German Command and Control
the various army plots to overthrow Hitler.) There is no doubt Hitler understood the precarious relationship he had with the German army on the eve of war in 1939.
The litany of OKH opposition to Hitler's plans included the remilitarization of the Rhineland, the anschluss with Austria, the occupation of Czechosolvakia, the invasion of Poland, the invasion of France and the invasion of the Soviet Union. Essentially, if Hitler had a plan that involved military action he could count on the OKH to counsel against it. There can be no better testament to the political power of the German army at the start of World War II than the fact that Hitler tolerated its constant opposition and subversion of his political will. None of the other great powers brooked military commanders who demonstrated such insolence towards the political leadership. It is small wonder that Hitler took every opportunity to reign in the OKH.
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