The Wehrmacht reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Wehrmacht

The Wehrmacht (literally defence force) was the name of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945.

In 1935, with the re-institution of conscription in Germany under Nazi government, the "Wehrmacht" became the official term for the German armed forces, previously known as the Reichswehr and today called the Bundeswehr.

The Wehrmacht was organised into:

• Heer (army);
• Kriegsmarine (navy);
• Luftwaffe (air force).

The Commander-in-Chief was Adolf Hitler. In 1938, after the Blomberg-Fritsch-Krise the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) under Wilhelm Keitel was formed, intended to serve as military staff for Hitler.

• Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) -- Armed Forces High Command
• Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) -- Army High Command
• Oberkommando der Marine (OKM) -- Navy High Command
• Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) -- Airforce High Command
• Wehrmacht -- Armed Forces
• Heer -- Army
• Luftwaffe -- Airforce
• Kriegsmarine -- Navy
• Oberbefehlshaber West
• Abwehr -- Military Intelligence

The different branches of the Wehrmacht had different command organisations: OKH for the army, OKM for the Navy and OKL for the Air Force.

See also

• History of Germany
• Nazi Germany

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