Description
Blitzkrieg (lightning war) was the military doctrine of Germany during
the first half of WWII. It consisted of an all-mechanized army blowing
through the enemy lines (via air support and artillery support) so fast
that the enemy would be overwhelmed and defeated. Blitzkrieg relied on
a highly mobile and highly professional army. It was developed after
WWII by Heinz Guderian, author of Achtung: Panzer.
Blitzkrieg warfare was applied in five major places: Spanish Civil War,
Invasion of Poland, Battle of France, North Africa Campaign, Operation
Barbarossa. Each time, Germany's enemy was too surprised to
effectively defend itself. However, as the German war machine ran out
of resources and technical superiority, blitzkrieg methodology began to
disappear (at least in the German form).
However, German blitzkrieg was neither the first nor the last use of
maneuver tactics in a combined arms fashion. Other examples include:
German Schlieffen Plan in WWI, Russian Deep Operations in WWII,
Operation Shock and Awe in Iraq War.
For more information, read:
Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/blitzkrieg.htm
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762668-1,00.html
Illustrated History of WWII by Reader’s Digest
Dictionary of Battles by David Chandler
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Published 05/04/09
This episode answers four basic questions:
Why were both North and South so unprepared for war?Which side had the initial advantage?Did the South have to secede? Did the North have to respond with military force?Was Northern victory inevitable?
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Published 04/24/09