Transcript Blitzkreig 4th `07

BLITZKRIEG
Bobby Kashani, Jane
Deleon, Andrew Chin
Lightning War
• Blitzkrieg translates to lightning war in
German
• Uses element of surprise, extreme speed,
and constant barrage
• Was extremely effective at the beginning of
the war
Components of Blitzkrieg
• Tanks
• Planes
• Infantry
Blitzkrieg Tanks
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Hitler began building Panzer tank divisions in 1934
Made a moving line of artillery
LKANSLDKNLAKNSDl;asd;’l;’KLAL;SKNDKLan’
Heavily armored
Very powerful and destructive
Intimidation
Blitzkrieg Planes
• The German Luftwaffe (airforce) was created in 1936, by
1938 it had 3350 combat aircraft's
• During Blitzkrieg, it added to the constant moving artillery
• Also served as reconnaissance
• were also very intimidating/demoralizing
Blitzkrieg Infantry Units
• By 1937 Hitler
had amassed an
army of 3
million
• Was mostly just
an addition to
the power of the
tank-plane
combination
Retreat?
When multiple divisions of tanks, a
horde of plane squadrons, and
thousands of German troops are
rushing at you what can you do
besides being confused and
demoralized? do you retreat?
Well guess what...
YOU CAN’T!
• German Panzer tanks were too effective
• They made effective retreat impossible
“The dive bombers will form flying artillery,
directed to work with ground forces through
good radio communications…tanks and planes
will be at the commander’s disposition. The real
secret is speed. Speed of attack through speed
of communication”-Erhard Milch,
German airforce general at a pre-war conference
on Blitzkrieg tactics
“The real secret is speed…”
• Amphetamines were widely used by German troops
during WWII
• The use of speed releases huge amounts of dopamine
and noradrenaline
• They induce exhilarating feelings of power, strength,
energy, self-assertion, focus and enhanced motivation.
"Faster, faster,
until the thrill of
speed overcomes
the fear of death."
Hunter S.
Thompson
“Speed of Communication”
• WWII Radios far surpassed that of
WWI
• Miniaturization and Mechanization
made Radios usable on the
battlefield
• Radios allowed tanks, planes, and
troops to receive constantly updated
information from one another and
from the higher command
• The speed of communication was
the foundation for the effectiveness
of Blitzkrieg
MaterialSchlat
• Germans claimed that the allied victory was
largely based on the materialschlat, or the war of
materials
• Blitzkrieg was comparatively cheap
• Germans could enjoy the fruits of victory without
the financial sacrifice
Why the Germans Chose
Blitzkrieg
• German war strategists had realized before World
War I that Germany could not win a long,
defensive war
• Germany would have to defeat it’s enemies swiftly
and decisively
• Led to a smaller, highly trained army that could
move faster
Flexibility of Blitzkrieg
• Strategy encouraged field commanders to make
quick decisions without waiting for higher orders
• Created aggressive leaders
• Units were allowed to fight where they thought
they were needed, instead of waiting for higher
orders.
Effectiveness of Blitzkrieg
• Blitzkrieg was highly effective early in the war
because French and British commanders expected
a slow, defensive war.
• Germans also utilized surprise and the confusion
that followed the initial push to press their
advantage
Drawbacks to Blitzkrieg
• Required good weather for bombers and firm
ground for tanks to be effective
• Due to the speed, Blitzkrieg left flanks (sides)
open to counterattack
• Enemy eventually would expect Blitzkrieg, and
lack of confusion would allow a counterattack
Defenses Against Blitzkrieg
• French Maginot Line was built on Franco-German
border
• Germans chose to go around it, through the
Ardennes forest where the French didn’t expect
them
• Russians defense focused on depth, and a
counterattack on flanks
Ideas of Charles De Gaulle
• De Gaulle had fought in the First World War, and
was a critic of trench warfare, instead advocating a
strategy of movement
• Ironically, the Germans read his essays on his
strategy, and used it to defeat the French in World
War II
Sources
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http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWblitzkreig.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/blitzkrieg_04.shtml
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A737705
http://find.galegroup.com/gvrl/retrieve.do?contentSet=EBKS&resultLi
stType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AF
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&tabID=T001&prodId=GVRL&searchId=R1&currentPosition=3&use
rGroupName=lark70400&docId=CX3404701714&docType=EBKS&c
ontentSet=EBKS
• http://media.ucsc.edu/classes/thompson/history30c/14_blitzkrieg.html
• http://www.colby.edu/personal/r/rmscheck/GermanyE3.html