Definitions for Blitzkrieg
ˈblɪtsˌkrigblitzkrieg

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blitz, blitzkriegverb

   a swift and violent military offensive with intensive aerial bombardment

2. blitzkriegverb

   fight a quick and surprising war

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blitzkriegnoun

   A fast, sudden military offensive, usually combining ground forces with air support.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Blitzkrieg

   Blitzkrieg ( BLITS-kreeg, German: [ˈblɪtskʁiːk] (listen); from Blitz 'lightning' + Krieg 'war') is a word used to describe a surprise attack using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with close air support, that has the intent to break through the opponent's lines of defense, then dislocate the defenders, unbalance the enemy by making it difficult to respond to the continuously changing front, and defeat them in a decisive Vernichtungsschlacht: a battle of annihilation.During the interwar period, aircraft and tank technologies matured and were combined with systematic application of the traditional German tactic of Bewegungskrieg (maneuver warfare), deep penetrations and the bypassing of enemy strong points to encircle and destroy enemy forces in a Kesselschlacht (cauldron battle). During the Invasion of Poland, Western journalists adopted the term blitzkrieg to describe this form of armored warfare. The term had appeared in 1935, in a German military periodical Deutsche Wehr (German Defense), in connection to quick or lightning warfare. German maneuver operations were successful in the campaigns of 1939–1941 and by 1940 the term blitzkrieg was extensively used in Western media. Blitzkrieg operations capitalized on surprise penetrations (e.g., the penetration of the Ardennes forest region), general enemy unreadiness and their inability to match the pace of the German attack. During the Battle of France, the French made attempts to reform defensive lines along rivers but were frustrated when German forces arrived first and pressed on.Despite being common in German and English-language journalism during World War II, the word Blitzkrieg was never used by the Wehrmacht as an official military term, except for propaganda. According to David Reynolds, "Hitler himself called the term Blitzkrieg 'A completely idiotic word' (ein ganz blödsinniges Wort)". Some senior officers, including Kurt Student, Franz Halder and Johann Adolf von Kielmansegg, even disputed the idea that it was a military concept. Kielmansegg asserted that what many regarded as blitzkrieg was nothing more than "ad hoc solutions that simply popped out of the prevailing situation". Student described it as ideas that "naturally emerged from the existing circumstances" as a response to operational challenges. The Wehrmacht never officially adopted it as a concept or doctrine.In 2005, the historian Karl-Heinz Frieser summarized blitzkrieg as the result of German commanders using the latest technology in the most advantageous way according to traditional military principles and employing "the right units in the right place at the right time". Modern historians now understand blitzkrieg as the combination of the traditional German military principles, methods and doctrines of the 19th century with the military technology of the interwar period. Modern historians use the term casually as a generic description for the style of maneuver warfare practiced by Germany during the early part of World War II, rather than as an explanation. According to Frieser, in the context of the thinking of Heinz Guderian on mobile combined arms formations, blitzkrieg can be used as a synonym for modern maneuver warfare on the operational level.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. blitzkrieg

   Blitzkrieg is a military strategy originating from Germany, used extensively during World War II. The strategy focuses on swift and intensive attacks intended to bring about a swift victory, minimizing the length of battle. It often involves the use of mobile forces attacking with speed, surprise, and the intent to disrupt the enemy's lines of communication and supply. The term 'blitzkrieg' is German for "lightning war".

WikidataRate this definition:1.7 / 3 votes

1. Blitzkrieg

   Blitzkrieg is an anglicised term describing a method of warfare whereby an attacking force spearheaded by a dense concentration of armoured and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, and heavily backed up by close air support, forces a breakthrough into the enemy's rear through a series of deep thrusts; and once in the enemy's rear, proceeds to dislocate them by utilizing speed and surprise, and then encircle them. Through the employment of combined arms force in maneuver warfare, the blitzkrieg attempts to unbalance the enemy by making it difficult for them to respond effectively to the continuously changing front, and defeat them through a decisive vernichtungsschlacht. During the interwar period, aircraft and tank technologies matured and were combined with systematic application of the traditional German tactics of deep penetration and bypassing of enemy strong points to encircle and destroy enemy force in a Kesselschlacht. When Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Western journalists adopted the term blitzkrieg to describe this form of armoured warfare. However, the term had already made an appearance as early as 1935, in a German military periodical Deutsche Wehr, in connection to quick or lightning warfare. Blitzkrieg operations were very effective during the campaigns of 1939–1941, and by 1940 the term had gained extensive use in Western media and journalism. The blitzkrieg operations capitalized on surprise penetrations, general enemy unpreparedness, and an inability to react swiftly enough to the attacker's offensive operations. During the Battle of France, the French, who made attempts to re-form defensive lines along rivers, were constantly frustrated when German forces arrived there first and pressed on.

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1. blitzkrieg

   Song lyrics by blitzkrieg -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by blitzkrieg on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • War

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce Blitzkrieg?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

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   Fred

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   Tessa

   South African

How to say Blitzkrieg in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of Blitzkrieg in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of Blitzkrieg in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of Blitzkrieg in a Sentence

1. Alexander Rodnyansky:

   The blitzkrieg has gone terribly wrong for them and they know that, so they need more time to regroup and rebuild their troops, we must not fall into that trap.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=Blitzkrieg
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blitzkrieg
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=Blitzkrieg
6. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=Blitzkrieg