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A review by garethtrussell
Blitzkrieg: Myth, Reality, and Hitler's Lightning War: France 1940 by Lloyd Clark
5.0
Blitzkrieg: Myth, Reality and Hitler's Lightning War is a compelling account of the Battle of France during the Second World War.
Popular accounts often make much of a German doctrine of Blitzkreig or Lightning War that the Nazi regime masterfully deployed against the Western powers during the opening stages of WW2. Clark compelling argues that no such doctrine existed before the Battle of France. In fact the picture is much more complicated, with a few elite Panzer divisions forming a spearhead, whilst being supported by non-mechanised infancty divisions who effectively pinned the Allied forces in the Low Countries. Conflict within the German heirarchy gave the Allies space to withdraw at Dunkirk; the German military command initially planned to repeat the strategies of WW1, but only changed tack after repeated pressure from Hitler; meanwhile, France lacked the political willpower to either lead a defence or respond to changes in technology.
In the final analysis - the German army was just better prepared, with a better esprit de corps, to overcome the opposition it faced. There was no Blitzkrieg. But that shouldn't detract from the remarkable victory won by the Nazi forces.
I'd highly recommend this volume as an account of the Battle of France.
Popular accounts often make much of a German doctrine of Blitzkreig or Lightning War that the Nazi regime masterfully deployed against the Western powers during the opening stages of WW2. Clark compelling argues that no such doctrine existed before the Battle of France. In fact the picture is much more complicated, with a few elite Panzer divisions forming a spearhead, whilst being supported by non-mechanised infancty divisions who effectively pinned the Allied forces in the Low Countries. Conflict within the German heirarchy gave the Allies space to withdraw at Dunkirk; the German military command initially planned to repeat the strategies of WW1, but only changed tack after repeated pressure from Hitler; meanwhile, France lacked the political willpower to either lead a defence or respond to changes in technology.
In the final analysis - the German army was just better prepared, with a better esprit de corps, to overcome the opposition it faced. There was no Blitzkrieg. But that shouldn't detract from the remarkable victory won by the Nazi forces.
I'd highly recommend this volume as an account of the Battle of France.