Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About General Chang

Chang's role in the assassination of Chancellor Gorkon and the subsequent attempted slaying of the Federation President are mirror images of Claus von Stauffenberg. The real-life German officer who attempted to assassinate Hitler and overthrow the Nazi government during the final months of World War II.

The main difference here (aside from, y'know, them all being aliens and whatnot) being that Chang was successful in his attempt to kill the leader of the Empire, while von Stauffenberg was not. Their motives, however, are almost identical.

Both men conspired to remove their superiors from power. For von Stauffenberg, killing Hitler was an attempt to show the rest of the world that Nazism and Germany were not one and the same, and he took part in Operation Valkyrie to prove his patriotism and remove the mad man from power. Chang, in his own way, was also acting out of a sense of patriotism.

One of the most consistent fears by opponents of the Khitomer accords was the dilution of the Klingon people and the decline of their influence. Gorkon, in engaging the Federation with peace talks, was acting against the will of many of his military advisors. While the conspiracy reached across borders, Gorkon was killed due to the actions of his own men.

The difference between Chang and his inspiration lies in their legacies. Von Stauffenberg failed in his attempt and was executed, though is now regarded as a German hero. Chang succeeded in having Gorkon killed, but was remembered as a traitor and war mongerer.