Oberkommando der Wehrmacht

The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW), or Armed Forces High Command, was the supreme military command of Nazi Germany's armed forces. It reported directly to Adolf Hitler and was responsible for military operations in the western theater of World War II. The OKW's structure was characterized by Hitler's megalomania and the rigidity of the Nazi state, leading to an inefficient command system where various branches and units reported separately to Hitler, often bypassing their immediate commanders. This fragmented authority, particularly concerning crucial assets like Panzer Group West, hampered effective defense against Allied invasions. Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt was the Commander in Chief West under the OKW, but even he had limited direct control over naval and air forces vital to his theater. Many commanders, often from the Prussian nobility or pre-Nazi military elite, harbored reservations about Nazi ideology and some were even involved in plots against Hitler.12