WWII ARMY BUCKLE - GERMAN
Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Reichswehr was only allowed 100,000 men split between the
Army and the Navy. Following the 1932 German elections the Nazi party came to power and began to
abrogate the treaty. The Army was made part of the Wehrmacht in May 1935 with the passing of the
"Law for the Reconstruction of the National Defence Forces". Initially, the Army was expanded to
21 divisional-sized units and smaller formations. Between 1935 and 1945 this force grew to
consist of hundreds of divisions and thousands of smaller supporting units. Between 1939 and 1945
close to 16 million served in the Army. Over 3 million were killed and over 4.1 million were
wounded. Of the 7,361 men awarded the initial grade of the highest German combat honour of World
War II, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, 4,777 were from the Army, making up 65% of the
total awarded. The Allies dissolved the German Army on 20 August 1946.
This is a WWII German buckle. As used by the Army. Of steel construction. Smooth surface with
an eagle in the center. The eagle sits on top of a swastika. A wreath under the eagle. The
words "GOTT MIT UNS" (God with us) written on top.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German belt buckles. Multiple detailed
photos of specific samples are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined aspects that should be
noted when inspecting a Third reich belt buckle.
The belt buckles of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were over 100
different types developed. Even the non-military belt buckles often displayed the
swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party.
The high quality and intricate designs have made the German belt buckles of World
War Two a desirable military collectible. this information is brought to you courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com
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The back of the belt buckle shows a manufacturing mark "JFS". Not all buckles were marked. In
some cases the date of manufacturing is also stamped on the back.
The type of catch employed here is "Square". It is spot welded to the body of the buckle.
The prongs are secured to a cylindrical structure that permits them to rotate over 180 degrees.
This facilitates the task of attaching the buckle to the belt.
The belt buckles of the Third Reich came in a variety of designs. There were over 100
different types developed. Even the non-military belt buckles often displayed the
swastika as a means to show support of the Nazi party.
The high quality and intricate designs have made the German belt buckles of World
War Two a desirable military collectible.
This belt buckle may currently be reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this buckle. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the belt buckle.
If you have an interest is seeing other belt buckles of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our WWII German Belt Buckles
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine), Air Force (Luftwaffe),
political and civilian buckles.
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