February 4, 1938
Hitler Takes Direct Command of the Wehrmacht
Historical context
On this day, February 4, 1938, Adolf Hitler dismissed the war minister and army commander and created the High Command of the Armed Forces under his personal authority.
Archive record
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- Date
- February 4, 1938
- Verified sources
- 1
- Archive threads
- 4
On this day, after the Blomberg–Fritsch crisis, Hitler abolished the Reich War Ministry and created the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW). Werner von Blomberg was dismissed as war minister. Werner von Fritsch was removed as commander-in-chief of the army. Hitler took personal command of the armed forces.
Wilhelm Keitel headed OKW. The army, navy, and air force kept their own high commands, but major decisions now passed through Hitler. This is not the 19 August 1934 referendum that confirmed him as Führer.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- Hitler Comes to Power · United States Holocaust Memorial Museum · Holocaust Encyclopedia View source
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