Hitler Oath

Historians view the personal oath of the Nazi Germany as an important psychological element to obey orders for committing war crimes, atrocities, and genocide.

[3] During the Weimar era, the oath of allegiance, sworn by the Reichswehr, required soldiers to swear loyalty to the Reich Constitution and its lawful institutions.

On the day of the death of President Paul von Hindenburg, the oath was changed again, as part of the Nazification of the country; it was no longer one of allegiance to the Constitution or its institutions, but one of binding loyalty to Hitler himself.

The original oath called the Reichswehreid came into effect on 14 August 1919, shortly after Reichspräsident Friedrich Ebert had signed the Weimar Constitution for the German Reich.

On 16 March 1935 the German government renamed the Reichswehr as the Wehrmacht (Defence Force)[7] Ich schwöre bei Gott diesen heiligen Eid,daß ich dem Führer des Deutschen Reiches und VolkesAdolf Hitler, dem Oberbefehlshaber der Wehrmacht,unbedingten Gehorsam leisten und als tapferer Soldat bereit sein will,jederzeit für diesen Eid mein Leben einzusetzen.

"I swear: I will be faithful and obedientto 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!