The Blitzkrieg

Thus, this article can serve as a foundational text for the American perception of the German military and its tactics. Although the article focuses on a particular commander, the level of respect showed towards Brauchitsch reveals the writer’s understanding of the power of Germany. The modern connotation of the word (quick and hard striking maneuver warfare) as a form of military strategy is used and explained here by the author as if it is the official German military doctrine. Historians argue endlessly over the idea of an “origin” and it remains the same here. When was “Blitzkrieg” introduced to the American public? Was it invented by Western journalists to for sensationalism purposes or rather, German propaganda that was “swallowed up” by the Allied press? The author of the article seemed very educated in the concept of Blitzkrieg (if it indeed is an official military concept) and used appropriate language to emphasize the speed aspect of the tactic. Some phrases depicting Blitzkrieg included “a war of quick penetration and obliteration,” “Swift columns of tanks… plunged through Poland…broken down the Polish defenses before they had time to

Nearing the end of World War II and after the successful D-Day invasion by Allied Forces, Adolf Hitler would personally plan a counteroffensive he believed would turn the tied of the war in his favor and prevent his unconditional surrender. Historically known as the Battle of the Bulge, the Ardennes Counteroffensive, from 16 December 1944 to 25 January 1945, would showcase the power of a full-scale German offensive while highlighting the ingenuity and heart of the United States Army as they encountered a seemingly undefeatable foe.

Only recently has the Wehrmacht come under indictment by the public on their role in the Holocaust. For years after the war, their culpability had been absconded into the histories. The Western Allies are to blame for this fact, which was overshadowed due to the Cold War. The United States needed West Germany on their side, since it was the front line against the Soviet Union. For a time after World War II, the Wehrmacht was portrayed as the unknowing hand of Adolf Hitler, fighting a legitimate war of nations and not involved in the genocide which was conducted by the Schutzstaffel (SS) and other Nazi police forces. It is well known now, that is not the case. The war in the East was a war of annihilation and the Wehrmacht was just as complicit as the death squads at Auschwitz.

Historically, there has been three campaigns or regimes recognized as a “Reich” or in English terms, an empire. You have the first Reich which was the Medieval Holy Roman Empire, which lasted up until 1806. Then you have second Reich better known as the German Empire, spanning a time period of 1871 -1918. And lastly, you have the third Reich, or what we commonly call Nazi Germany. Lasting a period of 1933-1945. Also known as World War 2.

Although bombing played a key role in destroying Germany and expedited the outcome of the war, it was not the underlying factor responsible for the loss of the war of Germany. Whilst the consequences of Allied bombing are numerous, there are several key ones such as the relationship with Britain and the Soviet Union, its subsequent effect on morale and the economy, along with the significance of bombing on the Eastern Front.

D-Day was when allied forces, specifically America, Britain and Canada, came together to liberate Western Europe from the control of Nazi Germany. The invasion started on June 6th, 1944. It began when the allied forces landed on a 50 mile stretch across five beaches with lots of troops. The invasion needed to have a lot of planning to turn up successful. The starting date was supposed to be on June 5th, 1944, but the weather was bad that day and they could not go through with the invasion. The weather was okay on the 6th, and that is when it actually started.

While automobile racing is a sport that is firmly ingrained in American culture now, it wasn't always the mature sport we see today. The motorsport that tests a driver's precision, reflexes, and car is only around 110 years old. There is a decade in racing history that many NASCAR fans never think about, and that is the 'Roaring Twenties'. The 1920s really laid the groundwork for the fierce competition seen in the 1930s with innovation in car technology, skilled racing teams, and new championship events. Of course, this innovation wasn't without consequences, as auto racing isn't the safest sport. NOT COMPLETE

The Blitzkrieg changed how Hitler waged war by saving many people from death, this caused Hitler to shorten military campaigns, and limit the artillery expansion; It was a good strategy for them to use. The Blitzkrieg was a good military strategy used to save their men, time, money, and it was the best way in Hitler’s mind to win the war. As it says in the article, “Its successful execution results in short military campaigns, which preserves human lives and limits the expenditure of artillery. German forces tried out the blitzkrieg in Poland in 1939 before successfully employing the tactic with invasions of Belgium, the Netherlands and France in 1940” (Blitzkrieg 1). The quote provided shows that this tactic changed how Hitler waged war.

The father reported that he spent time with the family on the weekends and evenings. He indicated that he did however, play paintball three to five times a year. The father stated that the family did not go on family vacations. He indicated that they often travel upstate to his family’s home.

The rapid advancement into Poland by the German Army in September 1939 proved to be surprisingly successful. Dubbed the “Blitzkrieg,” Germany’s use of combined-arms warfare was “a race against time…on the tactical, operational and strategic levels” for the Wehremacht and would result in several dramatic successes throughout the war. Despite these successes, Germany was not able to exploit the tactical victories at the operational level of war. This was primarily due to a lack of confidence in the tactic by many German Generals and by not allowing subordinate leaders to exercise initiative in the absence or orders. In order to understand why the Blitzkrieg did not prove to be a war-winning innovation for Germany, one must first understand how it was initially employed and why it proved so successful.

World War II started on September 1, 1939 when the German armed forces invaded Poland. The German forces attained the country of Poland from all different directions, including air forces, warships, and by land. During this devastating moment for the citizens of Poland, the tactic used was known as blitzkrieg, or “lightning war”. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, blitzkrieg is a term used to describe a “war conducted with great speed and force” or “...a violent surprise offensive by massed air forces and mechanized ground forces in close coordination”. The Polish were unable to defend themselves due to the lack of an under equipped and an unprepared military. The Germans continued to maintain and seize the country of Poland under the

I believe this was the main reason why the German’s Blitzkrieg was so successful during the first years, since it was meant to be effective in a short-term campaign. And another very

The revived club became so much more than a night-life attraction, it was a blinding flash of the future, a glimpse to everything from MTV to designer labels, gay liberation to style enhancements, from celebrity culture to rave culture. The heart of the drama, however, is the Blitz, where we see a post-punk scene littered with the nascent talents of Billy Idol, Bow Wow Wow, Spandau Ballet and the birth of a new scene, in musical and visual defiance against the old guard and the economic cul-de-sac that Britain had fallen into. Books have been written, plays performed, films made and stories told and re-told about The Blitz because it was that important. There was an intoxicating air in that suffocating basement, a preening, queening waft of

Operation Bernhard was an exercise by Nazi Germany to forge British bank notes. The initial plan was to drop the notes over Britain to bring about a collapse of the economy, but the operation was closed in early 1942, about a year after its head, Alfred Naujocks (pictured), fell out of favour with his superior officer, Reinhard Heydrich. It was reopened in July as a counterfeiting operation to finance German intelligence operations. Prisoners were sent to Sachsenhausen concentration camp to work under SS Major Bernhard Krüger, producing British notes until mid-1945 worth between £130 and £300 million. Counterfeit notes from the operation were used to pay the Turkish agent Elyesa Bazna—code-named Cicero—for his work in obtaining secrets from

The invasion and subsequent takeover of France during World War II by Nazi Germany was a multi-pronged attack that was built on a combination of swift and prolonged attacks of psychologic and combative violence. Psychological violence was the Nazi’s intentional erosion of French identity, values, sense of community and morality. The spread of information through newspapers and radios was crucial to the morality and organization of the people and the Resistance and thus a primary target of the Nazis. Germany pulled the puppet strings of the Vichy Regime to manipulate society particularly through the use of the preexisting police force while gradually modifying the logic and focus of the force for their own gains. The combative violence of