessary materials.





Colin

Thanks Carl. I am finding etched and character filled faces like Canaris are a lot easier to capture than gentler softer faces like Tresckow and Bonhoeffer. On the good side I am learning a lot.

Next up - a WWI centenary project inspired by John Ballard's WWI portraits. Canadian generalissimo Sir Arthur Currie.

Colin

He's probably your least likely looking soldier - looks more like a banker or head master. But I get to sculpt a fur coat!

Colin