German Soldiers in WW2 were the main fighting force of the Heer. The Wehrmacht, or Nazi Germany's armed forces, had many divisions and specializations of soldiers who fought for Hitler's Reich. In the Heer, soldiers would need to receive orders from a commanding officer. A general of the Heer usually was a lower-ranking officer compared to those in the high command, so they would usually be seen fighting along with troops or relaying orders on the battlefield. These men would usually have been veterans of WW1, having seen combat and personally experienced what a soldier would have. They usually commanded troops with only a sidearm.