Formation of the Luftwaffe, 26th February 1935

The Luftwaffe was officially formed on 26th February 1935. Though banned by the Treaty of Versailles, the Nazi State had been building up the airforce. Having already enjoyed some successes at seeing terms of the treaty undone, albeit unofficially, the decision had been made to reveal the new airforce.

The Luftwaffe was soon to be put to the test. In the Spanish Civil War, the pilots and aircrew gained invaluable assistance whilst supporting forces under General Franco. This, along with advances to Tank production in the Third Reich, enabled military strategists to formulate new tactics. Building on the more mobile aspects of the latter phases of the First World War, the Luftwaffe was to form a crucial part of this new method of aggressive warfare: known as Blitzkrieg.