blitzkrieg

(noun)

A method of warfare, used by Germany in the early period of World War II, whereby an attacking force spearheaded by a dense concentration of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations with close air support, breaks through the opponent's line of defense by short, fast, powerful attacks and then dislocates the defenders, using speed and surprise to encircle them.

Examples of blitzkrieg in the following topics:

  • Blitzkrieg

    • Blitzkrieg refers to German tactical and operational strategies in the first half of the second World War.
    • However, historian Basil Liddell Hart argues that "Poland was a full demonstration of the Blitzkrieg theory."
    • The Netherlands and Belgium were overrun using blitzkrieg tactics in a few days and weeks, respectively.
    • Historians disagree over when the blitzkrieg phase of World War II in Europe ended.
    • Some assert that Operation Citadel was planned and intended to be a blitzkrieg operation. 

  • The Expanding Axis

    • The Netherlands and Belgium were overrun using blitzkrieg tactics in a few days and weeks, respectively.

  • The Battle of Britain

    • The Blitz, from the German word 'Blitzkrieg' meaning 'lightning war,' was the name borrowed by the British press and applied to the heavy and frequent bombing raids carried out over Britain in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War.