WWII Assignment #1

Question:
Describe how Germany's Blitzkrieg strategy worked, and describe to what extent it was an
unstoppable military strategy in 1939.
Response:
During the beginning of World War II Hitler was rampaging through Europe doing
whatever he pleased such as taking over Czechoslovakia, forming an Anschluss with Austria,
and negotiating a peaceful takeover of the Sudetenland; because of the lack of intervention by
the rest of the world Hitler moved onto Poland. The war against Poland was a one-sided battle
with the Germans devastating the people and country of Poland, as Poland was under the illusion
that its ally Britain, would help in the protection of their country. The German Blitzkrieg also
known as "Lightning War" was an unbelievable force of tanks, mobile infantry, Luftwaffe, and
airborne brigades concentrating on speed, maneuver, and communication. The Blitzkrieg worked
by cutting of the enemy's communication, their ability to make decisions thereby lowering their
morale, and finally clumping the enemy forces into pockets. As war in the 1930's was based on
battles of attrition the country of Poland had no chance to stop the fast moving never seen before
German Blitzkrieg. The German Blitzkrieg was seen as a unstoppable military strategy during
the year 1939, and it proved that fact by the devastating takeover of Poland and the takeover of
Western Europe; although it was not a foolproof plan, displayed by the devastating loss of
German forces in Russia. On September 1st 1939 Poland was invaded by German forces in a
devastating maneuver of speed and force, taking the country in a month and five days. The rest
of the world was in a panic, somehow Poland was captured by the Germans in an unbelievably
short amount of time with deadly force and precision. The capture of Poland was due to the
Blitzkrieg tactic made by the Germans revolutionizing war by abandoning battles of attrition. As
World War II continued the Blitzkrieg maneuver was seen as an unstoppable force, where it was
once again proved in Western Europe during the fall of France. The Germans used this tactic to
outmaneuver the French forces and move through France with unbelievable speed and
efficiency. Although the Blitzkrieg maneuver was an incredible combination of tactics and force,
it was not as unstoppable as it seemed. The Blitzkrieg was made for incredibly fast takeovers, it
was found out that it was not a very useful tool to defend oneself with as proved by the
devastation of the German forces by the Russian defenses. At the beginning of Operation
Barbarossa, it was vastly agreed upon that Russia was going to fall to the German forces rapidly
approaching its borders. In the beginning the German forces were making good progress into
Russia taking Kiev after an unsuccessful beginning. This continued up until it became winter in
Russia; German forces were inadequately prepared for the harsh weather of Russia, such as the
thick mud, snow, and rain that came with it. As a result of this a well-planned and carefully
executed Russian counter attack forced the Germans to be on the defensive, therefore halting the
Blitzkrieg. In conclusion, although the Blitzkrieg was a very unstoppable force in the beginning
of World War II, with careful planning and studying of the new form of modern warfare, many
ways to stop the lightning war could be found and exploited.
Sources: Pauwels, J. (2011, December 11). Hitler's Failed Blitzkrieg against the Soviet Union.

The "Battle of Moscow" and Stalingrad: Turning Point of World War II. Retrieved November
26, 2014, from http://www.globalresearch.ca/70-years-ago-december-1941-turning-point-ofworld-war-ii/28059