Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich

The Council of Ministers for the Defense of the Reich (German: Ministerrat für die Reichsverteidigung) was a six-member ministerial council created in Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler on 30 August 1939, in anticipation of the invasion of Poland – which provoked the beginning of World War II – with the purpose of allowing the continuation of the Nazi government, especially in relation to the war effort, while Hitler concentrated on prosecuting the war.^[1] The council has been described as functioning as a "war cabinet,"^[2] although this assessment is disputed.^[3]

This institution should not be confused with the Reich Defense Council (Reichsverteidungsrat), which was established in 1938 and met only two times.^[3]

^ Mertens, Bernd (2009). Rechtsetzung im Nationalsozialismus (in German). Mohr Siebeck. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-3-16-150103-6.
^ Broszat, Martin (1981). The Hitler State: The Foundation and Development of the Internal Structure of the Third Reich. New York: Longman Inc. pp. 308–312. ISBN 0-582-49200-9.
^ ^a ^b Kershaw, Ian (2000) Hitler: 1936-45: Nemesis New York: Norton. pp.311-313 ISBN 0-393-04994-9

[Mertens-1] Mertens, Bernd (2009). Rechtsetzung im Nationalsozialismus (in German). Mohr Siebeck. pp. 20–22. ISBN 978-3-16-150103-6.

[broszat-2] Broszat, Martin (1981). The Hitler State: The Foundation and Development of the Internal Structure of the Third Reich. New York: Longman Inc. pp. 308–312. ISBN 0-582-49200-9.

[kershaw-3] Kershaw, Ian (2000) Hitler: 1936-45: Nemesis New York: Norton. pp.311-313 ISBN 0-393-04994-9

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