Hitler was not an allied assassination target during WW2

[Skeptic]

The SOE began planning Operation Foxley in 1944 despite some opposition from within their ranks. Some people argued it was better to leave Hitler alive as he was making so many blunders.

There is an often quoted comment that the allies did not seriously try to kill Hitler during the war, as he was making so many mistake that he was best left alive. It was also argued that his continual interference in military planning, against the advice of his career generals, meant that they only made plans they felt he would agree to.
But how true are these ideas. It seems plausible that if Hitler was killed, Germany might have tried to seek peace, at least with the west.

But it's a known fact that he WAS targeted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_20_plot

[Mycroft]

But that was not an allied plot; it was purely German in origen. There were several plans to assassinate Hitler and other prominent Nazis, but the only assassination carried out was that of Reinhard Heydrich in 1942. There were massive relatiations locally, and this is probably why no further assassination schemes got beyond the planning stage in Europe.
There were fears of an assassination attempt on Roosevelt and Churchill during the Casablance Conference, as there was known to be activity be german agents in the area.
Military operations were aimed at specific enemy senior officers, including the successful attack on Admiral Yamamoto and an unsuccessful attack on General Rommel

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by Dobers

But it's a known fact that he WAS targeted.

This was a purely German attempt, with no input from the Allies.

[RealityChuck]

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

[snopes]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

Really? The Allies took no German POWs during the war?

- snopes

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing?

In a dictatorship, that's the safest bet.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/

[UEL]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

The allies did have Rudolf Hess. If you've got an important enemy like him sitting in your cells, you've got a pretty good insight into what is going on in the other side.

[BamaRainbow]

Originally Posted by UEL

The allies did have Rudolf Hess. If you've got an important enemy like him sitting in your cells, you've got a pretty good insight into what is going on in the other side.

Well, there's the minor problem that Hess was captured by the British in 1941. Hess wouldn't really have had much insight into Hitler's military planning for the last 4 years of the war.
If the Brits thought that Hess's insight was really that good, they wouldn't have needed to wait for the Japanese to get the US involved in the War.

[Troberg]

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

It's fair to assume that they had their best military analysts picking apart every event for clues.

Basically, the following order of importance holds true in any conflict (least important first):

1. What is happening?
2. Why is it happening?
3. What is really happening?
4. Why is that happening?

1 allows you to react. 2 allows you to be prepared to react. 3 allows you to act. 4 allows you to act preemptively.

You can bet that they tried to peel that onion on every piece of information they got.

That said, I would have tried to assassinate Hitler if I was in charge, for the simple reason that the entire nazi system was a cult of personality. Remove that personality, and the system would be dealt a hard blow, even if a more competent man would follow, such as Dönitz.

[Ravenhull]

I remember that the sequal to The Dirty Dozen (lets not get into the [alledged] qualilties of that flick) had the team formed to go in and prevent to assassination of Hitler for the same reasons as above.

[Dr. Winston O'Boogie]

Originally Posted by Troberg

That said, I would have tried to assassinate Hitler if I was in charge, for the simple reason that the entire nazi system was a cult of personality. Remove that personality, and the system would be dealt a hard blow, even if a more competent man would follow, such as Dönitz.

But by removing the personality from the cult, you create a martyr. Would JFK have been viewed the same way historically if he had not been assasinated?

[Skeptic]

Originally Posted by RealityChuck

How did the allies know the blunders were Hitler's doing? They had no access to the German war deliberations.

1. Decrypted radio traffic. This continued for most of the war, and there are cases where messages to Hitler were read by the Allies before they even got to him.
2. Interviews with higher ranking POWs, although they might not provide reliable information all the time.
3. Bugging the cells of POW officers' quarters. (Routinely carried out).
4. Defectors
5. Spies

[jimmy101_again]

... it was better to leave Hitler alive as he was making so many blunders.

So, GWB should feel fairly safe from an assasination attempt from terrorists?