German Conversation · Level 174
29 words
German word
Wehrmacht
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈveːɐ̯ˌmaxt/
Meaning
- feminine nounGerman armed forces
Example
Die Wehrmacht wurde 1935 gegründet.
The German armed forces were established in 1935.
More examples
Einheiten der Wehrmacht zogen sich an der Front zurück.
Units of the German armed forces withdrew at the front.
Core concept
One state-run military structure containing land, naval, and air branches under a single name.
Common phrases
Einheiten der Wehrmacht
units of the German armed forces
Offiziere der Wehrmacht
officers of the German armed forces
Similar words
Bundeswehr: Germany's current unified armed forces, established in 1955 and covering land, naval, and air forces.
Reichswehr: Germany's armed forces during the Weimar Republic, existing from 1919 to 1935.
Militär: A general term for armed forces or a military organization as a whole.
Armee: A large land force or the army as a branch of the armed forces.
Definition in German
Wehrmacht, die von 1935 bis 1945 die regulären Streitkräfte Deutschlands bildete und Heer, Kriegsmarine sowie Luftwaffe umfasste.
Word origin
The compound joins Wehr, related to wehren ('defend'), with Macht ('power'), and Wehrmacht became the official name of Germany's armed forces in 1935.
Usage tips
- In historical writing, Wehrmacht normally refers specifically to Germany's armed forces from 1935 to 1945, whereas the modern German military is the Bundeswehr.