Blitzkrieg
The word blitzkrieg first appeared in a German military periodical called Deutsche Wehr in 1935. It described quick or lightning warfare but had no connection to armored units or air forces at that time. A second article from 1938 used the term to discuss strategic knockouts against fortifications like the Maginot Line. The concept remained obscure within official German military doctrine until journalists adopted it during the invasion of Poland in September 1939. Time magazine published an article calling the German action a war of quick penetration and obliteration. British newspapers quickly followed suit, using the phrase to label spectacular early successes. Adolf Hitler later dismissed the term as completely idiotic in a speech delivered in November 1941. He claimed he never used the word himself and called it Italian phraseology by January 1942. No coherent doctrine or unifying concept of blitzkrieg existed within the German High Command before the war began.
German strategic thinking derived from writings by Carl von Clausewitz who lived between 1780 and 1831. Helmuth von Moltke the Elder served as a general from 1800 until his death in 1891. Alfred von Schlieffen died on the 4th of January 1913 after advocating maneuver and mass to create decisive battles. Willy Rohr developed infiltration tactics during World War I that exploited weak spots for larger units. Colonel Georg Bruchmüller devised attacks relying on speed rather than weight of numbers during Operation Michael in 1918. The Treaty of Versailles limited the Reichswehr to 100,000 men after Germany lost the Great War. Hans von Seeckt became commander in chief and argued for an excessive focus on encirclement instead of speed. He inspired a revision of Bewegungskrieg thinking which emphasized Auftragstaktik where commanders expressed goals to subordinates. Delegation of authority increased operational tempo and influenced early war success. British forces studied lessons from late 1918 offensives on the Western Front to obtain cooperation between all arms. General Edmund Allenby used infantry to attack Ottoman lines while supported by destroyers guns at Megiddo in 1918. French Generals Charles Mangin and Marie-Eugène Debeney conducted early blitzkrieg operations in 1918. Marshal Mikhail Tukhachevsky developed deep battle concepts from the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1920.
Schwerpunktprinzip served as a heuristic device used from the nineteenth century to make tactical decisions. Every unit decided on a Schwerpunkt through schwerpunktbilding so commanders always knew what was most important. Guderian summarized this principle in the 1930s with the phrase Klotzen nicht kleckern meaning splash don't spill. Units pouring through a hole drove upon set objectives behind enemy front lines during World War II. Fast-moving mobile forces seized initiative before opposing forces could respond. Directive control allowed commanders to be told of intent rather than receiving explicit orders. The staff burden reduced at top tiers and spread among command levels with situational knowledge. Mopping up involved destruction of unsubdued pockets enveloped earlier by armored spearheads. The Kesselschlacht or cauldron battle inflicted losses primarily through mass capture of prisoners and weapons. Operation Barbarossa produced nearly 3.5 million Soviet prisoners along with masses of equipment. Close air support came via dive bombers like the Junkers Ju 87 which supported focal points from the air. Less than 15 percent of Luftwaffe resources were intended for close army support in 1939. Methamphetamine tablets known as Pervitin enabled synchronized high-endurance operations with minimal rest.
German fast-moving armies encircled Polish forces during September 1939 but not through independent armored operations. Combined tank artillery infantry and air forces were used throughout the campaign. Matthew Cooper wrote that panzer divisions received no strategic mission characterizing authentic armored blitzkrieg. Steven Zaloga noted Western accounts underestimated punishing effects of German artillery on Polish units. Operation Yellow opened with a feint against Netherlands and Belgium by two armored corps and paratroopers. Most German armored forces placed in Panzer Group Kleist attacked through Ardennes forest sector lightly defended by French. Germans reached Meuse river and achieved breakthrough at Battle of Sedan within three days without waiting for siege artillery. Panzer Group Kleist raced to English Channel coast at Abbeville cutting off British Expeditionary Force. Hitler halted armored forces outside Dunkirk port where Royal Navy evacuated Allied troops. Hermann Göring promised Luftwaffe would complete destruction of encircled armies but aerial operations failed. Case Yellow surprised everyone by overcoming Allies' 4,000 armored vehicles many better than German equivalents. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud analyzed collapse in speech delivered the 21st of May 1940. The same French Army collapsed after barely two months fighting contrasting four years trench warfare from First World War.
Operation Barbarossa began June 1941 involving number of breakthroughs and encirclements by motorized forces. Führer Directive 21 dated the 18th of December 1940 stated goal was destroy Russian forces deployed West prevent escape into wide open spaces. Surprise attack resulted near annihilation of Soviet Air Force VVS by simultaneous attacks on airfields first week. Four German panzer groups outflanked disorganized Red Army units while marching infantry completed encirclements. Late July saw 2nd Panzer Group commanded by Guderian capture watersheds Dvina and Dnieper rivers near Smolensk. Germans conquered large areas but failure to destroy Red Army before winter 1941-1942 proved strategic failure. Battle of Moscow ran October 1941 to January 1942 when Red Army defeated German Army Group Center for first time seizing initiative. Summer 1942 offensive focused Stalingrad and Caucasus southern Soviet Union where Soviets lost territory then counter attacked again winter. Wehrmacht became overstretched though won operationally could not inflict decisive defeat due to Soviet manpower durability. Operation Zitadelle Citadel conducted July 1943 against salient at Kursk heavily defended by Soviet troops. Soviets made concerted effort disguise knowledge German plans extent defensive preparations despite intelligence from Ultra intercepts. Germans did not achieve surprise nor outflank break through enemy rear areas during operation. Battle of Kursk ended two Soviet counter-offensives revival deep operations summer 1944. Red Army destroyed Army Group Centre in Operation Bagration using combined arms tactics armor infantry air power.
Captain Robert O'Neill produced example popular view in Doctrine and Training German Army 1919-1939 published 1965. Matthew Cooper rejected notion German army had blitzkrieg doctrine late 1970s. Richard Overy challenged concept blitzkrieg Luftwaffe late 1970s while Williamson Murray mid 1980s. George Raudzens described contradictory senses historians used word regarding blitzkrieg economy strategy. Shimon Naveh wrote striking feature complete absence coherent theory serving general cognitive basis actual conduct operations. Karl-Heinz Frieser and Adam Tooze reached similar conclusions Overy Naveh notions blitzkrieg economy strategy myths. J.P. Harris found no evidence German military thinking developed blitzkrieg mentality. Hitler disowned concept Blitzkrieg calling it idiotic word at Munich public address November 1941. Successful operations predicated superior numbers air support possible only short periods time without sufficient supply lines. Hansson concludes German military success not accompanied adequate provisioning troops food materiel source supply contributing ultimate failure. Alan Milward developed theory blitzkrieg economics Germany could not fight long war chose avoid comprehensive rearmament win quick victories. Hermann Göring stated task Four Year Plan rearm Germany total war despite claims otherwise. Living standards low late 1930s consumption consumer goods fell 71 percent 1928 to 59 percent 1938. Adam Tooze wrote huge armament plans pre-war period did not indicate clear-sighted blitzkrieg economy strategy.
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Common questions
When did the word blitzkrieg first appear in a German military periodical?
The word blitzkrieg first appeared in a German military periodical called Deutsche Wehr in 1935. It described quick or lightning warfare but had no connection to armored units or air forces at that time.
Who dismissed the term blitzkrieg as completely idiotic and when did he speak about it?
Adolf Hitler later dismissed the term as completely idiotic in a speech delivered in November 1941. He claimed he never used the word himself and called it Italian phraseology by January 1942.
What historical figures influenced German strategic thinking before World War II?
German strategic thinking derived from writings by Carl von Clausewitz who lived between 1780 and 1831. Helmuth von Moltke the Elder served as a general from 1800 until his death in 1891, and Alfred von Schlieffen died on the 4th of January 1913 after advocating maneuver and mass to create decisive battles.
How many Soviet prisoners were captured during Operation Barbarossa?
Operation Barbarossa produced nearly 3.5 million Soviet prisoners along with masses of equipment. The Kesselschlacht or cauldron battle inflicted losses primarily through mass capture of prisoners and weapons.
When did French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud analyze the collapse of the French Army?
French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud analyzed the collapse in a speech delivered the 21st of May 1940. The same French Army collapsed after barely two months fighting contrasting four years trench warfare from First World War.