Nazi Germany

Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian ideology of the National Socialist German Workers Party, or Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator.

Organization of the Third Reich

The leaders of Nazi Germany created a large number of different organizations for the purpose of helping them in staying in power. They rearmed and strengthened the military, set up an extensive state security apparatus and created their own personal party army, the Waffen SS.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Through staffing of most government positions with Nazi Party members, by 1935 the German federal government and the Nazi Party had become virtually one and the same. By 1938, through the policy of Gleichschaltung, local and state governments lost all legislative power and answered administratively to Nazi party leaders, known as Gauleiters.

Related Topics:
Gleichschaltung - Gauleiter

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The organization of the Nazi state, as of 1944, was as follows:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Head of State and Chief Executive

• Führer und Reichskanzler (Adolf Hitler)

Cabinet and Federal authorities

• Office of the Reich Chancellery (Hans Lammers)
• Office of the Party Chancellery (Martin Bormann)
• Office of the Presidential Chancellery (Otto Meissner)
• Privy Cabinet Council (Konstantin von Neurath)
• Chancellery of the Führer (Philip Bouhler)

Reich Offices

• Office of the Four-Year Plan (Hermann Göring)
• Office of the Reich Master Forester (Hermann Göring)
• Office of the Inspector for Highways
• Office of the President of the Reich Bank
• Reich Youth Office
• Reich Treasury Office
• General Inspector of the Reich Capitol
• Office of the Councillor for the Capitol of the Movement (Munich, Bavaria)

Reich Ministries

• Reich Foreign Ministry (Joachim von Ribbentrop)
• Reich Interior Ministry (Wilhelm Frick, Heinrich Himmler)
• Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Joseph Goebbels)
• Reich Ministry of Aviation (Hermann Göring)
• Reich Ministry of Finance (Lutz Schwerin von Krosigk)
• Reich Ministry of Justice (Franz Schlegelberger)
• Reich Economics Ministry (Walther Funk)
• Reich Ministry for Nutrition and Agriculture (Walther Darre)
• Reich Labor Ministry (Franz Seldte)
• Reich Ministry for Science, Education, and Public Instruction (Bernhard Rust)
• Reich Ministry for Ecclesiastical Affairs (Hanns Kerrl)
• Reich Transportation Ministry (Julius Dorpmüller)
• Reich Postal Ministry (Wilhelm Ohnesorge)
• Reich Ministry for Weapons, Munitions, and Armament (Fritz Todt, Albert Speer)
• Reich Ministers without Portfolio (Konstantin von Neurath, Hans Frank, Hjalmar Schacht, Arthur Seyss-Inquart)

Occupation authorities

• Reich Ministry for the Occupied Eastern Territories (Alfred Rosenberg)
• General Government of Poland (Hans Frank)
• Reich Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (Konstantin von Neurath)
• Deputy Reich Protector of Bohemia and Moravia (Reinhard Heydrich)
• Office of the Military Governor of France

Legislative Branch

• Reichstag
• Speaker of the Reichstag (Hermann Göring)
• Reichsrat (disbanded February 14, 1934)

Military

Wehrmacht — Armed Forces

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:OKW — Armed Forces High Command

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Chief of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces - Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel

Related Topics:
Field Marshal - Wilhelm Keitel

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::: Chief of the Operations Staff - Colonel General Alfred Jodl

Related Topics:
Colonel General - Alfred Jodl

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Heer — Army

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:OKH — Army High Command

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Army Commanders-in-Chief

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Colonel General Werner von Fritsch (1935 to 1938)

Related Topics:
Colonel General - Werner von Fritsch - 1935 - 1938

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch (1938 to 1941)

Related Topics:
Field Marshal - Walther von Brauchitsch - 1938 - 1941

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Führer and Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler (1941 to 1945)

Related Topics:
Führer - Reich Chancellor - Adolf Hitler - 1941 - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:::Field Marshal Ferdinand Schörner (1945)

Related Topics:
Field Marshal - Ferdinand Schörner - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Kriegsmarine — Navy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:OKM — Navy High Command

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Navy Commanders-in-Chief

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Grand Admiral Erich Raeder (1928-1943)

Related Topics:
Grand Admiral - Erich Raeder - 1928 - 1943

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz (1943-1945)

Related Topics:
Grand Admiral - Karl Dönitz - 1943 - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::General Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg (1945)

Related Topics:
General Admiral - Hans-Georg von Friedeburg - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Luftwaffe — Airforce

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:OKL — Airforce High Command

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Air Force Commanders-in-Chief

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Reich Marshal Hermann Göring (to 1945)

Related Topics:
Reich Marshal - Hermann Göring - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

::Field Marshal Robert Ritter von Greim (1945)

Related Topics:
Field Marshal - Robert Ritter von Greim - 1945

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Abwehr — Military Intelligence

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Rear Admiral Konrad Patzig {1932-1935)

Related Topics:
Rear Admiral - Konrad Patzig

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:Vice Admiral Wilhelm Canaris (1935-1944)

Related Topics:
Vice Admiral - Wilhelm Canaris

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Paramilitary organisations

• Sturmabteilung (SA)
• Schutzstaffel (SS)
• Allgemeine SS
• Waffen SS
• Germanische SS
• Deutscher Volkssturm
• Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrerkorps (NSKK)
• Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps (NSFK)

State police

Reich Central Security Office (RSHA — Reichssicherheitshauptamt)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Regular Police (Ordnungspolizei (Orpo))
• Schutzpolizei (Safety Police)
• Gendarmerie (Rural Police)
• Gemeindepolizei (Local Police)
• Security Police (Sicherheitspolizei (Sipo))
• Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo)
• Reich Kriminalpolizei (Kripo)
• Sicherheitsdienst (SD)

Political organizations

• Nazi Party — National Socialist German Workers Party (abbreviated NSDAP)
• Youth organisations
• Hitler-Jugend — Hitler-youth (for boys and young men)
• Bund Deutscher Mädel (for girls and young women)
• Deutsches Jungvolk (for very young boys and girls ages 6-8)

Service organizations

• Deutsche Reichsbahn (State Railway)
• Reichspost (State Postal Service)
• Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (German Red Cross)

Religious organisations

• German Christians
• Protestant Reich Church

Academic organizations

• National Socialist German University Teachers League
• National Socialist German Students League