Post on 19-May-2018
transcript
The Nightmare: World War II
Interpreting “Blitzkrieg”How was Hitler’s Germany able to accomplish an impossible victory in only months, when Germany had not accomplished that victory in 4 years of fighting in World War I?
Interpreting “Blitzkrieg”Questions:
Was the German war machine truly unstoppable? Was Blitzkrieg truly the strategy that defeated the Allies in June 1940?
Previous Historiography of WWII: Blitzkrieg = overall German strategy, bent on world domination Foreign & Domestic implication of Blitzkrieg = rapid mobilization of war machine and homefront, quick victory Blitzkrieg demonstrates dominance of German war machine over Western powers
Time Magazine on the invasion of Poland, Sept 1939: “This was no war of occupation, but a war of quick penetration and obliteration - Blitzkrieg, lightning war.” French Supreme Commander Gamelin, May 1940: The French Army was defeated due to three reasons - “Inferiority of numbers, inferiority of equipment, inferiority of method.”
The Great War as Teacher
Allied Lessons Learned: Air force for recon. and strategic bombing Large, slow tanks
German Lessons Learned: Stoßtrupp-Taktik clear resistance, level barriers, surprise disrupt communications Small tanks w/ radios & large fuel capacity punch holes, rapid mobilization Half-tracks/Motorcycles rapid mobilization MUST be a war of movement
Sept 1, 1939 Invasion of Poland Poland falls in 3 weeks
Soviets invade Finland Next 6 months =
Invasion of France delayed Norway & Sweden, April 1940
Allied Strategy defense/attrition Maginot Line, minimize loss of life
Invasion of France (May 1940)
Ardennes, attack at Sedan
Paris falls w/in 6 weeks
Lightning Strikes
1 million Allied soldiers surrounded German decision to halt =
Rescue of 340K BEF “The Hinge of Fate”
Hitler’s Luftwaffe Targets = BOTH industry & civilians
England’s Finest Hour
Nazi Invasion of USSR (June 1941) Purposes:
Knock out Soviet Union w/ preemptive strike
Lightning Strikes
Problems:
Italians fail in Greece Yugoslavian quagmire Libya & Egypt Result = delays Eastern push
Eastern Theater (Barbarossa) German supply lines/organization not prepared
Lightning Strikes