We had a plan, a plot but then began to worry,
We light the fuse but it started to cough,
Whispered, “Tonight?” but there was no hurry
Then decided, “let’s call the whole thing off.”

We packed a bomb but started shaking,
We signed our names on the molotov,
We swore our country was not for taking,
But once again, “let’s call the whole thing off.”

Canaris schemed, and started to stutter,
The “spirit of Zossen” made Halder scoff,
Smelled the Gestapo behind the shutter,
“Let’s burn the files and call the whole thing off.”

From Munich nights to Stauffenberg’s thunder,
Each bold “Tonight!” turned into “Not enough,”
They feared defeat almost more than blunder—
And so they called the whole thing off.

You want to hear this as a lovely show tune, right?

The “Black Orchestra” (Schwarze Kapelle) was the Gestapo’s codename for a secret network of German military officers, diplomats, and civilians who plotted to overthrow Adolf Hitler. The Black Orchestra’s goal was the total destruction of the Nazi regime from within.

The Black Orchestra was not a traditional spy ring but a loosely organised conspiracy that used key positions in the Abwehr (German military intelligence) as a cover. Members of the group actively worked to sabotage the war effort by leaking troop movements to the Allies, feeding Hitler false information, and trying to warn the world about the Holocaust.

Despite early pleas for help before the war, the Allies refused to deal with them, viewing all Germans as enemies. After the failed Stauffenberg assassination attempt, where Hitler survived with only minor injuries, a brutal wave of reprisals followed. Thousands were arrested, and many of the Black Orchestra’s leaders were hanged or shot, often in the most horrific manner.

Today’s Daily Stoic poem:

A Higher Pleasure

Nothing so pleasing as wisdom itself
Be careful what you wish for
Some other pleasures are powerful magic
That leave us wanting more