The Volkssturm (German pronunciation: [ˈfɔlks.ʃtʊɐ̯m], "people's storm"[1][2]) was a national militia established by Nazi Germany during the last months of World War II. It was not set up by the German Army, the ground component of the combined German Wehrmacht armed forces, but by the Nazi Party on the orders of Adolf Hitler, and its existence was only officially announced on 16 October 1944.[3] It was staffed by conscripting males between the ages of 16 and 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit.