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.

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.

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