Helmuth James von Moltke was one of the co-founders of the Kreisau Circle during World War II. The Kreisau Circle consisted of individuals who were interested in a better Germany post-Hitler, regardless of current affiliation. The main goal of the group was to develop a plan for a new, but strong government that would be ready to execute once Hitler was defeated. They were ready for German recovery. Their guiding principle was that “man had the right to work and own property…without regard to race, nationality or belief (Hoffman).”
There were a wide variety of members of various backgrounds: land-owning aristocracy, the Foreign Office, Civil Service, the Old Social Democratic Party, and the Church. Members of the Kreisau Circle included Carlo Mierendorff, Julus Leber, Bishop Preysing, Bishop Wurm, Peter Yorck von Wartenburg, Adam von Trott, Adolf Reichwein, Wilhelm Leuschner, Karl Ludwig von Guttenburg, and Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg, all of them providing important contributions to the discussions and ideas of the group. However, one must consider as well that even though there were numerous members, the Kreisau Circle only met a few times and not all the members were present in Moltke’s house or Yorck’s home in Berlin.
Carlo Mierendorff was a journalist who became a politician during the war and was considered the political leader of the group. He mainly focused on social policy and was able to help find middle ground between the socialist and Catholic viewpoints within the Circle. Unfortunately, he died in an Allied bombing of Leipzig in 1943. Julius Leber quickly took over Mierendorff’s role within the group as the political connection the government. The two church contacts were Bishop Preysing and Bishop Wurm. They were involved in the discussions of how church and state would work together, and how much of a separation there would be if any, after the demise of Hitler.
The other co-founder of the Kreisau Circle was Peter Yorck von Wartenburg. He worked in the war office and opposed the Kreisau Circle’s non-violent principles because he was planning assassination attempts with others in the military. Once Moltke was arrested and sentenced to death, Wartenburg participated in the 20th of July assassination attempt and, consequently, was arrested and executed. Adam von Trott was also a member who was a diplomat working for the Foreign Ministry. He used his travels as an opportunity to gain Allied support for the Resistance as well as spreading his own ideas of post-war Germany.
Adolf Reichwein was a philosopher, educator, and intellect that worked at the Folklore Museum since the Nazi’s forced him to leave his teaching job. He had a large network of socialist Resistance contacts, which were significant to the Kreisau Circle. Reichwein worked closely with Julius Leber and he was the connection that brought Carlo Mierendorff and Wilhelm Leuschner to the group. Wilhelm Leuschner was the oldest of the members in the Kreisau Circle and had the experience of already being in the German camps when the German Trade Union Congress was shut down. He dealt mostly with finding understandings between the left and right wing groups when the Kreissau Circle was drafting their constitution.
Karl Ludwig von Guttenburg was a member that joined to oppose the regime and was able to provide important connections to two Munich Jesuits, Augustin Rösch, and Alfred Delp. These two Priests influenced Moltke in his decision not to kill Hitler believing that violence only bred more violence. Moltke was very concerned with doing what was right for humanity and was known for his Christian values. He believed that “how the picture of man can be restored in the hearts of our fellow-citizens (Manvell)” would occur by reducing violence and doing what was morally right. Delp was significant to Moltke because he found out the possibilities of Catholic support for the new, post-Nazi Germany.
Fritz-Dietlof von der Schulenburg belonged to the group, but he was more skeptical of the discussions that occurred. He worked in administrative departments in Berlin, so he was able to provide vital information to the group. He believed that Hitler should be ‘removed’ and a temporary military government would replace Hitler. Then a new government could start being worked on. He didn’t think the Kreissau Circle’s plan for the post-Nazi government would not be strong enough to be implemented right away. He didn’t think they built enough concrete and practical plans as opposed to their more philosophical, idealistic ideas.
Essentially, all the members of the Kreissau Circle served a significant purpose to the political opposition of Nazi Germany. It was a loosely knit group that relied on trust and the common goal of a post-Nazi era in Germany. Moltke did not bring all these members together, but rather he brought members who had additional contacts, and ultimately connected various backgrounds together for the sake of Germany.
Works Cited
“German Resistance Memorial Center – Biographie.” German Resistance Memorial Center – Biographie. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2014.
Gill, Anton. An Honorable Defeat: A History of German Resistance to Hitler, 1933-45. New York: H. Holt, 1994. Print.
Hoffmann, Peter. The History of the German Resistance, 1933-1945. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 1977. Print.
Manvell, Roger, and Heinrich Fraenkel. The Men Who Tried to Kill Hitler. New York: Coward-McCann, 1964. Print.
“The Activities of the Kreisau Circle in Nazi Germany.” By Frances Smith. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2014.