The Oberkommando der Wehrmacht was the supreme military command and control staff of Nazi Germany during World War II, that was directly subordinated to Adolf Hitler. Created in 1938, the OKW succeeded the Reich Ministry of War and had nominal oversight over the individual high commands of the country's armed forces: the army, navy and air force. With the start of World War II, tactical control of the Waffen-SS was also exercised by it. There was no direct chain of command between the OKW and the other High Commands.