
The ''Führer'' Headquarters (), abbreviated FHQ, were a number of official headquarters used by the
Nazi
Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
leader
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...
and various other
German commanders and officials throughout Europe during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
.
[Raiber, Richard, ''Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19'', Introduction and p. 1.] The last one to be used, and the most widely known, was the in Berlin, where Hitler
committed suicide on 30 April 1945. Other notable headquarters are the ''Wolfsschanze'' (
Wolf's Lair) in
East Prussia
East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
, where
Claus ''Graf'' von Stauffenberg in league with other conspirators
attempted to assassinate Hitler on 20 July 1944, and Hitler's private home, the ''
Berghof'', at
Obersalzberg near
Berchtesgaden
Berchtesgaden () is a municipality in the district Berchtesgadener Land, Bavaria, in southeastern Germany, near the border with Austria, south of Salzburg and southeast of Munich. It lies in the Berchtesgaden Alps. South of the town, the Be ...
, where he frequently met with prominent foreign and domestic officials.
Introduction
At the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
there were no permanent headquarters constructed for Hitler. The German leader would visit the frontlines using either aeroplanes or his special train, the ''
Führersonderzug''; which could be considered as the first of his field headquarters. The first permanent Führer Headquarters was the ''
Felsennest'', used by Hitler during the
Battle of France
The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...
in May 1940. Hitler spent little time in Berlin during the war, and the dwellings he most frequently used were the ''
Berghof'' and the ''
Wolfsschanze'', spending more than 800 days at the latter.
The ''Führer'' Headquarters were especially designed to work as command facilities for the ''Führer'', which meant all necessary demands were taken into consideration: communications, conference rooms, safety measures, bunkers, guard facilities, etc. The ''Berghof'' and the Obersalzberg complex were modified and extended with considerable defense facilities (bunkers, guard posts etc.). The ''
Wehrmachtbericht'', a daily propaganda broadcast covering the war, was transmitted from the ''Führer'' Headquarters.
The ''Fuhrerhauptquartiere'' programme used over one million cubic metres of concrete, more than half at Anlage Riese and Wolfsschlucht II. Forced labourers worked for nearly 12 million working days—two-thirds at Anlage Riese, Wolfsschlucht II, and Wolfsschanze.
The ''Führer'' Headquarters cannot be considered as strict military headquarters; the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
'' had their own, distinctly located in other places, yet often in the vicinity of the FHQs. Nevertheless, because Hitler directly controlled much of the German war effort, the FHQs more often than not became ''
de facto'' military headquarters. In reality, Nazi Germany's military command during the war generally rested upon Hitler's directives, while the rest of the military command structure, especially the ''
Oberkommando der Wehrmacht (OKW)'' (directly controlled by Hitler) was reduced to executing his decisions, as compared to most other nations' command structures, which generally had more independence in decision-making.
Terminology
Every place Hitler stayed cannot be considered as a ''Führer'' Headquarters, and he did not stay at every official FHQ.
Furthermore, some sources may not refer to the ''
Berghof'' and the as official German ''Führerhauptquartiere'' at that time in history, but both of them became ''de facto'' ''Führer'' Headquarters; thus, they are historically often referred to as such.
The ''Berghof'' was modified in much the same way as other FHQs,
[Eberle, Henrik and Uhl, Matthias, ''The Unknown Hitler'', 11th chapter, pp. 199–200.] and Hitler had daily conferences on military matters there in the latter part of the war.
The "Eagle's Nest", i.e. the ''
Kehlsteinhaus'', was rarely used and may not be considered a FHQ as such alone; however, it was associated with the ''Berghof'' and part of the Obersalzberg military complex.
The ''Führerbunker'' was located about beneath the garden of the old Reich Chancellery at Wilhelmstraße 77, and north of the new Reich Chancellery building at
Voßstraße 6 in Berlin.
[Lehrer, Steven, ''The Reich Chancellery and Führerbunker Complex'', p. 123.] It became a ''de facto'' ''Führer'' Headquarters during the
Battle of Berlin, and ultimately,
the last of his headquarters.
[Beevor, Antony, ''Berlin: The Downfall 1945'', p. 357.]
Headquarters locations
There were about 14 known completed ''Führer'' Headquarters (of about 20 planned):
[Raiber, Richard, ''Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19'', p. 2.]
Special train (''Führersonderzug'')
The Führersonderzug train was named ''Führersonderzug "Amerika"'' in 1940, and later ''Führersonderzug "Brandenburg"''. The train was used as a headquarters until the
Balkans campaign. Afterwards, the train was not used as Führer Headquarters, however Hitler continued to travel on it throughout the war between Berlin, Berchtesgaden, Munich and other headquarters.
See also
*
National redoubt (the supposed Nazi "''Alpenfestung''" (
Alpine Fortress))
*
Nazi architecture
Nazi architecture is the architecture promoted by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Germany, Nazi regime from 1933 until its fall in 1945, connected with urban planning in Nazi Germany. It is characterized by three forms: a Stripped Classicism, stripp ...
*
Vorbunker
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
*
*
* Hansen, Hans-Josef: ''Felsennest - Das vergessene Führerhauptquartier in der Eifel. Bau, Nutzung, Zerstörung''. Aachen 2006, Helios-Verlag, .
* Kuffner, Alexander: ''Zeitreiseführer Eifel 1933–45''. Helios, Aachen 2007, .
*
*
* Raiber, Richard, ''Guide to Hitler's Headquarters'',
After the Battle No.19, Special Edition'', Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1977, London
* Ramsey, Winston G. (editor) & Posch, Tom (researcher), ''The Berlin Führerbunker: The Thirteenth Hole
No. 61, Special Edition'', Battle of Britain International Ltd, 1988, London
* Pierre Rhode/Werner Sünkel: ''Wolfsschlucht 2 – Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers'', Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte+Technik, Leinburg 1993,
* Werner Sünkel/Rudolf Rack/Pierre Rhode: ''Adlerhorst – Autopsie eines Führerhauptquartiers'', Verlag Werner Sünkel Geschichte +Technik, Offenhausen 1998,
*
von Loringhoven, Bernd Freytag/d’Alançon, François: ''Mit Hitler im Bunker. Aufzeichnungen aus dem Führerhauptquartier Juli 1944 – April 1945''. Berlin 2005, wjs-Verlag, .
* Schulz, Alfons: ''Drei Jahre in der Nachrichtenzentrale des Führerhauptquartiers''. Christiana-Verlag, Stein am Rhein. 2. Aufl. 1997. .
* Seidler, Franz W./Zeigert, Dieter : ''Die Führerhauptquartiere. Anlagen und Planungen im Zweiten Weltkrieg''. München: Herbig 2000. .
External links
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