ABSTRACT
On 31 October 1944, Germans turned on their radios and unexpectedly heard the voice of a man believed to have been dead for more than three months—either killed by his own hands, as their government claimed, or murdered by the Nazis, as it was rumored in the country. However, the speaker, who identified himself as Colonel General Ludwig Beck, the former Chief of Staff of the German Army, claimed to have survived the purge following the failed attempt on Hitler's life. He also claimed to remain in command of a strong anti-Nazi resistance movement. Appealing to their sense of duty and patriotism, the General told his listeners that the war was criminal folly and urged them to prepare for the final revolt against Nazi rule.
