CONCLUSION

Adolf Hitler’s role as Commander in Chief of the Wehrmacht throughout the Second World War was initially successful and effective, but deteriorated as the war progressed. Within a few years after becoming Commander in Chief, Hitler managed to occupy most of Central Europe with limited bloodshed, and this continued into the war itself through using the blitzkrieg tactics which enabled him to dominate countries such as Poland and Denmark. However, as the war continued and the Allied nations began to learn the blitzkrieg tactics, Germany began to suffer defeats, with the turning point being regarded as the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942. It was evident by the latter stages of the war that Hitler was no longer worthy of the role as Commander in Chief as he lost touch with the reality of the situation and refused to listen to advice from any of his military personnel, which was especially evident at the Battle of Stalingrad when he forbade Germany to surrender even after it was clear that the battle had been lost. Thus, Hitler’s leadership as Commander in Chief was initially successful but then to collapsed along with Germany’s power in the later years of the Second World War.