It relies on combined arms —integrating armor (Panzer divisions), motorized infantry, and close air support (Luftwaffe) to strike a specific, weak point in the enemy's defense.
This report outlines the ("lightning war") strategy, a defining military approach used by Germany in the early years of World War II, characterized by speed, coordination, and intense shock value. 1. Definition and Core Concepts Blitzkrieg
The strategy was developed to overcome the trench warfare deadlock of World War I, drawing on tactics developed by German forces as early as 1917-1918. It relies on combined arms —integrating armor (Panzer
Many historians argue the term is a "myth" or "post-hoc explanation," and that the German army was actually applying new technologies to the traditional doctrine of Bewegungskrieg (maneuver warfare). 2. Origins and Development characterized by speed