Wehrmacht
The word Wehrmacht first appeared in the Frankfurt Constitution of 1849. It described all German military forces as a unified entity. The term combined two German words: wehren, meaning to defend, and Macht, meaning power or force. This definition applied to any nation's armed forces, not just Germany. In 1919, Article 47 of the Weimar Constitution used the same designation for the Reich's President supreme command over all armed forces. The name changed officially on the 21st of May 1935, when Adolf Hitler replaced the old term Reichswehr with Wehrmacht. Before that date, the German defense force had been known simply as the Reichswehr since March 1921.
Adolf Hitler announced the buildup of the Wehrmacht on the 16th of March 1935. This move openly flouted the Treaty of Versailles restrictions. A new group of conscripts equal to the standing army size would receive training each year. The original projection included no less than 36 divisions. General Ludwig Beck added 48 tank battalions to the program in December 1935. Hitler originally set a ten-year timeframe for remilitarization but shortened it to four years. The structure consisted of three branches: the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy), and the Luftwaffe (air force). By August 1934, the entire military took an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg. Werner von Blomberg served as the first Minister of War until his resignation following the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair.
Between 1935 and 1939, 1.3 million men were drafted while 2.4 million volunteered for service. The total number of soldiers who served approached 18.2 million over the decade from 1935 to 1945. Recruits spent sixteen weeks in initial training at local depots across eighteen military districts. A typical day began at 5:00 AM when corporals physically roused men from their beds. Breakfast consisted of coffee and bread scheduled for 6:45 AM, often unavailable if drills corrected mistakes from the previous day. Punishments included long runs in full field gear or crawling through muddy terrain instead of menial tasks like polishing dustbins. By 1943, fitness standards dropped drastically after the Battle of Stalingrad. Special diet battalions formed for men with severe stomach ailments. Five hundred thousand women served as Wehrmachtshelferinnen by 1945, half volunteering and half performing obligatory services.
The Wehrmacht employed combined arms tactics during the invasion of Poland on the 1st of September 1939. Foreign journalists coined the term Blitzkrieg to describe these lightning quick victories. German units advanced rapidly into France between May 10 and the 25th of June 1940. The Eastern Front campaign Operation Barbarossa began on the 22nd of June 1941. Army Group North, Army Group Centre, and Army Group South conducted major operations there. The first major defeat occurred at the Battle of Moscow in December 1941. By late 1942, Germany lost initiative in all theaters including Tunisia and Kursk. Only 40% to 60% of units on the Eastern Front were motorized due to poor roads and weather conditions. Many soldiers marched on foot or used bicycles as bicycle infantry. The Luftwaffe concentrated production on fighters like the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and tactical bombers such as the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive bomber.
Nazi propaganda instructed soldiers to eliminate Jewish Bolshevik subhumans and Asiatic hordes. The Army Chief of Staff General Franz Halder declared collective measures of force against guerrilla attacks would involve massacring entire villages. Cooperation with SS Einsatzgruppen included supplying death squads with weapons, ammunition, equipment, transport, and housing. An estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people died during Wehrmacht Nazi security warfare in the Soviet Union. Between summer 1941 and spring 1942, 2.8 million of 3.2 million Soviet prisoners taken died while in German hands. Hundreds of thousands of civilians starved to death under the Hunger Plan as Germans seized food for their armies. Brothels established throughout occupied territories forced an estimated minimum of 34,140 women to serve as prostitutes. British officials listening to captured generals learned that the German Army participated in mass-murder of Jews and war crimes.
The first major resistance began in 1938 with the Oster conspiracy. Military members wanted to remove Hitler from power fearing a war with Czechoslovakia would ruin Germany. Belief in Hitler restored after early campaigns succeeded in Poland, Scandinavia, and France. Trust waned following defeat at Stalingrad causing increased resistance within the military. The 20th of July plot culminated in 1944 when officers led by Claus von Stauffenberg attempted assassination. The attempt failed resulting in execution of 4,980 people. Three known soldiers executed for rescuing Jews included Anton Schmid, Friedrich Rath, and Friedrich Winking. Sergeant Anton Schmida helped between 250 and 300 Jewish men, women, and children escape from Vilna Ghetto in Lithuania. Captain Wilm Hosenfeld hid Polish-Jewish composer Władysław Szpilman among Warsaw ruins supplying him with food and water.
The Wehrmacht officially dissolved on the 20th of August 1946 under Allied Control Council Law 34. Former officers created a secret army in West Germany before the 5th of May 1955 when Bundeswehr formed. Veterans received pensions through War Victims Assistance Act passed in 1950. Historian Omer Bartov wrote in 2003 that the Wehrmacht was a willing instrument of genocide. Richard J. Evans stated it was a genocidal organization identifying strongly with National Socialism. Ian Kershaw concluded its duty ensured living space for Aryan Herrenvolk members. Post-war veterans groups like HIAG cultivated myths of being Soldiers like any other. Only 16 out of 50 military bases named after Wehrmacht soldiers changed names by modern standards. The last unit surrendered to Norway on the 4th of September 1945 at an isolated weather station in Svalbard.
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Common questions
When did the Wehrmacht officially change its name from Reichswehr?
The name changed officially on the 21st of May 1935, when Adolf Hitler replaced the old term Reichswehr with Wehrmacht. Before that date, the German defense force had been known simply as the Reichswehr since March 1921.
What were the three branches of the Wehrmacht structure established in 1935?
The structure consisted of three branches: the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy), and the Luftwaffe (air force). General Ludwig Beck added 48 tank battalions to the program in December 1935 to support these branches.
How many soldiers served in the Wehrmacht between 1935 and 1945?
The total number of soldiers who served approached 18.2 million over the decade from 1935 to 1945. Between 1935 and 1939, 1.3 million men were drafted while 2.4 million volunteered for service.
When did the Wehrmacht officially dissolve under Allied Control Council Law 34?
The Wehrmacht officially dissolved on the 20th of August 1946 under Allied Control Council Law 34. The last unit surrendered to Norway on the 4th of September 1945 at an isolated weather station in Svalbard.
What role did the Wehrmacht play in Nazi security warfare in the Soviet Union?
An estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people died during Wehrmacht Nazi security warfare in the Soviet Union. Cooperation with SS Einsatzgruppen included supplying death squads with weapons, ammunition, equipment, transport, and housing.