Flags of the Armed Forces 1933-1945 (Germany)

Deutsche Wehrmacht

Last modified: 2002-05-31 by santiago dotor
Keywords: third reich | rank | minister: war | commander in chief | disc (white) | swastika | cross: swastika (black) | iron cross | cross: formy (black) | eagle (black) | eagles: 2 | bordure (faceted) | batons: crossed | eagle (white) |
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• Flag of the Defense Minister 1933-1935 (Flagge des Reichswehrministers)
• Flag of the War Minister 23rd June - 5th October 1935 (Flagge des Reichskriegsministers)
• Flag of the War Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces 5th October 1935 - 4th February 1938 (Flagge des Reichskriegsministers und Oberbefehshabers der Wehrmacht)
• Flag of the Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1938-1941 (Flagge des Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht / OKW)
• Flag of a Field Marshal as Chief of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1941-1945 (Flagge eines Generalfeldmarschalls als Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht / OKW)
• Command Flag for Armed Forces Commanders (Kommandoflagge für Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber)
• Command Flag for Military Governors (Kommandoflagge für Militärbefehlshaber)
• Flags of the Army 1933-1945 (Heer)
  • Command and Rank Flags of the Army 1933-1945
  • Command Flags of the Army 1885-1925 and 1933-1945
• Flags of the Navy 1933-1945 (Kriegsmarine)
• Flags of the Air Force 1933-1945 (Luftwaffe)
• European Volunteer Units in the German Armed Forces 1941-1945

See also:

• German-Occupied Territories 1939-1945
• Third Reich 1933-1945
• Germany

Flagge des Reichswehrministers

1:1
by Tom Gregg

This was a square flag with an Iron Cross on a black-white-red, square tricolour with a broad white (inside) and a narrow black (outside) border. Used 1933 to 1935. A black and white version is given in Davis 1975.

Norman Martin, 1998

Flagge des Reichskriegsministers

The War Minister's flag was a square flag with a narrow black outer border and a wide white inner border, and the center field being basically the same as the Defence Minister's Flag 1933-1935 (which it replaced) — a bordered Iron Cross on a black-white-red tricolor, though somewhat smaller than it. At each corner of the large white border is a black Nazi National Eagle. Around the white field was a black-white-black border. Davis 1975 has a black and white version. This flag was used only from 23 June to 5 October 1935 and was then replaced by the flag of the War Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

Norman Martin, January 1998

Flagge des Reichskriegsministers und Oberbefehshaber der Wehrmacht

1:1
by Jaume Ollé [?]

A red square flag with a black-white-black bordered white disk with a black-white bordered swastika — thus similar in effect to the ensign but with a centered disk. In the 1st and 4th field a white-black-white bordered black Iron Cross, in the 2nd and 3rd a white bordered black Nazi National Eagle. In use 5 October 1935 to 4 February 1938. Davis 1975, p. 83.

Norman Martin, January 1998

This flag was used by Field Marshal Werner von Blomberg from 1935 until his dismissal from office in 1938. At that time the office of War Minister was abolished and most of its administrative functions were assumed by the new Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW) under Colonel-General (later Field Marshal) Wilhelm Keitel. A new flag was introduced for Keitel's use; when he was promoted to Field Marshal. Hitler himself took over as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

Tom Gregg, 14 June 1998

Flagge des Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht (OKW)

by Jaume Ollé

A black-white bordered red swallow-tailed flag, at the center a white disk with an inner black-white-black border, in the center of the disk a black-white bordered black swastika. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. VI and Davis 1975, p. 83. Adopted 1938. Not used after 1941.

Norman Martin, January 1998

In 1938 Hitler assumed the powers of the War Minister after dismissing Field Marshal von Blomberg from that post and reorganizing the Ministry into the High Command of the Armed Forces — Oberkommando der Wehrmacht or OKW. That is why the previous flag was abolished in 1938. This flag and the following were used by Colonel-General —from 1941 Field Marshal— Keitel as Chief of the OKW.

Tom Gregg, 18 December 1997

Flagge eines Generalfeldmarschalls als Chefs des Oberkommandos der Wehrmacht (OKW)

by Jaume Ollé

Same as [the 1938 flag] with crossed marshal's batons with a gold Nazi Party type eagle superimposed. Illustrated in Flaggenbuch 1939, pl. Vb (color) and Davis 1975, p. 46 (black and white). Adopted 1941.

Norman Martin, January 1998

Kommandoflagge für Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber

1:1
by Jaume Ollé

Square flag, with concentric equal width squares, black-white-red, with silver a Nazi party type eagle carrying a wreath containing a swastika on the red square. On the bottom of the red square, the word Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber.

Norman Martin, March 1998

Kommandoflagge für Militärbefehlshaber

1:1
by Jaume Ollé

Square flag with concentric fields of equal width of black-white-red. On red square, silver Nazi national eagle, with swastika in its talons. Below the swastika, the words Militärbefehlshaber.

Norman Martin, March 1998

It should perhaps be noted that a Militärbefehlshaber was the regional governor of the occupied territories (see also my Third Reich Factbook) that were under the control of the Wehrmacht:

• Militärbefehlshaber Belgien und Nordfrankreich (in Brüssel)
• Militärbefehlshaber Frankreich (in Paris)
• Militärbefehlshaber Saloniki-Ägäis
• Militärbefehlshaber Serbien (in Belgrad)
• Militärbefehlshaber Südgriechenland

Marcus Wendel, 10 and 13 July 2000