How the (German) Nazis did control the military?

No love affair

The relationship between the Nazis and the German military was no love affair right from the start.

When Hitler and his brown-shirted buddies stormed onto Germany’s political stage, the mood in the Reichswehr officer corps was about as cheerful as a CEO when the tax auditors arrive.

The Reichswehr liked to see itself as the last bastion of dignity and tradition: aristocratic accents, stiff uniforms, and the comforting smell of pipe tobacco in the officers’ mess. The Nazis, by contrast, looked like a gang of brawling soccer hooligans who had somehow stolen a flag factory.

For the generals, these upstarts were noisy, unruly, and far too fond of parades with bad choreography. Worst of all, their SA goons had this brilliant idea of replacing the professional army with a “people’s militia.” To the Reichswehr, that sounded about as appealing as handing over the keys of the national treasury to a kindergarten. In their minds, the army was their exclusive club, and the Nazis were the drunk guys banging on the door.

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