Page "Oberkommando der Wehrmacht" Paragraph 65

Setting different parts of the Nazi bureaucracy to compete for his favor in areas where their administration overlapped was a standard tactic employed by Hitler to reinforce his authority ; and just as in other areas of government, there was a rivalry between the OKW and the OKH.

Since most German operations during World War II were Army controlled ( with Luftwaffe support ), the OKH demanded control over German military forces.

Nevertheless, Hitler decided against the OKH and in favor of the OKW overseeing operations in many land theaters.

As the war progressed more and more influence moved from the OKH to the OKW, with Norway being the first " OKW war theater ".

More and more areas came under complete control of the OKW.

Finally only the Eastern Front remained the domain of the OKH.

However, as the Eastern Front was by far the primary battlefield of the German military, the OKH was still influential, particularly as Hitler was commander-in-chief of the OKH ( Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres ) from December 1941 until his suicide on 30 April 1945.