GERMANS
The Wehrmacht were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945, comprising the Heer (army), Kriegsmarine (navy), and Luftwaffe (air force). The organization was responsible for many war crimes and complicity in the Holocaust, which was largely denied by former Nazis and was the subject of a significant historical debate, known as the "clean Wehrmacht myth"
Composition
- Heer: The army
- Kriegsmarine: The navy
- Luftwaffe: The air force
- Oberkommader Der Wehrmacht (OKW): The supreme command that had overall control of all forces. Key characteristics and history
- Expansion:The Wehrmacht was created in 1935, and after Nazi Germany's annexation of Austria in 1938, the army expanded significantly.Blitzkrieg
- The German military developed concepts like Blitzkrieg ("lightning war"), which combined ground and air units for rapid victories in the early years of World War II.War Crimes:
- The Wehrmacht committed numerous war crimes, particularly on the Eastern Front, and was a crucial factor in the Holocaust. Crimes included mass murder, forced labor, and assisting the SS.Myth of the clean Wehrmacht
- After the war, many former Nazis attempted to deny or downplay the Wehrmacht's role in war crimes. This created a myth of a "clean Wehrmacht," which was challenged by exhibitions and historians who argued that a substantial majority of the soldiers were involved in or complicit in criminal conduct.
