Description:
Hitler began World War II on September 1, 1939, with a swift offensive attack on Poland, devastating Warsaw, its capital. The attack on Poland violated the nonaggression pact signed between the Soviet Union and Germany in 1939. This attack involved tanks and aircrafts, all weapons of new technology and all capable of mass destruction. However, the key to Germany's success was their element of surprise. These attacks became known as Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war," due to their chaotic and fast nature. The nature of these attacks also made it nearly impossible for the enemy to take any control of the battle. The enemy, instead, suffered from extreme disorganization, ultimately leading to their defeat or surrender. Hitler used these attacks to conquer much of Europe, including Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Hitler also employed this tactic in Britain, but it was unsuccessful.
Ten Best Articles:
1. Blitzkrieg (Excerpt from Book): The importance of speed in the Blitzkrieg attacks played a huge role in their success. Additionally, Hitler's confidence in his attacks was immense. "When [the invasion of Russia] commences, the world will hold its breath,' said Hitler to his generals. On June 22, 1941, the invasion began as an army of 3 million men, marching along a 2,000-mile front, slammed into Soviet Russia."
2. London Bombing (Excerpt from Book): The start of World War II began with a lightning attack on Poland, defying the nonaggression pact made in 1939. "Hitler had made a peace pact with Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in 1939. The pact allowed Germany to risk war with France, to the West, while enjoying peace with Russia, its powerful neighbor to the east. Now, however, Hitler had thrown his nation into war against Russia at the same time he was fighting the British. Hitler dismissed his generals' worries by arguing that Great Britain was near defeat."
3. The Fall of France: In 1940, Hitler sought to invade France, one of his prime enemies in Europe. With the aid of General Eric von Manstein, Hitler attacked the Netherlands and Belgium to reach France. "The plan was to rely heavily on surprise blitzkrieg ('lightning war') techniques… The French collapse was as sudden as it was unexpected. It ripped up the balance of power in Europe, and overnight left the strategic assumptions on which Britain had planned to fight Hitler completely obsolete. With France out of the equation, Britain's war for the next four years was fought in the air, at sea, and in the Mediterranean - but not on the Western Front."
4. Hitler Strikes Russia (Excerpt from Book): The use of the term "Lightning War" was not the original name for these attacks, but was quickly adopted due to their speed and chaos. "The Germans called this war of swift deployment blitzkrieg or 'lightning war.' Roaring above the German armies was a fleet of modern aircraft. Gull-winged black dive bombers, called Stukas, screamed out of the sky to dump five-hundred pound bombs on Polish defenders. Some of the Stukas had sirens attached to their wings to make them sound even more fearsome in a dive."
5. Blitzkrieg (Lightning War): Hitler found his success in offensive weaponry and attacks. German military forces also took full control of all new and emerging technologies, which furthered their victories. "Germany successfully used the Blitzkrieg tactic against Poland (attacked in September 1939), Denmark (April 1940), Norway (April 1940), Belgium (May 1940), the Netherlands (May 1940), Luxembourg (May 1940), France (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941), and Greece (April 1941). Germany did not defeat Great Britain, which was protected from German ground attack by the English Channel and the Royal Navy."
6. Hitler's Lightning War: Hitler coined the tactic of the Lightning attacks. His first attack, on Poland, struck World War II, due to Hitler’s violation of the nonaggression pact signed with the Soviet Union. "The blitzkrieg (BLIHTS•kreeg), or ‘lightning war.’ It involved using fast-moving airplanes and tanks, followed by massive infantry forces, to take the enemy by surprise. Then, blitzkrieg forces swiftly crushed all opposition with overwhelming force. In the case of Poland, the strategy worked."
7. Blitzkrieg:The connections between the Treaty of Versailles and Germany’s use of the Lightning attacks comes to light: "On one level, mobile warfare was a faute de mieux improvisation that arose from the restrictions on conventional forces stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles. The German high command in the 1920s and 1930s also sought inspiration for the future in its own past–specifically in the ideas of Helmuth Karl von Moltke and Alfred von Schlieffen. Tanks, aircraft, and motor trucks were regarded as force multipliers facilitating traditional operational approaches. The aim of German military planners in both the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich was to achieve victory by enveloping enemy armies, threatening their lines of supply and communications, and forcing them to fight in an unexpected direction… German operational successes in the early years of World War II were by no means the product of sheer good fortune. But neither did they reflect a coherent, planned approach to the diplomatic, economic, and military challenges that after 1918 confronted a state unwilling to accept the consequences of its defeat in World War I. What are commonly called blitzkrieg operations developed out of experiences gained on the field between 1939 to 1941. In that sense blitzkrieg is best understood as a post facto construction for explaining a complex structure of events and ideas."
8. German Tactics: Due to the unpreparedness of the Allies, Hitler's battle tactics were a surprise to their forces. "They expected that battles would develop slowly and be dominated by 'traditional' arms - those of the infantry and the artillery. Although the two armies had more than 3,500 tanks between them, these were largely cast in a supporting role. The events in May and June 1940 proved that this outdated vision of war could not have been further from reality. This time, unlike the Allies, the Germans intended to fight the war offensively, and win quickly."
9. Military Strategy: The success of the Lightning strikes was the factor of surprise. Thus, the only way to win against a Lightning attack was to "rob it of its most valuable supply - surprise. The trick was to know where the Germans were going to strike, and to prepare in advance of it, to hit artillery with artillery, and meet air power with air power. But knowing where they would strike next was the real challenge, made difficult by a little device..."
10. The March Offensive: Germany's use of offensive attacks was ideally to speed up the battles, due to Hitler’s hunger for power. "The German High Command said that they had to do it because the Americans were coming. But if you look at the Germans in WW1, they're always trying to win by a blitzkrieg offensive. The March Offensive is Schlieffen Mark Two. It's just the Germans doing again what they tried to in 1914, only this time, they're going to do it against the British – they're going to drive the British out of France. If they do that, the French will collapse, and the Americans will never come in."
Extra Article:
1. Blitzkrieg, 1940: This article offers closer examinations of stories of the Lightning attacks, delving into the chaotic nature of these battles. An analysis of firsthand accounts provides a more in depth view. "The French battery now opened rapid fire on our wood and at any moment we could expect their fire to be aimed at our tank, which was in full view. I therefore decided to abandon it as fast as I could, taking the crew with me. At that moment the subaltern in command of the tanks escorting the infantry reported himself wounded, with the words: 'Herr General, my left arm has been shot off.' We clamored up through the sandy pit, shells crashing and splintering all round."
Audio/ Video Sources:
1. WWII- Blitzkrieg and the Battle of France: This video story shows the first uses of the Blitzkrieg tactics.
2. Hitler Unleashes Blitzkrieg: This video shows Hitler’s attack on Poland, and its speed and chaos, which struck fiercely against Germany’s enemies.
3. World War II: This movie delves into the horrors of the Blitzkrieg and Hitler’s offensive tactics.
Primary sources:
1. New Ways of War: Tom Wintringham gives a firsthand account of the Blitzkrieg. "Blitzkrieg tactics and strategy are almost entirely developed with the idea of escaping from the trench deadlock that held the armies between August, 1914, and March, 1918, and held them again from September, 1939, to April, 1940. We can only grasp the essence of the Blitzkrieg if we realise that it is an opposite to, a reaction against, the war of trenches that otherwise condemns armies to practical uselessness."
2. Major General Sukhov: A tank commander in the Red Army who fought Hitler’s army in the Soviet Union in 1941 discusses the Blitzkrieg attack. "The fact that the Nazi mobile troops were nearly three times the number put in the field against France show that the Nazis intended to rout the Red Army with a lightning blow and achieve a rapid victory. Taking advantage of their surprise attack they gained certain territorial successes, but their calculations on crushing force and the sweeping movement of armoured groups have not been justified."
3. Letter: A letter was written by a woman who experienced a German bombing in London. "For the first few days a lot of people were very frightened. I can remember my Mother-in-Law bursting into tears and putting her gas mask on that first day; In 1940 the air raids started up proper. Like lots of others down our street we had an Anderson Shelter in our garden, but it was dreadfully damp so in the end we used to sleep under our big oak table."
Hitler began World War II on September 1, 1939, with a swift offensive attack on Poland, devastating Warsaw, its capital. The attack on Poland violated the nonaggression pact signed between the Soviet Union and Germany in 1939. This attack involved tanks and aircrafts, all weapons of new technology and all capable of mass destruction. However, the key to Germany's success was their element of surprise. These attacks became known as Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war," due to their chaotic and fast nature. The nature of these attacks also made it nearly impossible for the enemy to take any control of the battle. The enemy, instead, suffered from extreme disorganization, ultimately leading to their defeat or surrender. Hitler used these attacks to conquer much of Europe, including Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Hitler also employed this tactic in Britain, but it was unsuccessful.
Ten Best Articles:
1. Blitzkrieg (Excerpt from Book): The importance of speed in the Blitzkrieg attacks played a huge role in their success. Additionally, Hitler's confidence in his attacks was immense. "When [the invasion of Russia] commences, the world will hold its breath,' said Hitler to his generals. On June 22, 1941, the invasion began as an army of 3 million men, marching along a 2,000-mile front, slammed into Soviet Russia."
2. London Bombing (Excerpt from Book): The start of World War II began with a lightning attack on Poland, defying the nonaggression pact made in 1939. "Hitler had made a peace pact with Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in 1939. The pact allowed Germany to risk war with France, to the West, while enjoying peace with Russia, its powerful neighbor to the east. Now, however, Hitler had thrown his nation into war against Russia at the same time he was fighting the British. Hitler dismissed his generals' worries by arguing that Great Britain was near defeat."
3. The Fall of France: In 1940, Hitler sought to invade France, one of his prime enemies in Europe. With the aid of General Eric von Manstein, Hitler attacked the Netherlands and Belgium to reach France. "The plan was to rely heavily on surprise blitzkrieg ('lightning war') techniques… The French collapse was as sudden as it was unexpected. It ripped up the balance of power in Europe, and overnight left the strategic assumptions on which Britain had planned to fight Hitler completely obsolete. With France out of the equation, Britain's war for the next four years was fought in the air, at sea, and in the Mediterranean - but not on the Western Front."
4. Hitler Strikes Russia (Excerpt from Book): The use of the term "Lightning War" was not the original name for these attacks, but was quickly adopted due to their speed and chaos. "The Germans called this war of swift deployment blitzkrieg or 'lightning war.' Roaring above the German armies was a fleet of modern aircraft. Gull-winged black dive bombers, called Stukas, screamed out of the sky to dump five-hundred pound bombs on Polish defenders. Some of the Stukas had sirens attached to their wings to make them sound even more fearsome in a dive."
5. Blitzkrieg (Lightning War): Hitler found his success in offensive weaponry and attacks. German military forces also took full control of all new and emerging technologies, which furthered their victories. "Germany successfully used the Blitzkrieg tactic against Poland (attacked in September 1939), Denmark (April 1940), Norway (April 1940), Belgium (May 1940), the Netherlands (May 1940), Luxembourg (May 1940), France (May 1940), Yugoslavia (April 1941), and Greece (April 1941). Germany did not defeat Great Britain, which was protected from German ground attack by the English Channel and the Royal Navy."
6. Hitler's Lightning War: Hitler coined the tactic of the Lightning attacks. His first attack, on Poland, struck World War II, due to Hitler’s violation of the nonaggression pact signed with the Soviet Union. "The blitzkrieg (BLIHTS•kreeg), or ‘lightning war.’ It involved using fast-moving airplanes and tanks, followed by massive infantry forces, to take the enemy by surprise. Then, blitzkrieg forces swiftly crushed all opposition with overwhelming force. In the case of Poland, the strategy worked."
7. Blitzkrieg:The connections between the Treaty of Versailles and Germany’s use of the Lightning attacks comes to light: "On one level, mobile warfare was a faute de mieux improvisation that arose from the restrictions on conventional forces stipulated by the Treaty of Versailles. The German high command in the 1920s and 1930s also sought inspiration for the future in its own past–specifically in the ideas of Helmuth Karl von Moltke and Alfred von Schlieffen. Tanks, aircraft, and motor trucks were regarded as force multipliers facilitating traditional operational approaches. The aim of German military planners in both the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich was to achieve victory by enveloping enemy armies, threatening their lines of supply and communications, and forcing them to fight in an unexpected direction… German operational successes in the early years of World War II were by no means the product of sheer good fortune. But neither did they reflect a coherent, planned approach to the diplomatic, economic, and military challenges that after 1918 confronted a state unwilling to accept the consequences of its defeat in World War I. What are commonly called blitzkrieg operations developed out of experiences gained on the field between 1939 to 1941. In that sense blitzkrieg is best understood as a post facto construction for explaining a complex structure of events and ideas."
8. German Tactics: Due to the unpreparedness of the Allies, Hitler's battle tactics were a surprise to their forces. "They expected that battles would develop slowly and be dominated by 'traditional' arms - those of the infantry and the artillery. Although the two armies had more than 3,500 tanks between them, these were largely cast in a supporting role. The events in May and June 1940 proved that this outdated vision of war could not have been further from reality. This time, unlike the Allies, the Germans intended to fight the war offensively, and win quickly."
9. Military Strategy: The success of the Lightning strikes was the factor of surprise. Thus, the only way to win against a Lightning attack was to "rob it of its most valuable supply - surprise. The trick was to know where the Germans were going to strike, and to prepare in advance of it, to hit artillery with artillery, and meet air power with air power. But knowing where they would strike next was the real challenge, made difficult by a little device..."
10. The March Offensive: Germany's use of offensive attacks was ideally to speed up the battles, due to Hitler’s hunger for power. "The German High Command said that they had to do it because the Americans were coming. But if you look at the Germans in WW1, they're always trying to win by a blitzkrieg offensive. The March Offensive is Schlieffen Mark Two. It's just the Germans doing again what they tried to in 1914, only this time, they're going to do it against the British – they're going to drive the British out of France. If they do that, the French will collapse, and the Americans will never come in."
Extra Article:
1. Blitzkrieg, 1940: This article offers closer examinations of stories of the Lightning attacks, delving into the chaotic nature of these battles. An analysis of firsthand accounts provides a more in depth view. "The French battery now opened rapid fire on our wood and at any moment we could expect their fire to be aimed at our tank, which was in full view. I therefore decided to abandon it as fast as I could, taking the crew with me. At that moment the subaltern in command of the tanks escorting the infantry reported himself wounded, with the words: 'Herr General, my left arm has been shot off.' We clamored up through the sandy pit, shells crashing and splintering all round."
Audio/ Video Sources:
1. WWII- Blitzkrieg and the Battle of France: This video story shows the first uses of the Blitzkrieg tactics.
2. Hitler Unleashes Blitzkrieg: This video shows Hitler’s attack on Poland, and its speed and chaos, which struck fiercely against Germany’s enemies.
3. World War II: This movie delves into the horrors of the Blitzkrieg and Hitler’s offensive tactics.
Primary sources:
1. New Ways of War: Tom Wintringham gives a firsthand account of the Blitzkrieg. "Blitzkrieg tactics and strategy are almost entirely developed with the idea of escaping from the trench deadlock that held the armies between August, 1914, and March, 1918, and held them again from September, 1939, to April, 1940. We can only grasp the essence of the Blitzkrieg if we realise that it is an opposite to, a reaction against, the war of trenches that otherwise condemns armies to practical uselessness."
2. Major General Sukhov: A tank commander in the Red Army who fought Hitler’s army in the Soviet Union in 1941 discusses the Blitzkrieg attack. "The fact that the Nazi mobile troops were nearly three times the number put in the field against France show that the Nazis intended to rout the Red Army with a lightning blow and achieve a rapid victory. Taking advantage of their surprise attack they gained certain territorial successes, but their calculations on crushing force and the sweeping movement of armoured groups have not been justified."
3. Letter: A letter was written by a woman who experienced a German bombing in London. "For the first few days a lot of people were very frightened. I can remember my Mother-in-Law bursting into tears and putting her gas mask on that first day; In 1940 the air raids started up proper. Like lots of others down our street we had an Anderson Shelter in our garden, but it was dreadfully damp so in the end we used to sleep under our big oak table."
Maps: