Name of the German armed forces from 1935 to 1945.
1935, with the reinstitution of conscription in Germany under Nazi government, it became the official term for the German armed forces, which were formerly known as Reichswehr.
The Wehrmacht was organized into Heer (army), Marine (navy) and Luftwaffe (air force).
Commander-in-Chief was Adolf Hitler. In 1938, after the Blomberg-Fritsch-Krise the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) under Wilhelm Keitel was formed, intended to serve as military staff for Hitler.
The different branches of the Wehrmacht had different command organizations: OKH for the army, OKM for the Navy and OKL for the Air Force.