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Wehrmacht

The straight-armed Balkenkreuz, a stylized version of the Iron Cross, the emblem of the Wehrmacht. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia
Active 1935–1945
Country Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Size 18. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers 2 Million
Patron Adolf Hitler
March Goose-Step
Engagements World War II
Commanders
Notable
commanders		 Adolf Hitler
Insignia
Identification
symbol		 Balkenkreuz
A decal for the helmets of the Wehrmacht (model 1942).
A decal for the helmets of the Wehrmacht (model 1942). Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Der Stechschritt (literally piercing step) commonly known in English speaking countries as " the Goose-Step World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately

Wehrmacht (listen) (help·info) (literally "defense force") was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. It consisted of the Wehrmacht Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force). The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( An army (from Latin Armata "act of arming" via Old French armée) in the broadest sense is the land-based Armed forces The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. An air force, also known in some countries as an air army or historically an army air corps, is in the broadest sense the national military or armed service The Waffen-SS, an initially small paramilitary section of Heinrich Himmler's Allgemeine SS that grew to nearly a million strong during World War II, was not officially part of the Wehrmacht, but subject to OKW, OKH, as well as Field Command. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" Heinrich Luitpold Himmler ( 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945 was a Nazi German politician and head of the Schutzstaffel (SS. The Allgemeine SS (German for "General SS" literally "Universal SS" was the biggest SS branch in terms of members World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 Thus, the Waffen-SS was, de facto, a fourth branch of the Wehrmacht. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron"

Contents

Origin and use of the terms

Before the rise of the NSDAP, the term Wehrmacht was used in a generic sense to describe armed forces of any nation, being utilized as the "home defense" version of the more general Streitmacht. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 For example, the term 'Britische Wehrmacht' would identify the British armed forces. Article 47 of the Weimar Constitution of 1919 declared "Der Reichspräsident hat den Oberbefehl über die gesamte Wehrmacht des Reiches" (meaning: "The Reichspräsident holds supreme command of all armed forces of the Reich"). For a detailed discussion of the English translation of Reich, see Reich. To make a distinction, the term Reichswehr was commonly used to identify the German armed forces. The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was

In 1935, the Reichswehr was renamed Wehrmacht. After World War II and under the Allied occupation of Germany, the Wehrmacht was abolished. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including When West Germany remilitarized in 1955, its newly-created armed forces became known as the Bundeswehr ("Federal Defence Force"). West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany East Germany's armed forces, formally established in 1956, were known as the National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee). The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state History The creation of the National People’s Army on March 1, 1956, six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr, followed years When East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) was incorporated into West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) in 1990, much of the Volksarmee property and some of the staff were also incorporated into the Bundeswehr. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Hence the term Wehrmacht customarily refers to Germany's armed forces during the NSDAP era and World War II, both in German and English. The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Note: It is incorrect to equate Wehrmacht with only the army (Wehrmacht Heer). The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( For Service identification all Wehrmacht vehicles used by Heer, Luftwaffe or Kriegsmarine units had license plates with WH, WL or WM.

History

After World War I ended with the armistice of 11 November 1918, the armed forces were dubbed Friedensheer (peace army) in January 1919. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The armistice treaty between the Allies and Germany was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on November 11, 1918 In March 1919, the national assembly passed a law founding a 420,000 strong preliminary army as Vorläufige Reichswehr. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles were announced in May, and in June Germany was forced to sign the contract which, among other terms, imposed severe constraints on the size of Germany's armed forces. The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. The army was limited to one hundred thousand men with an additional fifteen thousand in the navy. The fleet was to consist of at most six battleships, six cruisers, and twelve destroyers. A battleship is a large heavily armored Warship with a main battery consisting of the largest Calibre of Guns Battleships were A cruiser is a large type of Warship, which had its prime period from the late 19th century to the end of the Cold War. In naval terminology a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance Warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, Convoy Submarines, tanks and heavy artillery were forbidden and the air force was dissolved. A submarine is a Watercraft that can operate independently below water as distinct from a Submersible that has only limited underwater capability A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical Artillery (from French artillerie) is a military Combat Arm which employs any apparātus machine A new post-war military (the Reichswehr) was established on 23 March 1921. The Reichswehr ( German for "National Defence" formed the military organisation of Germany from 1919 until 1935 when it was Events 1174 - Jocelin, Abbot of Melrose, is elected Bishop of Glasgow. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar General conscription was abolished under another mandate of the Versailles treaty. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority

By 1922 Germany had begun covertly circumventing these conditions. A secret collaboration with the Soviet Union began after the treaty of Rapallo. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 See also Treaty of Rapallo 1920 The Treaty of Rapallo was an agreement made in the Italian town of Rapallo on April 16 Major-General Otto Hasse traveled to Moscow in 1923 to further negotiate the terms. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Germany helped the Soviet Union with industrialisation and Soviet officers were to be trained in Germany. German tank and air force specialists could exercise in the Soviet Union and German chemical weapons research and manufacture would be carried out there along with other projects. Around three hundred German pilots received training at Lipetsk, some tank training took place near Kazan and toxic gas was developed at Saratov for the German army. Lipetsk (Ли́пецк is a city located in the Central Federal District of Russia. Kazan (Каза́нь Казан tt Qazan) is the capital city of the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, and one of Russia's largest cities History The Legend of Saratov Gelonus, a legendary Scythian city and the northernmost Greek colony may be conjectured to have been situated in the locality

After the death of President Paul von Hindenburg on 2 August 1934, Hitler assumed the office of Reichspräsident, and thus became commander in chief. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 Events 338 BC - A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. All officers and soldiers of the German armed forces had to swear a personal oath of loyalty to the Führer, as Adolf Hitler now was called. The term Hitler oath refers to the oaths of allegiance sworn by German Wehrmacht officers and soldiers as well Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately By 1935, Germany was openly flouting the military restrictions set forth in the Versailles Treaty, and conscription was reintroduced on 16 March 1935. Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority Events 597 BC - Babylonians capture Jerusalem, replace Jehoiachin with Zedekiah as king Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. While the size of the standing army was to remain at about the 100,000-man mark decreed by the treaty, a new group of conscripts equal to this size would receive training each year. The conscription law introduced the name Wehrmacht, so not only can this be regarded as its founding date, but the organisation and authority of the Wehrmacht can be viewed as Nazi creations regardless of the political affiliations of its high command (who nevertheless all swore the same personal oath of loyalty to Hitler). The insignia was a simpler version of the Iron Cross (the straight-armed so-called Balkenkreuz or beamed cross) that had been used as an aircraft and tank marking in late World War I. For other meanings please see Iron Cross (disambiguation The Iron Cross ( was a Military decoration of the Kingdom of Prussia World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The existence of the Wehrmacht was officially announced on October 15 1935.

Numbers

The total number of soldiers who served in the Wehrmacht during its existence from 1935 until 1945 is believed to approach 18. 2 million. This figure was put forward by historian Rüdiger Overmans and represents the total number of people who ever served in the Wehrmacht, and not the force strength of the Wehrmacht at any point. About 2. 3 million Wehrmacht soldiers were dead; 550,000 died from non-combat causes; 2. 0 million missing in action and unaccounted for after the war; and 459,000 POW deaths, of whom 77,000 were in the custody of the U. S. , UK, and France; POW dead includes 266,000 in the post war period after June 1945, primarily in Soviet captivity.

Command structure

Legally, the Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht was Adolf Hitler in his capacity as Germany's head of state, a position he gained after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934. A commander-in-chief is the Commander of a nation's Military forces or significant element of those forces Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state President is a Title leaders of Organizations companies, Trade unions universities, and countries. Paul Ludwig Hans Anton von Beneckendorff und von Hindenburg ( known universally as Paul von Hindenburg ( ( October 2, 1847 &ndash August 2 In the reshuffle in 1938, Hitler became the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces and retained that position until his suicide on 30 April 1945. Events 313 - Roman emperor Licinius unifies the entire Eastern Roman Empire under his rule Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Administration and military authority initially lay with the war ministry under Generalfeldmarschall Werner von Blomberg. Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Werner Eduard Fritz von Blomberg (2 September 1878 - 14 March 1946 was a leading member of the German Army until January 1938 After von Blomberg resigned in the course of the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair (1938) the ministry was dissolved and the Armed Forces High Command (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW) under Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel was put in its place. The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair (also known as Blomberg-Fritsch-Krise or Blomberg-Fritsch crisis) were two related scandals in early 1938 that resulted in the subjugation For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) It was headquartered in Wünsdorf near Zossen, and a field echelon (Feldstaffel) was stationed wherever the Führer's headquarters were situated at a given time. Zossen is a German town in the district of Teltow-Fläming in Brandenburg, south of Berlin, and next to the B96 highway. Army work was also coordinated by the German General Staff, an institution that had been developing for more than a century and which had sought to institutionalize military excellence. The German General Staff ( Großer Generalstab literally Great General Staff) was an institution whose rise and development gave the German military a decided

The OKW coordinated all military activities but Keitel's sway over the three branches of service (army, air force, and navy) was rather limited. Each had its own High Command, known as Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH, army), Oberkommando der Marine (OKM, navy), and Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL, air force). The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 The Oberkommando der Marine (or OKM for short was Germany 's Naval High Command until 1945 The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL was the air force High Command of the Third Reich. Each of these high commands had its own general staff. In practice the OKW had operational authority over the Western Front whereas the Eastern Front was under the operational authority of the OKH.

Flag for the Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces (1935-1938).
Flag for the Commander-in-Chief of the German Armed Forces (1935-1938).
Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces - Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (1938 to 1945)
Chief of the Operations Staff (Wehrmachtführungsstab) - Colonel-General Alfred Jodl
Army Commanders-in-Chief
Colonel-General Werner von Fritsch (1935 to 1938)
Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch (1938 to 1941)
Führer and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1941 to 1945)
Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner (1945)
Chief of Staff of the German Army
General Ludwig Beck (1935 to 1938)
General Franz Halder (1938 to 1942)
General Kurt Zeitzler (1942 to 1944)
General Oberst Heinz Guderian (1944 to 1945)
General Hans Krebs (1945, committed suicide in the Führer Bunker)
Navy Commanders-in-Chief
Grand Admiral Erich Raeder (1928 to 1943)
Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (1943 to 1945)
General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg (1945)
Air Force Commanders-in-Chief
Reich Marshal Hermann Göring (until 1945)
Field Marshal Robert Ritter von Greim (1945)

The OKW was also tasked with central economic planning and procurement, but the authority and influence of the OKW's war economy office (Wehrwirtschaftsamt) was challenged by the procurement offices (Waffenämter) of the single branches of service as well as by the Ministry for Armament and Munitions (Reichsministerium für Bewaffnung und Munition), into which it was merged after the ministry was taken over by Albert Speer in early 1942. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 Colonel General is a senior Military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries Werner Freiherr (Baron von Fritsch ( 4 August 1880 &ndash 22 September 1939) was a prominent Wehrmacht officer member of the Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Heinrich Alfred Hermann Walther von Brauchitsch ( 4 October 1881 &ndash 18 October 1948) was an aristocratic German field The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Ferdinand Schörner ( 12 June, 1892 - July 2, 1973; also Schoerner) was a General and later Field Marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall Ludwig August Theodor Beck (29 June 1880 &ndash 21 July 1944 was a German General and the Chief of the General Staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres Franz Ritter Halder ( June 30 1884 &ndash April 2 1972) was a German General and the head of the Army General Kurt Zeitzler ( June 9, 1895 &ndash September 25, 1963) was an officer in the German Reichswehr Heinz Wilhelm Guderian ( 17 June, 1888 – 14 May, 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German Hans Krebs may refer to Hans Krebs (general (1898-1945 German general officer during World War II Hans Krebs (National Socialist The Oberkommando der Marine (or OKM for short was Germany 's Naval High Command until 1945 Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Erich Johann Albert Raeder ( April 24, 1876 – November 6, 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during Grand Admiral is a historic naval rank generally being the highest such rank present in any particular country Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served General Admiral was a Danish Dutch German Russian and Spanish naval rank. Hans-Georg von Friedeburg ( July 15, 1895 – May 23, 1945) was the deputy commander of the U-Boat Forces of Nazi Germany The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL was the air force High Command of the Third Reich. Reichsmarschall (Marshal of the Empire or Imperial Marshal in English) was the highest rank in the Armed forces of Nazi Germany during Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Field Marshal General, in German Generalfeldmarschall ( (usually translated simply as Field marshal, and sometimes written only as Feldmarschall Robert Ritter von Greim (Robert Greim 22 June, 1892 &ndash 24 May, 1945) was a German Field Marshal, pilot Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer, commonly known as Albert Speer ( 19 March 1905 - 1 September 1981 was an Architect, author and for part of World

War years

Army

Main article: Wehrmacht Heer

The German Army furthered concepts pioneered during the First World War, combining ground (Heer) and Air Force (Luftwaffe) assets into combined arms teams. The Heer was the land forces component of the German armed forces ( Wehrmacht) from 1935 to 1945, which also included the Navy ( Coupled with traditional war fighting methods such as encirclements and the "battle of annihilation", the German military managed many lightning quick victories in the first year of the Second World War, prompting foreign journalists to create a new word for what they witnessed: Blitzkrieg. Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war" is a popular name for an Offensive operational-level Military doctrine which involves an initial

The Heer entered the war with a minority of its formations motorized; infantry remained approximately 90% foot-borne throughout the war, and artillery primarily horse-drawn. The motorized formations received much attention in the world press in the opening years of the war, and were cited as the reason for the success of the German invasions of Poland (September 1939), Norway and Denmark (April 1940), Belgium, France and Netherlands (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941) and the early campaigns in the Soviet Union (June 1941).

With the entry of the United States in December 1941, the Wehrmacht found itself engaged in campaigns against two major industrial powers. At this critical juncture, Hitler assumed personal control of the Wehrmacht high command, and his personal failings as a military commander arguably contributed to major defeats in early 1943, at Stalingrad and Tunis in North Africa.

The Panzerjäger-Abteilung 39 ('Tank-hunter battalion 39', part of "Kampfgruppe Gräf", part of the 21. Panzer Division) of the Afrika Korps on the move.
The Panzerjäger-Abteilung 39 ('Tank-hunter battalion 39', part of "Kampfgruppe Gräf", part of the 21. Panzer Division) of the Afrika Korps on the move. The German Afrikakorps ( German: Deutsches Afrikakorps DAK) was the original German blocking force (Sperrverband = Armored Blocking Force in Libya

The Germans' military strength was managed through mission-based tactics (rather than order-based tactics) and an almost proverbial discipline. Mission-type tactics ( German: Auftragstaktik, from Auftrag and Taktik" also known as Mission Command in the US have (arguably been a central In public opinion, the German Army was, and sometimes still is, seen as a high-tech army. However, such advanced equipment, while featured much in propaganda, was often only available in small numbers or late in the war, as overall supplies of raw materials and armaments ran low. For example, only forty percent of all units were motorised, baggage trains often relied on horse-drawn trailers and many soldiers went by foot or used bicycles (de:Radfahrtruppen).

Some as historians, such British author and ex-newspaper editor Max Hastings, consider that ". Sir Max Hastings, FRSL (born December 28, 1945) is a British Journalist, editor, Historian and Author . . there's no doubt that man for man, the German army was the greatest fighting force of the second world war". Similar views were also explained in his book "Overlord: D-Day and the battle for Normandy", while in the book World War II : An Illustrated Miscellany, Anthony Evans writes: 'The German soldier was very professional and well trained, aggressive in attack and stubborn in defence. D-Day may also refer to Decimal Day in the United Kingdom. D-Day is a term often used in Military parlance to denote Normandy (Normandie Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. He was always adaptable, particularly in the later years when shortages of equipment were being felt'.

Among the foreign volunteers who served in the Heer during World War II were ethnic Germans, Dutch, and Scandinavians along with people from the Baltic states and the Balkans. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Russians fought in the Russian Liberation Army or as Hilfswilliger. Russian Liberation Army (Russian Russkaya Osvoboditel'naya Armiya, Русская Освободительная Армия abbreviated in Cyrillic as РОА in Latin Hiwi is a German abbreviation It has two meanings "voluntary assistant" ( Hilfswilliger, literally one willing to help) and "assistant scientist" Non-Russians from the Soviet Union formed the Ostlegionen. Ostlegionen or Ostgruppen (literally "Eastern Legion" were conscripts and volunteers from occupied territories who fought in the German Army ( Wehrmacht These units were all commanded by General Ernst August Köstring and represented about five percent of the forces under the OKH. The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945

Air Force

Main article: History of the Luftwaffe during World War II

The German Air Force, led by Hermann Göring, contributed many units of ground forces to the war in Russia as well as the Normandy front. Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member In 1940, the Fallschirmjäger paratroops conquered the Belgian Fort Eben-Emael and took part in the airborne invasion of Norway, but after suffering heavy losses in the Battle of Crete, large scale airdrops were discontinued. (often rendered Fallschirmjager in English; from the German Fallschirm "parachute" and Jäger, "hunter Eben-Emael was a Belgian fortress between Liège and Maastricht, near the Albert Canal, defending the Belgian-German border The Battle of Crete ( German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) was a battle during World War II Operating as ordinary infantry, the 1st Fallschirmjäger Division took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino. The German 1st Parachute Division was a German military parachute-landing Division that fought during World War II. Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and Sieges from antiquity. The Luftwaffe Field Divisions were eventually considered by historians to be a drain on manpower and resources that would have been better used in Army formations, and are used as an example of how poorly co-ordinated the three branches of the Wehrmacht were. This was partly due to the rivalry between the branches in general, but mainly due to Göring's ambitions. The Luftwaffe, being in charge of Germany's Anti-aircraft warfare, also used thousands of teenage Luftwaffenhelfer to support the Flak units. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces Luftwaffenhelfer (commonly Flakhelfer) are terms commonly used for German students deployed as Child soldiers during World War II. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces

Navy

Main article: Kriegsmarine

The German Navy (Kriegsmarine) played a major role in the Second World War as control over the commerce routes in the Atlantic was crucial for Germany, Britain and later the Soviet Union. The Kriegsmarine (English "War navy" was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945 during the Nazi regime superseding the In the Battle of the Atlantic, the initially successful German U-boat fleet arm was eventually defeated due to Allied technological innovations like sonar, radar, and the breaking of the Enigma code. U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word, itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot ( undersea boat) and refers The Enigma machine is any one of a family of related electro-mechanical Rotor machines used to generate Ciphers for the Encryption and decryption of Large surface vessels were few in number due to construction limitations by international treaties prior to 1935. The "pocket battleships" Admiral Graf Spee and Admiral Scheer were important as commerce raiders only in the opening year of the war. Maximilian Graf (Count von Spee ( 22 June 1861 - 8 December 1914) was a German Admiral, born in Copenhagen Reinhard Scheer ( September 30, 1863 &ndash November 26, 1928) was an Admiral in the German Imperial Navy No aircraft carrier was operational as German leadership lost interest in the Graf Zeppelin which had been launched in 1938. An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with Planning and construction Wilhelm Hadeler had been Assistant to the Professor of Naval Construction at the Technical University of Berlin for nine years when he was appointed to draft Following the loss of the Bismarck in 1941, with Allied air superiority threatening the remaining battlecruisers in French Atlantic harbours, the ships were ordered to make the Channel Dash back to German ports. Background Design of the ship started in the early 1930s following on from Germany's development of the ''Deutschland'' class cruisers and the ''Scharnhorst'' class Operating from fjords of Norway, which had been occupied in 1940, convoys from the USA to the Soviet port of Murmansk could be intercepted even though the Tirpitz spent most of her career as Fleet in being. Operational history This battleship was launched on 1 April 1939 and she was planned to be deployed in a manner similar to the ''Bismarck'', as a Commerce raider In Naval warfare, a fleet in being is a naval force that extends a controlling influence without ever leaving port Since the appointment of Karl Doenitz as Grand Admiral of the Kriegsmarine, Germany stopped constructing battleships and cruisers in favour of U-boats.

Theaters and campaigns

German cavalry and motorized units entering Poland from East Prussia during the Invasion of Poland of 1939.
German cavalry and motorized units entering Poland from East Prussia during the Invasion of Poland of 1939. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland East Prussia (Ostpreußen; Rytų Prūsija or Rytprūsiai; Prusy Wschodnie Восточная Пруссия or Vostochnaya Prussiya) refers to the main part The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied

The Wehrmacht directed combat operations during the Second World War (from 01-9-1939 to 5-08-1945) as the German Reich's Armed Forces umbrella command organisation. This article describes three distinct but related terms military operations Operations as military events and operational level of war Deutsches Reich was the name for Germany from 1871 to 1945 in the German language. After 1941 the OKH became the de facto Eastern Theatre higher echelon command organisation for the Wehrmacht, excluding Waffen-SS except for operational and tactical combat purposes. The Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH was Germany 's Army High Command from 1936 to 1945 The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The OKW conducted operations in the Western Theatre. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command

For a time the Axis Mediterranean Theatre and the North African Campaign was conducted as a joint campaign with the Italian Army, and may be considered a separate theatre. For the most part the Battle of the Mediterranean was waged between the forces of the Italian Royal Navy ( Regia Marina) and the forces During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from June 10, 1940 In the Military sciences a military campaign is a term applied to large scale, long duration significant Military strategy plan incorporating The Italian Army (Esercito Italiano is the ground defense force of the Military of Italy. In Warfare a theater or theatre is defined as a specific geographical area of conduct of armed conflict bordered by areas where no combat is taking place

The operations by the Kriegsmarine in the North and Mid-Atlantic cam also be considered as separate Theatres considering the size of the area of operations and their remoteness from other Theatres.

Eastern Theatre

The Eastern Wehrmacht campaigns included:

However, strategic mistakes by Hitler demanded that the Wehrmacht had to fight on other fronts, sometimes three simultaneously, that stretched its resources too thin. By 1944, even the defence of Germany became impossible.

Western Theatre

Soldiers of German Wehrmacht in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the occupied Paris, 1940.
Soldiers of German Wehrmacht in front of the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the occupied Paris, 1940.

War crimes

Main article: War crimes of the Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht was widely employed as a tool of state policy in the Second World War, being used for both military and political objectives. War crimes of the Wehrmacht are those carried out by traditional German armed forces during World War II. The Wehrmacht was found to be complicit in the Holocaust. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as It also implemented its own plans to loot the occupied territories to supply its needs, with the resulting deprivation and famine. In the Soviet Union this policy, the Hunger Plan, was planned in advance. The Hunger Plan (German der Hungerplan, also der Backe-Plan) was an economic Management scheme that was put in place to

The Wehrmacht ordered and participated in numerous war crimes during World War II — massacres of civilians, rapes[1] executions of POWs, summary executions of Soviet political officers as sanctioned by the Commissar Order, and executions of civilian hostages as punishment for partisan activities in occupied territories. War crimes are "violations of the laws or customs of war" including but not limited to "murder the ill-treatment or deportation of civilian residents of an occupied The Commissar Order (Kommissarbefehl was a written order given by Adolf Hitler on 6 June 1941, prior to Operation Barbarossa. A partisan is a member of an Irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation Though the massive exterminations associated with the Holocaust were primarily committed by the SS and the Einsatzgruppen, the Wehrmacht was also involved, as there are cases in which German Army officers and soldiers cooperated with the Einsatzgruppen, rounding up Jews and others for internment or execution. The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The ( German for "Protective Squadron" abbreviated SS - or ( Runic)- was a major Nazi organization under Adolf Hitler and the Einsatzgruppen ( German: "task forces" "intervention groups" were Paramilitary groups formed by Heinrich Himmler and

As the extent of the Holocaust became widely known by the end of the war, many former members of the Armed Forces promoted the view that it was "unblemished" by the crimes allegedly committed exclusively by the SS and the political police forces, which both were not, officially, part of the Wehrmacht. Though it convicted OKW chief Wilhelm Keitel and chief of operations Alfred Jodl for war crimes, the Nuremberg tribunal did not declare the Wehrmacht to be a criminal organization, as it did with party organizations such as the SS. For other uses of OKW see OKW (disambiguation. The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht ( OKW) ( English: "High Command Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel (22 September 1882–16 October 1946 was a German Field marshal ( Generalfeldmarschall) Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High The Nuremberg Trials were a series of trials most notable for the prosecution of prominent members of the political military and economic leadership of Nazi Germany after This was seen by many Germans as an exoneration of the Wehrmacht. Among German historians, the deep involvement of the Wehrmacht in war crimes, particularly on the Eastern Front, became widely accepted in the late 1970s and the 1980s. The Eastern Front of World War II (die Ostfront 1941-1945, der Rußlandfeldzug 1941-1945 (Russian campaign or der Ostfeldzug 1941-1945 (Eastern Campaign Public awareness in Germany has been lagging behind - as exemplified by controversial and often emotionally charged reactions to an exhibition on these issues in the mid-1990s[2] Polish historians also want the German public to become more aware of the Wehrmacht's atrocities regarding the Polish September Campaign. The Invasion of Poland (1939 precipitated World War II. It was carried out by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small German-allied [3] In 2007 a book was published containing research regarding secretly recorded conversations of captured German generals and other senior officers, all without their knowledge or even suspicion. The 64,427 conversations were recorded by the British Secret Service in POW camps. Most of the officers, up to High Command, knew about the Holocaust and atrocities against Russians, Poles, Gypsies and others targeted by the NSDAP[4].

Casualties

German Wehrmacht soldier killed by U.S. soldiers in April 1945.
German Wehrmacht soldier killed by U. S. soldiers in April 1945.

Approximately 5,533,000 German soldiers and from other nationalities fighting for the German army are considered killed or MIA in World War II. The number of wounded surpasses 6,000,000, and the number of prisoners of war reaches 11,000,000, making a total of 22 million casualties from all causes during that conflict. [5]

Politics of the Wehrmacht

Due to the constitution of Weimar Republic any soldier of the Reichswehr was neither allowed to become a member of a political party nor to vote in an election because there was a strict separation between politics and the armed forces. The term Weimar Republic ( ˈvaɪmarɐ repuˈbliːk is used by historians to signify the democratic and Republican period of Germany from 1919 to 1933 The same applied later to the Wehrmacht. Most of its leadership was politically conservative but after Adolf Hitler gained power he had promised to rebuild Germany's military strength and thus some officers became envigorated towards the National Socialist movement. Political influence in the military command began to increase later in the war when Hitler's flawed strategic decisions began showing up as serious defeats for the German Army and tensions mounted between the military and the government. When Hitler appointed unqualified personnel such as Hermann Göring to lead his Air Force failure ensued. He also gave to his commanders impossible orders, such as to shoot all officers and enlisted men who retreated from a front line later in the war.

Resistance to the Nazi regime

Main article: German Resistance

From all groups of German Resistance those within the Wehrmacht were the most condemned by the NSDAP. The German Resistance refers to those individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945 The German Resistance refers to those individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945 There were several attempts by resistance members like Henning von Tresckow or Erich Hoepner to assassinate Hitler as an ignition of a coup d'état. Henning von Tresckow Henning Hermann Robert Karl von Tresckow ( January 10 1901 &ndash July 21 1944) was a Major General in the Erich Hoepner ( September 14, 1886 &ndash August 8, 1944) was a German General in World War II. Rudolf Christoph Freiherr von Gersdorff and Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche-Streithorst even tried to do so by suicide bombing. Rudolf Christoph Freiherr Von Gersdorff ( March 27, 1905 – January 27, 1980) was a military officer in Axel Freiherr von dem Bussche-Streithorst ( 24 April 1919 - 26 January 1993) usually referred to as Axel von dem Bussche in English Those and many other officers in the Heer and Kriegsmarine such as Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg and Wilhelm Canaris opposed the atrocities of the Hitler regime. Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg ( 15 November 1907 &ndash 21 July 1944) was a German army officer Wilhelm Franz Canaris ( January 1, 1887 &ndash April 9, 1945) was a German Admiral and head of the Abwehr Combined with Hitler's problematic military leadership, this also culminated in the famous 20 July plot (1944), when a group of German Army officers led by von Stauffenberg tried again to kill Hitler and overthrow his regime. Following this attempt every officer who approached Hitler was searched from head to foot by his SS guards. As a special degradation all German military personnel were ordered to replace the standard military salute with the Hitler salute from this date on. The Hitler salute (Hitlergruß also known in Germany during World War II as the Deutscher Gruß (literally German Greeting) or in English as the To which extent the German military forces were in opposition to the Hitler regime or supported it is nevertheless highly disputed amongst historians up to the present day.

Some members of the Wehrmacht did save Jews and/or Gentiles from the concentration camps and/or mass executions. Anton Schmid, a sergeant in the army, helped 250 Jewish men, women, and children escape from the Vilnius ghetto and provided them with forged passports so that they could get to safety. Anton Schmid ( January 9 1900 – April 13 1942) was a German soldier who during World War II in Vilnius, He was court-martialed and executed as a consequence. Albert Battel, a reserve officer stationed near the Przemysl ghetto, blocked an SS detachment from entering it. Dr Albert Battel ( 21 January 1891 - 1952 was a German Wehrmacht officer Lawyer, and humanitarian He then evacuated up to 100 Jews and their families to the barracks of the local military command, and placed them under his protection. Wilm Hosenfeld, an army captain in Warsaw, helped, hid, or rescued several Poles, including Jews, in occupied Poland. Wilm Hosenfeld (full name Wilhelm Hosenfeld May 2 1895 in Mackenzell Hessen-Nassau, Germany &ndash August 13 1952 He most notably helped the Polish Jewish composer Wladyslaw Szpilman, who was hiding among the city's ruins, by supplying him with food and water and didn't reveal him to the Nazi authorities. Władysław “Władek” Szpilman ( 5 December 1911 &ndash 6 July 2000) was a Polish Pianist, Composer Hosenfeld later died in a Soviet POW camp.

Prominent members

Prominent German officers from the Wehrmacht era include:

After World War II

Following the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht which went into effect on 8 May 1945, some Wehrmacht units remained active, either independently (e. Ludwig August Theodor Beck (29 June 1880 &ndash 21 July 1944 was a German General and the Chief of the General Staff of the Oberkommando des Heeres Fedor von Bock ( December 3, 1880 &ndash May 4, 1945) was an officer in the German Military from 1898 to Heinrich Alfred Hermann Walther von Brauchitsch ( 4 October 1881 &ndash 18 October 1948) was an aristocratic German field Wilhelm Franz Canaris ( January 1, 1887 &ndash April 9, 1945) was a German Admiral and head of the Abwehr Karl Dönitz (ˈdøːnɪts) (16 September 1891 &ndash 24 December 1980 was a German naval Commander who served Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Goering) (12 January 1893 15 October 1946 was a German Politician, Military leader and a leading member Heinz Wilhelm Guderian ( 17 June, 1888 – 14 May, 1954) was a military theorist and innovative General of the German Franz Ritter Halder ( June 30 1884 &ndash April 2 1972) was a German General and the head of the Army General Kurt Freiherr von Hammerstein-Equord ( September 26, 1878 &ndash April 25, 1943) was a German General who served for a Hermann "Papa" Hoth ( 12 April 1885 - 25 January 1971) was an officer in the German Military from Alfred Jodl (10 May 1890 – 16 October 1946 was a German military commander attaining the position of Chief of the Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist ( August 8 1881 &ndash c November 13 1954) was a leading German Field marshal during Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 - 16 July 1960 was a Luftwaffe Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. Günther “Hans” von Kluge ( October 30, 1882 – August 19, 1944) was a German military leader Erich von Manstein ( November 24, 1887 &ndash June 9 1973) served the German military as a lifelong professional soldier Otto Moritz Walter Model ('modəl (24 January 1891 – 21 April 1945 was a German general and later field marshal during World War II. Friedrich Wilhelm Ernst Paulus ( 23 September 1890 &ndash 1 February 1957) was an officer in the German Military Erich Johann Albert Raeder ( April 24, 1876 – November 6, 1960) was a naval leader in Germany before and during Robert Ritter von Greim (Robert Greim 22 June, 1892 &ndash 24 May, 1945) was a German Field Marshal, pilot Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel ( ( 15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) (also known as the " Desert Fox " Wüstenfuchs Hans-Jürgen von Arnim ( 4 April, 1889 &ndash 1 September, 1962) was a German Colonel-general of Cavalry Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( December 12, 1875 - February 24, 1953) was a Generalfeldmarschall of the German Job-Wilhelm Georg "Erwin" von Witzleben ( 4 December 1881 - 8 August 1944) was a German army officer (by 1940 a Events 589 - Reccared summons the Third Council of Toledo 1450 - Jack Cade's Rebellion: Kentishmen Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar g. in Norway), or under Allied command as police forces. [6] By the end of August 1945, these units had been dissolved, and a year later on 20 August 1946, the Allied Control Council declared the Wehrmacht as officially abolished (Kontrollratsgesetz No. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Allied Control Council or Allied Control Authority, known in German as the Alliierter Kontrollrat, also referred to as the Four Powers (German 34). While Germany was forbidden to have an army, Allied forces took advantage of the knowledge of Wehrmacht members like Reinhard Gehlen. Reinhard Gehlen ( April 3, 1902 - June 8, 1979) was a Generalmajor ( Major-General) in the German Army ( Wehrmacht

It was over ten years before the tensions of the Cold War led to the creation of separate military forces in the Federal Republic of Germany and the socialist German Democratic Republic. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state The West German military, officially created on 5 May 1955, took the name Bundeswehr, meaning Federal Defence Forces, which pointed back to the old Reichswehr. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Bundeswehr ( German for "Federal Defence Force") is the name of the unified Armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Its East German counterpart, created on 1 March 1956, took the name National People's Army (Nationale Volksarmee). Events 86 BC - Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army enters in Athens, removing the Tyrant Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. History The creation of the National People’s Army on March 1, 1956, six months after the formation of the West German Bundeswehr, followed years Both organizations employed many former Wehrmacht members, particularly in their formative years.

See also

References

  1. ^ "55 Dni Wehrmachtu w Polsce" Szymon Datner Warsaw 1967 page 67 "Zanotowano szereg faktów gwałcenia kobiet i dziewcząt żydowskich"(Numerous cases of rapes made upon Jewish women and girls were noted)
  2. ^ Wehrmacht engl.qxd
  3. ^ [1]
  4. ^ ,http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/femail/article.html?in_article_id=469883&in_page_id=1879
  5. ^ Rűdiger Overmans (2000). The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" The history of Germany during World War II closely parallels that of Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The German Resistance refers to those individuals and groups in Nazi Germany who opposed the regime of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The German Afrikakorps ( German: Deutsches Afrikakorps DAK) was the original German blocking force (Sperrverband = Armored Blocking Force in Libya As the number of German armed forces committed to the North Africa Campaign of World War II grew from the initial commitment of a small corps the Germans developed a more elaborate Szymon Datner (1902–1989 was a Polish historian of Jewish descent Deutsche militärische Verluste im Zweiten Weltkrieg. Wikipedia, 335. ISBN 3-486-56531-1.  
  6. ^ Alexander Fischer: „Teheran – Jalta – Potsdam“, Die sowjetischen Protokolle von den Kriegskonferenzen der „Großen Drei“, mit Fußnoten aus den Aufzeichnungen des US Department of State, Köln 1968, S. 322 und 324

External links

Dictionary

Wehrmacht

-proper noun

  1. (historical) The German armed forces from 1921 to 1945.
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