Why was Blitzkrieg so effective?
Stage
Tactic
1
A) The German High Command were organised and very clear in their tactics with
Blitzkrieg. The army was well trained and well equipped, as Germany had spent 6 years
re-arming and were ahead of the Allies, who had not modernised their armies from
WW1.
2
G) Agents parachute ahead, disguised as civilians/enemy troops to identify routes to be
used and important points that needed to be seized (e.g. bridges, crossroads).
3
B) German planes bomb the area to be occupied with a large amount of firepower in
order to weaken them. In the northern part of Blitzkrieg, for example, a huge bombing
raid on Rotterdam in Holland killed 1000 people. The Dutch surrendered after this.
4
D) Tanks and motorised infantry drive along routes to their objectives (they move
around large centres of resistance). This tactic worked in Europe because open or
flatland (such as in Poland, Holland, Belgium) or an extensive road system (such as in
France) allowed the Germans to move in very fast.
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C) German ground troops (infantry) follow and quickly move in to occupy the area with
heavy artillery fire backing them up. They put down all remaining resistance in the
enemy territory.
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F) As soon as the troops have moved in, the planes and tanks move on to the next
enemy territory targeted. It was very risky to move on to the next area without making
sure the area behind the advancing army was safe, but it gave the troops in the areas
under attack little time to prepare for invasion.
7
E) Through the use of Blitzkrieg, the Germans quickly captured Belgium and then moved
onto France. Due to its speed, the Germans quickly outflanked the French and British,
They tried to holdback the Germans, but had no plan to counter the organised campaign
of Blitzkrieg.
1. Above, underline reasons why the Blitzkrieg tactic was so effective
Challenge
Can you put you put your reasons into three main cateogories?