"A comprehensively detailed work of definitive scholarship..." --
Midwest Book Review
An examination of the German Blitzkrieg operations from Poland to
Operation Barbarossa, as experienced by junior commanders and enlisted
men, exploring why they were so successful.
The successes of the German Blitzkrieg in 1939-41 were as surprising as
they were swift. Allied decision-makers wanted to discover the secret to
German success quickly, even though only partial, incomplete information
was available to them. The false conclusions drawn became myths about
the Blitzkrieg that have lingered for decades.
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.
This book focuses on the experience of the enlisted men and junior
officers in the Blitzkrieg operations in Poland, Norway, Western Europe
and Russia. Using accounts previously unpublished in English, military
historian Niklas Zetterling explores how they operated, for example how
a company commander led his tanks, how a crew worked together inside a
tank, and the role of the repair services. The author fits these
narratives into a broader perspective to give the reader a better
understanding of why the Germans were so successful in 1939-41.
