Germany used blitzkrieg to kick off WWII with the invasion of Poland. The German Nazis emerged from sea, sky, and land, ready to wage war on all fronts.īattles Where German Blitzkrieg Was Successfully Used Hitler’s invasion of Poland took the nation by surprise as 2,000 tanks, 900 bombers and 400 fighter planes began to attack. on September 1, 1939, the first of many blitzkriegs rained down on Poland. When the world erupted in turmoil once again in 1939, Germany was eager to rectify its military strategy and curtail the casualties this time around. The landscape of the battlefield changed with every advance, and the cascade of artillery left the earth in ashes with bodies littered on top. Trench warfare allowed armies ample time to establish their defensive fronts, yet the tactical disadvantage of constructing trenches and the unsanitary conditions they produced left troops buried half alive. WWI was fought with defense at the forefront of each military’s strategy. Paul’s Cathedral in London during a fire raid. German Blitzkrieg Tactics in World War II
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But blitzkriegs were launched against cities and other hubs of social activity, and the Germans had little concern for civilian victims of the attacks.įor more on the Luftwaffe and other Nazi war tech, check out the MagellanTV series Nazi War Machines. Using this tactic, Germany secured victory after victory while suffering fewer casualties among its troops than in traditional warfare. The goal is to capitalize on the element of surprise while using speed to obliterate the enemy. Based on the Concentration Principle credited to the Prussian military strategist Carl von Clausewitz, blitzkrieg attacks mobilize as many resources as possible to attack a single target. Blitzkrieg relied on a full-frontal attack, ensnaring the enemy in a haze of artillery from every direction. The German word blitzkrieg translates to “lightning war,” sparking connotations of the unforgiving power of nature at the height of a storm. (Wikimedia Commons)īlitzkrieg (pronounced ‘blit-skreeg’): A military tactic characterized by sudden, concentrated attacks using armored tanks, boots on the ground, and air raids to overwhelm an enemy from all angles. German Heinkel He 111 aircraft bombing Warsaw, Poland, in 1939. The implementation of blitzkrieg warfare during WWII changed how the world would experience war moving forward. Germany wanted to redeem its reputation and rectify its strategy going into WWII. Success moving forward meant prioritizing offense rather than wasting away like sitting ducks in the trenches. Following the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918, Germany reflected on its losses and sought to improve strategically in the future. This might have been the mantra guiding German military strategists between the throes of World Wars I and II.
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.
This new and brutal breed of warfare has been used by other nations to greater or lesser effect ever since. Introduced by the Germans in World War II, blitzkrieg is a military tactic that focuses on a single, coordinated, and intense blow against an enemy.
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