Reichswehr

Reichswehr was the German armed forces of the Weimar Republic, existing from 1919 to 1935. It succeeded the Imperial German Army and, in practice, consisted of the Heer (army) and the Kriegsmarine (navy). An air force did not exist as a separate branch under Versailles restrictions, which limited Germany’s standing army to about 100,000 men and prohibited conscription or the development of a large-scale air or armored force.

Formation and control: The Reichswehr was established after World War I under the Weimar constitutional framework and was overseen by civilian authorities through the Defence Ministry. It retained a strong General Staff tradition and emphasized professional leadership and rigorous training, while remaining tightly constrained by treaty terms.

Structure and doctrine: The force was a small, highly professional standing army supported by reserves. Its organization centered on the Heer and the Kriegsmarine, with an emphasis on mobility, defensive capability, and conventional warfare planning. The General Staff played a key role in doctrine, training, and mobilization planning.

Rearmament and limits: Throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, the Reichswehr modernized within the limits imposed by Versailles. Germany pursued limited modernization, specialized training, and covert efforts to preserve capabilities in the face of restrictions, including exchange programs and clandestine development that would later facilitate broader rearmament.

Transition to Wehrmacht: After the Nazi rise to power, policy toward the military shifted toward rapid expansion. In 1935, the Reichswehr was renamed and reorganized as the Wehrmacht, integrating the army and navy under a unified command structure and paving the way for the creation of the Luftwaffe. The Wehrmacht marked the end of the Reichswehr era and the beginning of Germany’s expanded military established under Adolf Hitler.