TheHitler Oath (German:Führereid orFührer Oath)—also referred in English as theSoldier's Oath[1]—refers to theoaths of allegiance sworn by officers and soldiers of theWehrmacht and civil servants ofGermany between 1934 and 1945. The oath pledged personal loyalty toAdolf Hitler rather than loyalty to theWeimar Constitution of the country. Historians view the personal oath of the Nazi Germany as an important psychological element to obey orders for committing war crimes, atrocities, andgenocide.[2] During theNuremberg trials, many German officers unsuccessfully attempted to use the oath as a defence against charges ofwar crimes andcrimes against humanity.[3]
During theWeimar era, the oath of allegiance, sworn by theReichswehr, required soldiers to swear loyalty to theReich Constitution and its lawful institutions. Following Hitler's appointment asChancellor in 1933, themilitary oath changed, the troops now swearing loyalty to people and country. On the day of the death of PresidentPaul von Hindenburg, the oath was changed again, as part of theNazification of the country; it was no longer one of allegiance to the Constitution or its institutions, but one of binding loyalty to Hitler himself.[4]
Although the popular view is that Hitler drafted the oath himself and imposed it on the military, the oath was the initiative ofReichswehr Minister GeneralWerner von Blomberg and GeneralWalter von Reichenau, the chief of the Ministerial Office. The intention of Blomberg and Reichenau in having the military swear an oath to Hitler was to create a personal special bond between him and the military, which was intended to tie Hitler more tightly towards the military and away from theNazi Party. Years later, Blomberg admitted that he did not think through the full implications of the oath at the time.[5]
On 20 August 1934, the cabinet decreed the "Law On The Allegiance of Civil Servants and Soldiers of the Armed Forces", which superseded the original oaths. The new law decreed that both members of the armed forces and civil servants had to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler personally.[2]
From 1919 until 1935, the Weimar Republic's armed forces were called theReichswehr (Realm Defence).
The original oath called theReichswehreid came into effect on 14 August 1919, shortly afterReichspräsidentFriedrich Ebert had signed the Weimar Constitution for theGerman Reich. TheTreaty of Versailles limited theReichswehr to a total of 100,000 men.
In January 1933, when Adolf Hitler was appointedReichskanzler and theEnabling Act andGleichschaltung came into effect, the military oath changed again.
| German original | Translated |
|---|---|
| Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, daß ich meinem Volk und Vaterland allzeit treu und redlich dienen und als tapferer und gehorsamer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen. | "I swear by God this holy oath, that I want to ever loyally and sincerely serve my people and fatherland and be prepared as a brave and obedient soldier to risk my life for this oath at any time."[6] |
After the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg on 2 August 1934, Hitler merged the offices ofReichspräsident andReichskanzler, and declared himselfFührer and Reichskanzler. Blomberg issued a new wording which became known as theFührereid (Hitler oath). From that point on, all military personnel swore an oath of allegiance and binding loyalty to Hitler himself.
On 16 March 1935 the German government renamed theReichswehr as theWehrmacht (Defence Force)[7]
| German original | Translated |
|---|---|
| Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid, daß ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler, dem Obersten Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht, unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will, jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen. | "I swear by God this holy oath that I shall renderunconditional obedience to the Leader of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, supreme commander of the armed forces, and that as a brave soldier I shall at all times be prepared to give my life for this oath."[8] |
When the oath became law in July 1935, civilian officials would swear a similar oath.
Diensteid der öffentlichen Beamten
| German original | Translated |
|---|---|
| Ich schwöre: Ich werde dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und Volkes Adolf Hitler treu und gehorsam sein, die Gesetze beachten, und meine Amtspflichten gewissenhaft erfüllen, so wahr mir Gott helfe. | "I swear: I will be faithful and obedient to the leader of the German Reich and people, Adolf Hitler, to observe the law, and to conscientiously fulfil my official duties, so help me God!"[8] |
Oathtakers then sang bothDeutschland Über Alles and the Nazi anthemHorst-Wessel-Lied.[9]
Thousands of military officers reportedly claimed to be ill to avoid taking the oath but were forced to do so after returning to duty.[10][11]
| Name | Background | Consequences |
|---|---|---|
| Karl Barth | Swiss theologian | Loss of professorship[12] |
| Martin Gauger | Probationary judge as a state prosecutor in Wuppertal | Forced retirement of his position as a state prosecutor[12] |
| Franz Jägerstätter | Austrian conscientious objector | Executed in 1943; beatified in 2007[12] |
| Josef Mayr-Nusser | ItalianRoman Catholic fromBozen, after call-up for duty in theWaffen-SS | Death penalty, died on the way toDachau concentration camp[13] |
| Joseph Ruf | "Brother Maurus" of theChristkönigsgesellschaft | Death penalty |
| Franz Reinisch | Pallottines priest from Austria, after call-up for duty in theWehrmacht | Executed by beheading in 1942; beatified in 2017[12][14][15] |
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