Hitler’s Grip on Power Slipping as Shots Ring Out in Forest

Berlin, June 21, 1934 – The German capital is abuzz with whispers of a brewing revolution, one that threatens to topple the rule of Nazi chieftain Adolf Hitler. The seeds of turmoil were sown on June 20, when shots rang out in a forest near Schorfhelde, striking Heinrich Himmler, chief of the secret state police, as he traveled to attend the reburial of the remains of a German war hero. The attack has sent shockwaves through the highest echelons of power, with Hitler and President Paul von Hindenburg convening an emergency meeting at the latter’s summer home in Neudeck to discuss the crisis. It marks a turning point in Hitler’s tenure, as the once- invincible leader faces the gravest challenge to his authority since assuming power.