Definition
The definition of Blitzkrieg is Lightning War, at it means concentrating your whole force on one point. The tactic was based on speed and surprise, it consisted of light tanks, planes and infantry following behind.
When Hitler came to power in 1933, he immediately wanted to re-arm the Nation which , lead Winston Churchill to remark, afterwards, 'Thank God for the French Army'. To Churchill at that time, the army of France seemed a powerful strong stopping Power, which could crush any possible Nazi aggression towards other European nations. But this powerful army got defeated in just 6 weeks by Nazi Germany.
One of Hitlers new Colonels, Heinz Guderian, came to the power of one of the main 3 panzer divisions. He then suggested …show more content…
The French had built up a long defensive line, (943 km) called the Maginot Line. The Maginot line was a series of fortifications and outposts on the French border. The Line consisted of 500 separate buildings. Generally there were two different types of fortifications, the Ouvrages and the smaller forts. The Ouvrages had 1,000 soldiers with machine guns and artillery, while the smaller forts only had between 200-500 men. In total there were 50 Ouvrages along the French German border, and each Ouvrage had the capability to cover the Ouvrage next to them. Also they were protected by reinforced steel that is able to take a lot hits from incoming artillery fire. The Smaller forts were not as well protected and built as the Ouvrages, but they were still effective in defending. They were protected by tank ditches and minefields, capable of slowing the enemy down. In theory, the Maginot Line was a massive continuous line of fire, that should have made it impossible to cross into the French border. Even today the Maginot line is still standing. Thats why The German Command realized that and made a huge turn around away from the