Blitzkrieg &
Sitzkrieg
Hitler Takes Europe In A Season
Blitzkrieg
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Also known as
“Lightning Warfare”
An intense military
attacked designed to
bring about a swift
victory
Used by the Germans
in World War II
Elements of Blitzkrieg
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1. Surprise
2. Psychological Warfare
3. Concentration of Firepower
4. Speed
5. Leadership from the Front
6. Co-odination
The Theory of Blitzkrieg
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The tactic was
developed by German
army officer Hans
Guderian
Designed to hit hard
and move on instantly
It aimed to create
panic amongst
civilians
The Theory of Blitzkrieg
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Once a strategic target had been selected,
Stuka dive bombers were sent in to ‘soften
up’ the enemy, destroy all rail lines,
communication centres and major rail lines
Done as the German tanks were
approaching
Planes would withdraw last minute so the
enemy did not have time to recover
Blitzkrieg Unleashed
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The German Air Force (Luftwaffe), tank divisions
(Panzers), and the army (Wehrmacht) smashed
into Poland
Poland was the perfect target for a blitzkrieg
attack
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A flat country with no natural obstacles; large out of date
army
September 1st 1939, surprise bombing raids
began on Poland’s aerodromes
Poland’s air force is destroyed
Blitzkrieg Unleashed
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Luftwaffe began bombing
raids on Poland’s railways
and military convoys to
disrupt mobilization
German ground forces
moved in from the North
and South
Poland’s army had
nowhere to retreat
The final blow came in midSeptember when the USSR
invaded Poland from the
East
Blitzkrieg Unleashed
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Two days later, honouring their obligations to
Poland, France and Britan declare war on Germany
On September 9th 1939, Canada declares war on
Germany
The USSR invaded Poland from the East on
September 17th under the terms of a secret pact
with Germany
Warsaw surrended on September 27. By october 6,
Poland ceased to exist as a country. World War II
had begun.
Sitzkrieg
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Also known as “Phoney
War”
There was no fighting in
Europe until Hitler turned
his attention to the rest of
Europe in April 1940
Prime Minister King &
President Roosevelt
hoped that Hitler would
stop with Poland. They
were sadly mistaken
The Fall of European Nations
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In April of 1940
Denmark & Norway
fall to Nazi Germany
Soon after Holland
falls to Nazi Germany
Then on May 10th
1940 the Germans
invaded France
The Fall Of France
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German forces
pushed through the
Ardennes, outflanking
the Maginot Line and
unhinging the Allied
defenders
Paris was occupied on
June 14
For Hitler, it was a
spectacular victory
The Effects of Blitzkrieg
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France was divided into a German occupation zone
in the north and west, a small Italian occupation
zone in the southeast, and a collaborationist
government in the south, Vichy France
The British Expeditionary Force and many French
soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk
France remained under German occupation until
after the Allies defeated the German forces in
France following the Allied landings on D-Day 1944
The Rescue At Dunkirk
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Allied troops were trapped by an advancing
German Army at Dunkirk
With their backs to the sea and Germans closing
in, Hitler’s army ceases to pursue their capture
The Allies launch a massive rescue by sending
900 ships across the English Channel they save
14,000 French Troops and 200,000 British Troops
The troops would form the core of the allied
invasion that liberates Europe
The Effects of Blitzkrieg
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Due to the success of Blitzkrieg the Nazis
swept through Europe from Poland to the
Atlantic in 9 months
The Nazis now effectively held the
mainland of Europe
What was next…..?