Cruise, Controversy and Nazis in Berlin

Swastika flags have been flying high over Berlin in recent days, and Nazi uniforms are once more marching imperialistically through the city. No wonder then that Tom Cruise's new film, Valkyrie is causing quite a controversy.

The legacy of the Nazis is one Germany is all too keen to forget, however in this particular story from World War II it is in fact a German who is the hero for once. Valkyrie is the story of Claus Schenk von Stauffenberg, a German aristocrat who saw Hitler as the evil madman that he was and organised and led the most famous attempt on Hitler's life.

A soldier in the German Army, Stauffenberg rose to the rank of Lieutenant and was awarded the Iron Cross, however he was increasingly appalled by the Nazi's inhuman policies and after being seriously wounded in Africa began to plot against the Fuhrer as he recovered in a Munich hospital.

Upon recovery he was positioned as Chief of Staff in Berlin, giving him the precious access to Hitler which would enable him to act. In 1944 Stauffenberg courageously took it upon himself to plant the bomb in Hitler's bunker that would enable the resistance movement to seize power from the Nazis. The bomb detonated but amazingly didn't kill Hitler (four others in the room died) and Stauffenberg was caught, tried and executed shortly afterwards.

Whether the course of history would be much changed if Stauffenberg had succeeded is an interesting point to debate. The holocaust had already happened, and millions of Jews had been sent to their death in concentration camps. Meanwhile the Red Army was advancing and the German's had all but lost the war already. What Stauffenberg did achieve, was show (albeit late in the day) that not everyone in Germany agreed with Hitler - a crucial factor in post-war Europe when untold evils had to be repaired.

Valkyrie is set to put Stauffenberg's amazing story on celluloid, although apart from controversially recreating Nazi Berlin to do so, Cruise has upset several Germans by accepting the lead role of one of their only national heroes from this dark time. Cruise's associations with Scientology, generally considered a predatory cult in Germany, means the actor is not the most popular of Hollywood's exports. In fact Stauffenberg's son himself has voiced his displeasure at Cruise playing his father.