Oberkommando der Wehrmacht

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW (Wehrmacht High Command, Armed Forces High Command) was part of the command structure of the German armed forces during World War II. In theory, it served as the military general staff for Adolf Hitler's Third Reich, coordinating the efforts of the German Army (Heer), Navy (Kriegsmarine), and Air Force (Luftwaffe). In theory, the OKW, as Hitler's military office, was charged with translating Hitler's ideas into military orders. In practice it had little real control over the Army, Navy and the Air Force High Commands. However, as the war progressed the OKW found itself exercising increasing amounts of direct command authority over military units, particularly in the West. This created a situation such that by 1942 the OKW was the de facto command of Western forces while the Oberkommando des Heeres (the Army High Command) exercised de facto command of the Russian front.

See also

• German General Staff
• Wehrmacht