Claus Schenk, von Stauffenberg, (no relation--Don Schenk Sr. was in an American scouting battalion at the battle of the buldge, thank you) wasn't a Nazi--in fact, up until the time that he participated in what's called "the Catholic general's plot against Hitler", no member of the German military was allowed to belong to a political party. (The S.S. were civilians who liked to dress up.)

The truth is, as almost always, more complicated than "Nazi yes/no", and not everyone in the German Wehrmacht was a Hitler supporter (unfortunately, these kind of details are completely lost in the US media coverage, including my favorite Colbert report who simply labeled CS a Nazi).

From what I have read, it appears that CS initially was supportive, if not enthused, of aggressive (and I believe also some racist) 3rd Reich policies. He was (and remained to his death) a German nationalist. That is why there often is little appreciation for CS by the German left.

However, I find it even more admirable that he was able to overcome this mindset, and there is no doubt that his dedication to the resistance/plot required a maximum of courage. Most German officers, even the ones who were opposed or skeptical of the 3rd Reich, did reliably obey Hitler's orders, even the criminal ones, due to their authoritarian mindset and their oath they (the whole military) were forced to take on the Fuehrer's person. I personally find it truly admirable that a person could free itself from wrong convictions, in order to fight for what he learned to be the right cause, even in the knowledge of likely being viewed as a traitor by many in his home country.

<link>