Blitzkrieg: The Lightning War Tactic of Combined Arms

Q: What is involved in Blitzkrieg tactics?

Blitzkrieg tactics involves the combined use of infantry, armour, artillery, and air power to overwhelm the enemy at specific points, aiming to win the battle through speed and surprise, the very opposite of a battle of attrition.

Q: When were Blitzkrieg tactics first used?

Blitzkrieg tactics were first used by the German armed forces in the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) and then, on a much grander scale, in the first years of the Second World War (1939-45).

Mark Cartwright

Blitzkrieg

The Lightning War Tactic of Combined Arms

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Definition

Blitzkrieg ('lightning war') is a military tactic combining air and land forces deployed at speed against the enemy's weaker points while the rear lines are simultaneously disrupted by acts of sabotage and bombing. Speed, concentration, and surprise are designed to psychologically overwhelm the enemy, wreck its command structure, and cause a total collapse without having to completely destroy the enemy.

More about: Blitzkrieg

Timeline

1939 - 1941
German armed forces successfully uses Blitzkrieg tactics to overwhelm Poland, the Low Countries, and France.

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