Long ago, Germany had a large army.
It had ships and planes too. This group was called the Wehrmacht. Many people were part of it. They did many things that were very wrong.
Later, the war ended. Do you want to learn more?
Long ago, Germany had a large military.
It was called the Wehrmacht. This group had an army on land. It also had ships on the sea.
They even had planes in the air. Many people joined this group. Sadly, the group did many wrong things during a big war.
This war ended many years ago.
The Wehrmacht was the military of Nazi Germany. It lasted from 1935 to 1945.
It had three main parts. The Heer was the army. The Kriegsmarine was the navy. The Luftwaffe was the air force.
Before this, a treaty limited Germany's military. The Nazi leaders wanted more power. They ignored the treaty rules. They started a new way to build up their forces. They also used conscription. This meant many men had to join the military.
During the Second World War, the Wehrmacht was very fast. They used tanks and planes together. This was called Blitzkrieg.
However, the Wehrmacht also did many wrong things. They committed war crimes during the war. They worked with the SS to hurt people. Many of these acts happened in places like Poland and the Soviet Union.
About 18 million men served in the Wehrmacht. By the end of the war, the German forces lost many men. Roughly 11,300,000 men were lost. The war in Europe ended in May 1945.
The Wehrmacht was the unified armed force of Nazi Germany.
It existed from 1935 until 1945. This military group had three main parts. The Heer was the army on land. The Kriegsmarine was the navy at sea. The Luftwaffe was the air force in the sky.
This group was the center of Germany's political and military power. It helped the Nazi regime try to take over new lands. They wanted to dominate their neighbors through strength. The name Wehrmacht comes from German words meaning "to defend" and "power."
To build this force, Germany had to change its laws. Before 1935, a treaty called the Treaty of Versailles limited Germany. This treaty said the army could only have 100,000 men. It also said Germany could not have tanks or an air force.
The Nazi leaders chose to ignore these rules. They brought back conscription, which meant the government could make men join. They also spent huge amounts of money on the arms industry. This allowed them to build a much larger and modern force. They even trained some officers in secret to prepare for the future.
During the early years of the Second World War, the Wehrmacht was very effective. They used a method called Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war."
This tactic used tanks, infantry, and planes all working together. They used this speed to move through places like France in 1940. They also launched campaigns in the Soviet Union and North Africa. These moves were seen by historians as very bold. However, moving so fast put a huge strain on their supplies. They faced their first major defeat at the Battle of Moscow in 1941.
History shows that the Wehrmacht was also involved in many terrible actions. The armed forces worked closely with the SS, which was another group in Germany. Together, they committed many war crimes during the conflict.
Much of this violence happened in the Soviet Union and Poland. It also happened in Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. These acts were part of a larger plan of destruction. Many soldiers took part in these crimes against people. Even after the war, some leaders tried to claim the military was not involved.
The scale of the war was massive for the men involved. About 18 million men served in the Wehrmacht during its history.
By the time the war ended in Europe in May 1945, the cost was very high. German forces lost about 11,300,000 men. Of those, about 5,318,000 were killed, missing, or died in captivity.
The war ended with the total defeat of the German military. This event changed the map of the world forever. It led to a new era of history for all of Europe.
The Wehrmacht was the unified armed force of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945.
It served as the primary tool for the Nazi regime's political and military power. The military was organized into three distinct branches. The Heer was the army that fought on land. The Kriegsmarine was the navy that operated at sea. The Luftwaffe was the air force that controlled the skies.
The term "Wehrmacht" comes from German words meaning "to defend" and "power." While it once described any national defense force, it is now specifically linked to this era of German history.
Before the Wehrmacht was officially named, Germany's military was much smaller. After World War I, the Treaty of Versailles imposed strict limits on German strength. The treaty restricted the army to 100,000 men and only 15,000 in the navy. It also forbade Germany from having tanks, heavy artillery, or an air force.
To prepare for future growth, German leaders like Hans von Seeckt created an elite officer corps. They developed new doctrines focused on speed, aggression, and combined arms. Some training even happened in secret, such as at a fighter-pilot school in Lipetsk, Soviet Union. This clandestine preparation helped build the foundation for a much larger force.
When the Nazi party rose to power, they moved to rapidly expand the military. Adolf Hitler became the commander in chief after the death of President Paul von Hindenburg in 1934. The military took an oath of personal loyalty to Hitler.
In 1935, Germany openly ignored the Treaty of Versailles. They introduced the "Edict for the Buildup of the Wehrmacht" and reinstated conscription. This meant the government could require men to serve in the military. This massive rearmament allowed Germany to build a modern, offensively capable force to regain and gain new territory.
During the early stages of World War II, the Wehrmacht used highly effective tactics. They employed a method known as Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war."
This involved the close-cover coordination of tanks, infantry, and air support. These tactics led to rapid successes in campaigns in France in 1940. The military also launched bold operations in the Soviet Union and North Africa.
However, these rapid advances eventually strained the military's logistics and capacity. The first major setback occurred during the Battle of Moscow in 1941. By late 1942, the Wehrmacht began losing the strategic initiative to the Allied coalition.
History records that the Wehrmacht was involved in many serious and illegal actions. The armed forces worked closely with the SS and their death squads.
Together, they committed numerous war crimes during the conflict. Most of these crimes occurred in the Soviet Union, Poland, Yugoslavia, Greece, and Italy. These actions were part of a war of annihilation against the Soviet Union and the Holocaust.
Although some later claimed the military was "clean," historians note that many soldiers participated in these crimes. This remains a central part of understanding the military's role in Nazi ideology.
The scale of human involvement in the Wehrmacht was enormous. Approximately 18.2 million men served in the Wehrmacht throughout its existence.
As the war progressed, the quality of recruits changed. Following the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, physical standards for new soldiers were lowered. In the final years, the regime used propaganda to drive even the oldest and youngest to the front lines. By the end of the war in May 1945, the German forces had suffered massive losses.
The final statistics of the conflict show a devastating human cost. German forces lost approximately 11,300,000 men by the end of the war.
Of these, about 5,318,000 men were killed, missing, or died while in captivity. The total force at the end included the Heer, the Kriegsmarine, the Luftwaffe, the Waffen-SS, and various collaborator units. The defeat of the Wehrmacht led to the total collapse of the Nazi regime. This shaped the post-war order and the modern political landscape of Europe.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (23)
+ 11 more
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
🪜 Step back
Simpler topics to build understanding
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.