Hitler's Blitzkrieg Campaigns - Softcover

Kaufmann, J.E.; Kaufmann, H.W.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0306812169 ISBN 13: 9780306812163

Publisher: Da Capo Press, 2002

Synopsis

On September 1, 1939, Adolph Hitler inaugurated a new style of warfare-blitzkrieg-that terrorized Europe for half a decade. This "lightning war" provoked panic in millions and led to the downfall of entire nations: Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, Holland and, one of the greatest military powers of the day, France. By summer of 1940, Hitler's triumphant blitzkrieg cam-paigns gave his armies a veneer of invincibility. Yet, the German strongman had not achieved complete victory, causing Europe to plummet into world war.Hitler's Blitzkrieg Campaigns: The Invasion and Defense of Western Europe, 1939-1940 is an in-depth study of Hitler's early campaigns in World War II. It describes in detail the German forces that were used in blitzkrieg and the Allied armies that stood against them, the many weapons fielded, and the offensive and defensive strategies that were employed.The book presents some of the most complete maps of these early World War II campaigns, complex diagrams of the Maginot fortifications and orders of battle for German, French and British armies. Unlike most treatments of the campaigns which focus on British contributions to the war against Hitler in 1939-1940, the authors also analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the other Allies-Poland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.This is a book about an evolution in warfare. It tells how the Germans were able to master modern weapons to make an awesome military machine for frightful purposes and about the initial Allied attempts to stop its march across Europe.Richly illustrated with photos, maps and diagrams

About this title

About the Author

J.E. Kaufmann is the author of six books on fortifications. He and his wife, H.W. Kaufmann, live in San Antonio, Texas. H.W. Kaufmann is the wife of J.E. Kaufmann, the author of six books on fortifications. They live in San Antonio, Texas.

Review

This book in my opinion is one of the best titles on the early war period. What makes it stand out is the way in which it gives a clear explanation of why the Germans were so strong during this period of the war: training and preparation. This was something all of their opponents lacked, as is shown to great effect in the book. The book is an easy read; I couldn't put it down once I started. I feel it deals with all important aspects of the early war period in sufficient detail. It covers the respective armed forces, and deals with their strengths and weaknesses. It gives a good description of the French Army, the Maginot line and the role it played in French strategic thinking. It also deals with tank design and tactics, explaining why French tanks, though heavilly armored and well armed, need not necessarilly be the best design. I felt that this part of the book set the scene for the campaign very well. The Polish campaing is dealt with in 40 pages. This is short, but all important aspects are mentioned. The Weserubung campaign is also briefly described (32 pages). The western front first gets a chapter on the Sitzkrieg, and then the actual campaign is dealt with in over 120 pages. The book is illustrated with a lot of maps and photographs. These look a bit like they are photocopies, though not as bad as I've seen in other titles. The illustrations are clear enough to identify details and serve their purpose. Overall I think this is a powerful title on the early war period, because it gives a very compact but clear description of events. All this makes very clear why the outcome was as it was and I think this is a great achievement by the authors. This title is highly recommended to anyone with an interest in the early war period. In fact I think if your interest lies here you should not miss this one. --By Bor

About this edition

• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0306812169
• ISBN 13: 9780306812163
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 288