Ministry of the Reichswehr#Heads of the Army Command

On 6 March 1919, the Weimar National Assembly – Germany's post-war interim parliament, which was tasked with passing necessary laws while it drafted a constitution for the Republic – enacted the Law on the Formation of a Provisional National Defence Force ({{Lang|de|Gesetz über die Bildung einer vorläufigen Reichswehr}} ). It authorized the president of Germany to:{{Cite web |title=Gesetz über die Bildung einer vorläufigen Reichswehr. Vom 6. März 1919 |trans-title=Law on the formation of a provisional national defence force. From 6. March 1919 (full text in German) |url=http://www.documentarchiv.de/wr/vorl-reichswehr_ges.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=documentArchiv.de |language=}}

disband the existing Army and to form a provisional Reichswehr, which will protect the Reich's borders, enforce the orders of the Reich government and maintain peace and order within the Reich until the new Armed Forces ({{Lang|de|Wehrmacht}} ), which is to be organized by Reich law, is created.

The position of defence minister was established early in 1919{{Cite web |title=Militärwesen im Deutschen Reich 1919–1932 |trans-title=Military System in the German Reich 1919–1932 |url=https://weimar.bundesarchiv.de/WEIMAR/DE/Content/Virtuelle-Ausstellungen/Die-besiegte-Nation/das-deutsche-militaerwesen-4-deutsches-reich-1919-1932.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=100 Jahre Weimarer Republik |language=de}} and filled by Gustav Noske on 13 February.{{Cite web |title=Das Kabinett Scheidemann (13. Februar – 20. Juni 1919) |url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/aktenreichskanzlei/1919-1933/0000/sch/sch1p/kap1_3/para2_1.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=Das Bundesarchiv |language=de}} On 20 August, President Friedrich Ebert ordered that the Reichswehr Ministry take over from the federal states' war ministries on 1 October,{{Cite web |title=Reichswehrministerium - Ministry of the Reichswehr |url=https://portal.ehri-project.eu/authorities/ehri_cb-814 |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=EHRI}} although it was not until 8 November 1919 that the new ministry was officially opened. The heads of Army Command ({{Lang|de|Heeresleitung}} ) and the Admiralty – which became Navy Command ({{Lang|de|Marineleitung}} ) on 15 July 1920 – were subordinate to the defence minister.{{Cite web |title=Militärwesen im Deutschen Reich 1919–1932 |trans-title=Military System in the German Reich 1919–1932 |url=https://weimar.bundesarchiv.de/WEIMAR/DE/Content/Virtuelle-Ausstellungen/Die-besiegte-Nation/das-deutsche-militaerwesen-4-deutsches-reich-1919-1932.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=100 Jahre Weimarer Republik |language=de}} The Ministry was for the most part made up of members from the states' war ministries, with the majority coming from the Prussian Ministry of War.{{Cite web |title=Reichswehrministerium |trans-title=Reichswehr Ministry |url=https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/DivisionenRW/RWM-R.htm |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=Lexikon der Wehrmacht |language=de}}

The Prussian armed forces remained under the command of General Walther Reinhardt, the Prussian Minister of War, until the Ministry was disbanded on 30 September 1919.{{Cite web |last=Pöhlmann |first=Markus |date=10 March 2016 |editor-last=Daniel |editor-first=Ute |editor2-last=Gatrell |editor2-first=Peter |editor3-last=Janz |editor3-first=Oliver |editor4-last=Jones |editor4-first=Heather |editor5-last=Keene |editor5-first=Jennifer |editor6-last=Kramer |editor6-first=Alan |editor7-last=Nasson |editor7-first=Bill |title=Prussian War Ministry |url=https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/prussian_war_ministry |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=1914–1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War |publisher=Freie Universität Berlin}} Reinhardt sat on the first two cabinets of the Weimar Republic as a non-voting member until 30 September, as did Admiral Adolf von Trotha in a similar capacity for the Admiralty until 27 March 1920, when the Bauer cabinet resigned.{{Cite web |title=Das Kabinett Scheidemann (13. Februar – 20. Juni 1919) |url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/aktenreichskanzlei/1919-1933/0000/sch/sch1p/kap1_3/para2_1.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=Das Bundesarchiv |language=de}}

As a covert replacement for the German Empire's General Staff (OHL), which had been banned by the Treaty of Versailles (Article 160), the Truppenamt was formed within the Reichswehr Ministry in October 1919. General Hans von Seeckt was its first head.{{Cite web |title=Truppenamt (TA) im Reichswehrministerium |trans-title=Truppenamt (TA) in the Reichswehr Ministry |url=https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/DivisionenRW/RWMTruppenamt-R.htm |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Lexikon der Wehrmacht |language=de}}

The Reich law to create a new Armed Forces, which had been referred to in the 1919 Law on the Formation of a Provisional National Defence Force, was promulgated as the Defence Act ({{Lang|de|Wehrgesetz}} ) on 23 March 1921 by the Weimar Reichstag. It formally established the Reichswehr in compliance with the limits set in the Treaty of Versailles. In § 8 [2], it stated that: "the Reich President is the supreme commander of the entire Armed Forces. Under him, the Armed Forces minister exercises command over the entire Armed Forces." Paragraph 10 also provided that:{{Cite web |title=Wehrgesetz. Vom 23. März 1921 |trans-title=Defense Act. From 23 March 1921 (full text in German) |url=http://www.documentarchiv.de/wr/1921/wehrgesetz.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=documentArchiv.de}}

[1] An Army Board ({{Lang|de|Kammer}} ) and a Navy Board, whose members are elected by secret ballot, are to be established at the Reichswehr Ministry as advisory and expert bodies. [2] The Army and Navy Boards are directly subordinate to the defence minister.

In § 12, the war ministries of Bavaria, Saxony and Württemberg were dissolved, and command authority was concentrated in the hand of the defence minister.{{Cite web |title=Wehrgesetz. Vom 23. März 1921 |trans-title=Defense Act. From 23 March 1921 (full text in German) |url=http://www.documentarchiv.de/wr/1921/wehrgesetz.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=documentArchiv.de}}

A Minister's Office (Ministeramt), which served as a top military authority between the minister and the army and navy leadership, was set up on 1 March 1929.{{Cite web |title=Militärwesen im Deutschen Reich 1919–1932 |trans-title=Military System in the German Reich 1919–1932 |url=https://weimar.bundesarchiv.de/WEIMAR/DE/Content/Virtuelle-Ausstellungen/Die-besiegte-Nation/das-deutsche-militaerwesen-4-deutsches-reich-1919-1932.html |access-date=2 July 2024 |website=100 Jahre Weimarer Republik |language=de}}

Just over two years after Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party rose to power, the Proclamation of Military Sovereignty ({{Lang|de|Verkündung der Wehrhoheit}} ) of 16 March 1935 created a new Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) under the Air Ministry and turned the Heeresleitung into the Oberkommando des Heeres (OKH) and the Marineleitung into the Oberkommando der Marine (OKM). The Minister's Office was renamed the Wehrmacht Office.{{Cite web |title=The Nazi Party: Military Organization of the Third Reich |url=https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/military-organization-of-the-third-reich |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Jewish Virtual Library}} The Defence Act ({{Lang|de|Wehrgesetz}} ) of 21 May 1935 made the Führer and chancellor (Hitler) supreme commander of the Wehrmacht. Under him, the renamed minister of war ({{Lang|de|Reichskriegsminister}} ) became commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht (§ 3).{{Cite web |title=Wehrgesetz. Vom 21. Mai 1935 |trans-title=Defence Law. From 21 May 1935 |url=https://de.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Wehrgesetz._Vom_21._Mai_1935 |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Wikisource (German) |language=de}}

As a result of the Blomberg–Fritsch affair,{{Cite web |last=Scriba |first=Arnulf |date=14 September 2014 |title=Die Fritsch-Blomberg-Affäre |url=https://www.dhm.de/lemo/kapitel/ns-regime/innenpolitik/fritsch-blomberg-affaere.html |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Deutsches Historisches Museum |language=de}} Hitler took over as commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht by decree on 4 February 1938. Under the same decree, the functions of the Ministry of War were taken over by the High Command of the Wehrmacht (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW). The Ministry of War ceased to exist at that point.{{Cite web |date=11 October 2019 |title=Digitalisierte Bestände der Abteilung Militärarchiv: Bestand Reichswehrministerium / Reichskriegsministerium |trans-title=Digitised Holdings of the Military Archives Department: Reichswehr Ministry / Reich War Ministry Holdings |url=https://www.bundesarchiv.de/DE/Content/Artikel/Ueber-uns/Aus-unserer-Arbeit/Textsammlung-digitalisierte-Bestaende-MA/digitalisierte-bestaende-ma.html?chapterId=60394 |access-date=5 July 2024 |website=Das Bundesarchiv |language=de}}

Karl Dönitz was named as Minister of War in Hitler's testament.

{{See also|List of German defence ministers}}

File:RKM 1933 - 1935.svg|Flag of the Minister of Defence (1933–1935)

File:RKM 1935.svg|Flag for the minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht (23 June 1935–5 October 1935)

File:Wehrmacht Commander-in-Chief flag.svg|Flag for the minister of War and Commander-in-Chief of the Wehrmacht (5 October 1935–27 January 1938)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name
{{small|(born–died)}}

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|Refences}}

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|-

! colspan=7| Heads of the {{lang|de|Ministeramt}} ({{langx|de|Chefs des Ministeramtes}})

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = KurtVonScheleicherEn1932.jpeg

| military_rank = General der Infanterie

| officeholder = Kurt von Schleicher

| officeholder_sort = Schleicher, Kurt

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1882

| died_year = 1934

| term_start = 1 February 1929

| term_end = 1 June 1932

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1929|02|01|1932|06|01}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Ferdinandbredow.JPG

| military_rank = Generalmajor

| officeholder = Ferdinand von Bredow

| officeholder_sort = Bredow, Ferdinand

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1884

| died_year = 1934

| term_start = 1 June 1932

| term_end = 30 January 1933

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1932|06|01|1933|01|30}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W0408-503, Walter v. Reichenau.jpg

| military_rank = Oberst

| officeholder = Walter von Reichenau

| officeholder_sort = Reichenau, Walter

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1884

| died_year = 1942

| term_start = 1 February 1933

| term_end = 1 February 1934

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1933|01|30|1934|01|30}}

| ref =

}}

|-

! colspan=7| Heads of the {{lang|de|Wehrmachtamt}} ({{langx|de|Chefs des Wehrmachtamtes}})

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W0408-503, Walter v. Reichenau.jpg

| military_rank = Generalmajor

| officeholder = Walter von Reichenau

| officeholder_sort = Reichenau, Walter

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1884

| died_year = 1942

| term_start = 1 February 1934

| term_end = 30 September 1935

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1934|01|30|1935|09|30}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1998-0112-500, Wilhelm Keitel.jpg

| military_rank = Generalmajor

| officeholder = Wilhelm Keitel

| officeholder_sort = Keitel, Wilhelm

| officeholder_note =

| born_year = 1882

| died_year = 1946

| term_start = 1 October 1935

| term_end = 4 February 1938

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1935|09|30|1938|02|04}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|No.|Number}}

! rowspan=2| Portrait

! rowspan=2| Name
{{small|(born–died)}}

! colspan=3| Term of office

! rowspan=2| {{Abbr|Ref.|Refences}}

|-

! Took office

! Left office

! Time in office

|-

! colspan=7| Heads of the Army Command ({{langx|de|Chefs der Heeresleitung}})

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Photo - General der Infanterie - Reinhardt.jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|Generalmajor}}

| officeholder = Walther Reinhardt

| officeholder_sort = Reinhardt, Walther

| born_year = 1872

| died_year = 1930

| term_start = 13 September 1919

| term_end = 22 March 1920

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1919|09|13|1920|03|22}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 2

| image = General von Seeckt (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|Generaloberst}}

| officeholder = Hans von Seeckt

| officeholder_sort = Seeckt, Hans

| born_year = 1866

| died_year = 1936

| term_start = 26 March 1920

| term_end = 9 October 1926

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1920|03|26|1926|10|09}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 3

| image = Nicola Perscheid - Wilhelm Heye vor 1930 (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|Generaloberst}}

| officeholder = Wilhelm Heye

| officeholder_sort = Heye, Wilhelm

| born_year = 1869

| died_year = 1947

| term_start = 9 October 1926

| term_end = 31 October 1930

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1926|10|09|1930|10|31}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 4

| image = Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord.jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|General der Infanterie}}

| officeholder = Kurt von Hammerstein-Equord

| officeholder_sort = Hammerstein-Equord, Kurt

| born_year = 1878

| died_year = 1943

| term_start = 1 November 1930

| term_end = 31 January 1934

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1930|11|01|1934|01|31}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table

| order = 5

| image = Werner von Fritsch (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|General der Artillerie}}

| officeholder = Werner von Fritsch

| officeholder_sort = Fritsch, Werner

| born_year = 1880

| died_year = 1939

| term_start = 1 February 1934

| term_end = 1 June 1935

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1934|02|01|1935|06|01}}

| ref =

}}

|-

! colspan=7| Commander-in-chief of the Army ({{langx|de|Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres}})

{{Officeholder table

| order = 1

| image = Werner von Fritsch (cropped).jpg

| military_rank = {{lang|de|Generaloberst}}

| officeholder = Werner von Fritsch

| officeholder_sort = Fritsch, Werner

| born_year = 1880

| died_year = 1939

| term_start = 1 June 1935

| term_end = 4 February 1938

| timeinoffice = {{ayd|1935|06|01|1938|02|04}}

| ref =

}}

{{Officeholder table end}}

File:Chef der Heeresleitung 1925.svg|Flag of the {{lang|de|Chef der Heeresleitung}} from 1925–1927.

File:Chef der Heeresleitung 1927.svg|Flag of the {{lang|de|Chef der Heeresleitung}} from 1927–1933.

File:OKH1.svg|Flag of the {{lang|de|Chef der Heeresleitung}} from 1927–1933.

File:OKH2.svg|Flag of the {{lang|de|Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres}} from 1935–1941.

{{reflist}}

{{notelist}}

• {{in lang|de}} [http://www.adlexikon.de/Reichswehrministerium.shtml Article on adlexikon.de] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927223919/http://www.adlexikon.de/Reichswehrministerium.shtml |date=2007-09-27 }}

Germany

Reichswehr

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Category:Government agencies disestablished in the 1930s