After Hindenburg died and Hitler took over as chancellor and president, the German armed forces were reformed.
organizational structure has been created, according to which the head of each of the three types of troops (land army, the Luftwaffe and the Navy) was his supreme commander, subordinate to the Fuhrer himself.In addition, a separate military structure were the SS with its headquarters and management.Thus, a single military command Wehrmacht actually had.
Military ranks of Nazi Germany in general repeat the hierarchy adopted after the First World War.Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles size of the army was not to exceed one hundred thousand people.Junior commanders, captains and staff officers were middle command staff.Thus, for the full deployment of the army could only enter the mobilization requirements for junior officers and the rank and file.
in 1937 were introduced the title of technical and veterinary non-commissioned officers.A year later, officials approved the "sergeant-major" and "headquarters, the sergeant-major," that is assigned to Unter, passed the certification.Thus, there were ranks of Nazi Germany, who pointed out that the political and military leadership of the country headed for militarization and conditions adopted in Versailles, in fact ignored.
Kriegsmarine organizational structure, ie the Navy, not significantly different from that adopted in the world hierarchy.Naval ranks of Nazi Germany, from an ordinary sailor to admiral, meet their counterparts in the Soviet Navy, the difference was only in the titles: "korvettenkapiten", "fregattenkapiten" and "Capito zur See", ie masters of the third, second and first ranks.
The Luftwaffe (the same as the Air Force) soldier serving called "Fliege".In aviation, military ranks of Nazi Germany were the same as in the Army.
SS troops had their own chain of command.These armed groups are considered elite, which was reflected in the requirements for the appearance of soldiers.He had to fully comply with the racial theories that prevailed in the Third Reich.Military ranks of the Wehrmacht did not coincide with the SS as decals.So, consistent with epaulets Untersturmführer SS lieutenant general military, SS Hauptsturmführer captain had the power, and Standartenfiihrer SS - Colonel.
can see certain parallels between similar in function to the military structures - the German Waffen-SS and the Soviet NKVD.Authorities that provide the military ranks of Nazi Germany, epaulets and other insignia were different for elite units for regular combatant forces.In the USSR, the NKVD served as a sergeant, lieutenant similar (Red Army).This "shift" in two stages go on to major comply with the colonel.
in a totalitarian state punitive troops to carry out a fundamental function of such regimes.They frighten the population of the occupied territories, and its own army.This explains the lack of love, reaching to hatred combined with contempt with which the front-line soldiers belonged to the representatives of these elite groups, especially that particular resistance and courage in the defense of the attack nor NKVDshniki or SS men did not differ.
