Wehrmacht

The unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 until Germany’s surrender in 1945, comprising the army, navy, and air force.

Heer: The land forces of Nazi Germany’s armed forces from 1935 to 1945. The Wehrmacht’s army conducted most of Germany’s ground campaigns.
Auftragstaktik: A command approach that gives subordinates an objective and discretion over how to achieve it. Mission-oriented orders helped German units adapt to changing battlefield conditions.
Invasion of Poland: Germany’s attack on Poland beginning on 1 September 1939, which started World War II in Europe. The Wehrmacht’s invasion opened Germany’s major war in Europe.
Wehrmacht war crimes: Crimes committed by Wehrmacht personnel during Nazi Germany’s wars, including killings of civilians and prisoners of war. Army units participated in and enabled violence in occupied territories.
Waffen-SS: The armed formations of the Nazi Party’s Schutzstaffel, which operated alongside the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was a separate Nazi military organization, though it fought alongside Wehrmacht units.
Kriegsmarine: Nazi Germany’s navy from 1935 until 1945. The navy was the Wehrmacht’s maritime service branch.
Blitzkrieg: A popular term for rapid warfare combining mobile ground forces with air support. The Wehrmacht’s early victories were associated with fast, concentrated attacks.
Battle of France: The 1940 German campaign that defeated France and its allies in western Europe. The Wehrmacht’s rapid victory demonstrated the force of its early campaigns.
Commissar Order: A 1941 German military order directing the execution of Soviet political commissars captured by German forces. The order illustrates the Wehrmacht’s participation in ideologically driven warfare.
Red Army: The Soviet Union’s principal land forces from 1918 to 1946. The Red Army became the Wehrmacht’s principal opponent on the Eastern Front.

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