BLITZKRIEG FROM THE GROUND UP

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An examination of the German Blitzkrieg operations -- and why they were so successful -- from Poland to Operation Barbarossa using accounts previously unpublished in English by the enlisted men and junior officers.

It has been argued that German victories in the early part of the war rested less upon newly developed tanks and aircraft and more on German military traditions: rather than creating a new way of war based on new technology, the Germans fitted the new weapons into their existing ideas on warfare. These doctrines focused on independent action, initiative, flexibility, decentralized decision-making, and mobility. The conduct of German soldiers, particularly the lower-ranking men, on the battlefield was at the core of the concept and German victories rested upon the quality of the small combat units.

These narratives fit into a broader perspective to offer a better understanding of why the Germans were so successful in 1939-41.