This was a very good reply to many of the replies in this thread.
I had a Political Science teacher in college who went into great detail explaining how the NSDAP was able to manipulate many factors in the times and German culture to rise to power.
After working with many allied soldiers for 20 years, I know how different other nations are from America. It must always be remembered that Germany was not a united nation until 1870, and that Germans had lived in monarchies for hundreds of years.
Valkyrie was a good movie, but it did leave out a lot of context, for the sake of a manageability. These were serious men who struggled with their decision.
I liked Valkyrie as well. Never a dull a moment. I think it went a long way to explain that MANY Germans were opposed the regime in the highest levels of German society.
I liked the film despite Tom Cruise, who I did not think was very credible playing a German military officer. But, this was his project, so there was no getting around him.
Oh, yes, BTW, if Political Science teachers would teach the following:
1) Nationalist Socialists are Nazis.
2) Internationalist Socialists are Communists
3) American Socialists are Democrats.
I think people would see politics a lot more clearly!