THE blitzkrieg (Lightning War, in German) was a war tactic used by the German army during the Second World War. It was considered innovative in the early stages of the war and contributed greatly to the victories won by the Germans.
The German forces were formed by the following groups:
Wehrmacht: infantry
Kriegsmarine: Navy
Luftwaffe: war aviation
divisions panzer: formed by armored vehicles (tanks)
THE blitzkrieg coordinated infantry, aviation, and armored attacks with great speed and force in order to open enemy defense lines and surround opposing troops to force their surrender.
In blitzkrieg, German forces used the Luftwaffe to carry out attacks behind opposing lines of defense with the aim of destroying lines of communication and hindering the transmission of orders. Furthermore, the use of war aviation was important to defend against air attacks and to promote the destruction of the fields of few opponents.
The use of infantry and armor took place in the call Schwerpunkt, a focal point strategy
. In this strategy, the German forces chose a focal point in the opposing army, where they would promote constant and alternating attacks between infantry, supported with artillery, and armored attacks. The objective was to open a breach in the opposing defenses. From this breach, the German forces promoted rapid displacements to infiltrate and separate the enemy forces, being able to surround them from there.Use of Blitzkrieg
French desolate at the Nazi army's parade over Paris in June 1940
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The German army has improved the use of blitzkrieg during the campaigns carried out against the Poland in 1939 and in the campaigns that were concluded with the conquest of France in 1940. In the initial phase of the war, the use of blitzkrieg it was essential for German victories to happen in many places in Europe.
The first use occurred in Poland, in 1939, when the German army, made up of about 1.5 million soldiers, 3,600 armored vehicles and 1,929 planes, crossed the border and began the attack. It was hoped that Poland could withstand a few months of conflict, but in just over 20 days Germany had conquered the entire country.
THE blitzkrieg also led to the conquest and occupation of the Norway after more than 60 days of battle in May and June 1940. Furthermore, Denmark, Netherlands and Belgium they were also occupied by German troops.
the attack on France began on May 10, 1940. On the 4th, German troops paraded victoriously into Paris, and by the 25th, France surrendered. Despite this, historian Max Hastings claims that the German campaign in France was not the result of blitzkrieg, but also of the unpreparedness of the French army compared to the German forces.
THE blitzkrieg it was also used in the early stages of the invasion of the Soviet Union, but the stubborn resistance of the Soviets and the weakening of the German war machine, whether in lives or resources, led the Soviet Union to reverse the situation of war.
By Daniel Neves
Graduated in History
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SILVA, Daniel Neves. "What is blitzkrieg?"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/o-que-e/historia/o-que-e-blitzkrieg.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
