Original Item. Only One Available. The Reichswehr was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first two years of AH’s Germany. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army (Deutsches Heer) was dissolved in order to be reshaped into a peacetime army. From it a provisional Reichswehr was formed in March 1919. Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, the rebuilt German Army was subject to severe limitations in size, structure and armament. The official formation of the Reichswehr took place on 1 January 1921 after the limitations had been met. The German armed forces kept the name Reichswehr until AH's 1935 proclamation of "restoration of military sovereignty", at which point it became part of the new Wehrmacht.

This is an outstanding metal bust of a Reichswehr soldier wearing an M16 Stahlhelm helmet, which were still standard issue during the interwar period. Looking to be made from bronze or bronze-painted alloy, the bust measures 3 1/4" tall, and is attached to a 2 3/4" tall marble base, which is 2 1/2"W by 2 1/4"D at the bottom. There is a dedication plaque on the front of the base, which reads:-

ZUM ANDENKEN
AN DEINE KAMERADEN
HANS u. WOLFGANG
WEIHN. 1928

This translates to "In memory of your comrades Hans and Wolfgang, Christmas 1928", so we assume that this was given to a fellow soldier in the Reichswehr for Christmas in 1928. It may be that they had completed their mandatory military service, and were leaving to go back home. Overall condition is very good, and this would make a great addition to any interwar collection.