German Awards - National Socialism "Wehrmacht

This category concerns military awards that are not directly related to World War II. These include service awards, performance awards, or even special qualifying awards.
These awards were presented from the moment the National Socialists came to power until the end of World War II. Awards from paramilitary associations or political organizations such as the SS or SA are not included, even if they performed military tasks on behalf of the NSDAP.

The law on the construction of the German armed forces of March 16, 1935 officially introduced the concept of "Wehrmacht."
The Wehrmacht was divided into the army, the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .
By the beginning of the 2nd World War of 1939, the total number of Wehrmacht was 3.2 million people (army: 2.75 million, Kriegsmarine: 50,000 people, Luftwaffe: 400,000 people)
The commander-in-chief was Adolf Hitler. Imperial War Minister Werner von Blomberg. (until 1938)
The commander-in-chief of the ground forces was Werner von Fritsch (until 1938), the commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine - Erich Raeder (since 1943 Karl Dönitz), the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe - Hermann Goering (deposed in 1945, then knight von Grime).
On February 4, 1938, Hitler himself took high command of the Wehrmacht. He created the Wehrmacht High Command and appointed him chief of Wilhelm Keitel.
The new commander-in-chief of the ground forces was Walter von Brauchitsch (until 1941, then Hitler).


Descriptions and images of orders serve only civic education and reflect anti-constitutional and anti-constitutional aspirations, scientific and art studies according to § 86 and 86a.
Illustrations do not contain unconstitutional symbols. They become covered and thus unrecognizable. Nazi content formulations are only used in the context of order descriptions if they are an integral part of the order or omission interferes with the description.