blitzkrieg: Quick Facts

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Photos and Videos

Burned and wrecked French tanks and vehicles line a town street, with damaged buildings on either side, after destruction by German forces during World War II.

Carl von Clausewitz

German Junkers Ju 87 Stuka dive-bomber in flight, viewed from below at an angle, with swastika insignia visible on the tail against a cloudy sky.

Map showing the German invasion of the Low Countries and France in 1940 during World War II. The map highlights the movement of German forces with red arrows advancing through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, and into northern France. Allied defensive lines and positions are marked in blue, with key cities, army groups, and the Dunkirk evacuation site indicated. The map also distinguishes between Axis, Allied, and neutral territories at the start of the conflict.

See how German troops parachuted behind the Maginot Line as part of the blitzkrieg against Allied forces

View archival footage of German troops invading Poland and forcing Europe into war

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Topics

offensive tactics

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Dunkirk evacuation: Blitzkrieg and the Allied collapse

Key People

Heinz Guderian

Heinz Guderian

German general

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Sir Basil Liddell Hart

British military historian

Germany invades Poland, September 1, 1939, using 45 German divisions and aerial attack. By September 20, only Warsaw held out, but final surrender came on September 29.

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D-Day. American soldiers fire rifles, throw grenades and wade ashore on Omaha Beach next to a German bunker during D Day landing. 1 of 5 Allied beachheads est. in Normandy, France. The Normandy Invasion of World War II launched June 6, 1944.

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