Blitzkrieg(Lightning War) is a method of warfare, which suggests victory above the enemy in short term- days, weeks, or even months, but all the main point of the method is to gain victory before the enemy could mobilize his forces against the attacker.
The method was developed by Alfred von Schlieffen.
Alfred von Schlieffen-developer of the Blitzkrieg
The Strategy
The main point of Blitzkrieg strategy consists in autonomic action of an large tank groups with support from air.
The tank groups mission is to break in, deep behind the enemy lines, yet not to get involved in battles for strong defended positions.
The main target is to capture enemies command center, and to destroy the supply lines.
Fortified positions, defense nodes, and enemies main power being without supplies and management are loosing combat readiness.
Practice use
One of the first attempts to use Blitzkrieg in battle was made by German troops during the Great War.
According to Schlieffen’s plan, it was supposed to inflict France with an fast "lightning" attack, and finish the war in 1.5-2 months by forcing France to sign peace.
After that, turn all the forces to the eastern front against the Russian empire.
However, the French and Belgic resistance destroyed the plan, and the fact that the German army didn’t have tanks and the imperfection of the aviation played it’s role in the fail of the plan.
All this led to very slow movement of the German force, and it was not as planned according to the Blitzkrieg doctrine.
Subsequently, the Ententes force won the Germans in the battle of Marne, and the war continued for a much longer time then the German expected.
Schlieffen’s plan for defeating France
The Germans has failed with the Schlieffen’s plan in the Great War, but used it perfectly and unbelievably effective in the Second World War, however it’s a different story…