Blitzkrieg Mission Command

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BATTLE ANALYSIS PAPER
GENERAL HEINZ GUDERIAN AT THE BATTLE OF SEDAN

CPT James Lough
AVCCC 17-02 SG2
21 April 2017 Famous for its ability to strike quickly during World War II, the German Army harnessed blitzkrieg, “lightning war,” to bring about swift victories. Relying on mobile forces and concentrating firepower the rapid maneuver caused confusion at all levels enemy armies. This gave the Germans a huge advantage in trying to prevent the gridlock of World War I. Blitzkrieg would not have been possible as a concept, however, without the German mastery of auftragstaktik, “mission-oriented orders.” This is the basis what the United States Army today calls Mission Command. It is the core tenet of German command philosophy in World …show more content…
Senior French military officials understood the deep anger in Germany after the Treaty of Versailles. This anger all but guaranteed the Germans would strike out. Andre Maginot, a previous French Minister of War, developed a military plan to defeat any German offensive. This would be called the Maginot Line. Maginot envisioned a defensive line that would hinder any German attack long enough to mobilize the full force of the French Army for a counter attack. The French planned the Line at the German border to minimize property damage. The Maginot Line consisted of large forts spread out by approximately nine miles with smaller forts in between. These forts were protected by minefields and obstacles up and down the border. Defenders would have plenty of warning of an incoming attack, and could prepare accordingly. The Ardennes Forest in the North would benefit the French; they saw it as a natural obstacle, impenetrable to any major army. Work on the Maginot Line began in 1930 and continued until …show more content…
By evening of May 10, the 1st Panzer Division reached the Belgian border. The Germans made relatively quick work of the Belgian obstacles on the border, and Guderian intended for the 1st Panzer Division to reach the bank of the Meuse by the end of May 11. A covering force consisting of the Belgian Ardennes Division (light and motorcycle infantry) and French 5th Cavalry Division (horse cavalry and mechanized cavalry) opposed the the XIX Panzer Corps. While unable to stop the overwhelming mass and firepower of the Germans, Belgian and French resistance slowed them more than expected. By day’s end, the 1st Panzer Division found themselves only 5 km from the French border, 20 kilometers from

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