The birth of Blitzkrieg is often explained as a direct result of the horrors of static warfare experienced during World War I. The word Blitzkrieg, meaning lightning war, is most of the time simply described as the doctrine employed by the German Army in World War II. But this simple description does not do justice to the concept.
Blitzkrieg, according to many historians, was used to devastating effect in Poland in 1939, in France and the Low Countries in 1940 and in the Soviet Union in 1941; it harnessed the firepower and mobility of the German panzer divisions through aggressive leadership at both the strategic and tactical level. The different preparation phases of Blitzkrieg can be described as the planning phase, in which the Germans select the point or points of attack -- the Schwerpunkt; the reconnaissance phase, during which the plan was finalized; and the surprise phase, which includes measures to make the enemy unaware of imminent attack at the precise time and location. The next phase, the actual combat or action phase, can be divided into the roles of the Air Force and Army. The mission of the Air Force is to destroy the enemy's air force, preferably on the ground during the first 24 hours, in order to gain air superiority and free the German Air Force to provide close air support for ground units, including interdiction of enemy supplies and communications to bring about enemy paralysis. The mission of the Army is to conduct a concentrated ground attack which follows a brief artillery bombardment, and includes Panzers, mechanized infantry and mobile artillery in an effort to force a breach in enemy defenses. Army forces pour through the breach (Schwerpunkt) and punch deep into enemy territory, using speed to maintain the advance and keep the enemy off balance. Due to the importance of speed, enemy strongpoints are bypassed until the panzer pincers gradually encircled whole enemy armies in giant pockets and then hold this perimeter until the slower moving infantry divisions are able to catch up and annihilate these pockets, bringing a quick and decisive victory.[1] These basic explanations are found in most books about the Blitzkrieg, and the term Blitzkrieg first appeared in summer 1940 and has been coupled with Panzer (tank or armor) and “combined arms” in most military languages of the world ever since.
