Blitzkrieg Warfare

Blitzkrieg, the doctrine of war employed by Nazi Germany in the opening years of World War II, was the result of years of strategic and operational thinking. Marked by the experience of World War I, Germany sought a doctrine that would enable domination of [Page 229]Europe through mechanized warfare. Because of its high demand on resources, blitzkrieg proved unsustainable, and the Allies learned to counter the initially successful doctrine. This entry traces the history of the type of warfare called blitzkrieg, and discusses the debate among historians as to the efficacy and even the existence of blitzkrieg. Despite its renown, some revisionist historians argue that blitzkrieg is overrated or may never have existed at all.