Miscellaneous

What was the Wehrmacht salute after WW2?

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What was the Wehrmacht salute after WW2?

After the failure of the plot all members of the Wehrmacht were made to re-swear their personal loyalty oath to Hitler and on July 24th 1944 the military salute was replaced throughout the Wehrmacht with the Hitler salute… ie: arm outstretched and the salutation Heil Hitler was given. It remained this way to the end of the war.

How many people served in the German Army during World War II?

During World War II, a total of about 13.6 million soldiers served in the German Army. Army personnel were made up of volunteers and conscripts. Only 17 months after Adolf Hitler announced the German rearmament program in 1935, the army reached its projected goal of 36 divisions. During the autumn of 1937, two more corps were formed.

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How did the Nazi salute become a national tradition?

Under a decree issued by Reich Minister of the Interior Wilhelm Frick on 13 July 1933 (one day before the ban on all non-Nazi parties), all German public employees were required to use the salute. The decree also required the salute during the singing of the national anthem and the “Horst-Wessel-Lied.”.

Is it illegal to salute in Germany?

Today in Germany, Nazi salutes in written form, vocally, and even straight-extending the right arm as a saluting gesture (with or without the phrase), are illegal. The offence is punishable by up to three years in prison (Strafgesetzbuch section 86a).

Were bareheaded soldiers allowed to salute?

However, according Reichswehr and Wehrmacht protocol, taditional military salutes were prohibited when the saluting soldier was not wearing a uniform headgear (helmet or cap). Because of this, all bareheaded salutes were suppose to be made with the Hitler salute.

What is the 88 salute in Germany?

One such version is the so-called “Kühnen salute” with extended thumb, index and middle finger, which is also a criminal offence in Germany. In written correspondence, the number 88 is sometimes used by some neo-Nazis as a substitute for “Heil Hitler” (“H” as the eighth letter of the alphabet).