Wehrmacht - The German Armed Forces
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Wehrmacht (literally "defense force") was the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer (army), the Kriegsmarine (navy) and the Luftwaffe (air force). 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. Thus, the Waffen-SS was, de facto, a fourth branch of the Wehrmacht.
Main branches of Wehrmacht (Third Reich Armed Forces)
Please click on the branch name to read more...
| Branch name | Description |
|---|---|
| Heer | Third Reich land armed forced branch |
| Waffen SS | Armed SS - Schutzstaffel (SS) military arm |
| Luftwaffe | The Third Reich Air Force |
| Kriegsmarine | Third Reich Navy (1935-1945) |
| Volkssturm | Home Guard in the last days of Reich |
| Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) | The High Command of the Armed Forces |
The emblem of the Wehrmacht
The straight-armed Balkenkreuz, a stylized version of the Iron Cross, was the emblem of the Wehrmacht.