History 12

Rachel McMillan
UNIT FIVE
Assignment One: The Blitzkrieg

Describe how Germanys Blitzkrieg strategy worked. To what extent was Blitzkrieg an
unstoppable military strategy in 1939?
Germanys Blitzkrieg, translated simply as lightning war, was rooted in elements of speed and
surprise and was based heavily on Alfred von Schlieffens Schlieffen Plan from World War One. As a
revolutionary tactic, Germanys Blitzkrieg earned widespread success throughout Europe, but was also
susceptible to major breakdowns.
Blitzkrieg relied on tank units with support from planes and foot soldiers, and required speed,
synchronization and mobility. The German military would begin an attack by focusing on weak points in
an opponents defence. In order to generate disorganization among its enemies, airplane bombers would
often begin an assault by damaging transportation links and important communication centres.
Immediately afterwards, tanks and infantry would arrive. In the wake of such bombings, military forces
were rarely prepared to fight on foot and would often fall to Germany quickly, which was the ultimate
goal. Once this was accomplished, the entire German unit would penetrate the weakened target and begin
an offensive from behind enemy lines. In the event of a victory, German soldiers would quickly move on
to their next objective, rather than pausing to celebrate such an exploit. Due to its unfamiliarity among the
Allies, the Blitzkrieg strategy became nearly inexorable during 1939. This was best demonstrated in
Poland, where Germany employed over two-thousand tanks and one-thousand planes, and saw that
Warsaw fell within weeks of initial invasion. Furthermore, the Blitzkrieg strategy could be considered a
success because its quick campaigns regularly resulted in the preservation of human lives and a limited
use of artillery.
However, Blitzkrieg was not impervious to weakness. As a key aspect of this strategy relied on
ground travelling vehicles, the environment played a key role in the Blitzkriegs success. This was clearly
displayed in Russia, as natural elements quickly rendered German units immobile. Russian winters
brought detrimental sub-zero temperatures which would freeze the oil in German tanks and trucks. When
spring came and temperatures began to rise, the melting ice and snow resulted in the deterioration of dirt
roads to thick mud which could not be traversed. The terrain of certain countries could also pose a
challenge, as landforms such as mountains were nearly impossible to overcome. As well, as German
confidence in their strategy improved and its use became more common, the Allies were able to adapt and
improve their defences.
The Blitzkrieg strategy unquestionably earned Germany immense success, including gained
territory and resources. In 1939, Blitzkrieg helped produce consistent victory for Germany, and spoke to
the incredible strategic military ability of the country. However, Blitzkrieg could also act as a detriment to
the Nazis under certain circumstances. Blitzkrieg would fail at pivotal moments if its organizers became
transparent to simple aspects of the operation, such as the weather. While it appeared to be unstoppable in
the initial stages of World War II, Blitzkrieg would prove to be both an aid and an impairment to
Germanys success.