Blitzkrieg Myth: How Hitler and the Allies Misread the Strategic Realities of World War II
By John Mosier
3.5/5
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About this ebook
A bold reinterpretation of some of the most decisive battles of World War II, showing that the outcomes had less to do with popular new technology than old–fashioned, on–the–ground warfare.
The military myths of World War II were based on the assumption that the new technology of the airplane and the tank would cause rapid and massive breakthroughs on the battlefield, or demoralization of the enemy by intensive bombing resulting in destruction, or surrender in a matter of weeks. The two apostles for these new theories were the Englishman J.C.F. Fuller for armoured warfare, and the Italian Emilio Drouhet for airpower. Hitler, Rommel, von Manstein, Montgomery and Patton were all seduced by the breakthrough myth or blitzkrieg as the decisive way to victory.
Mosier shows how the Polish campaign in fall 1939 and the fall of France in spring 1940 were not the blitzkrieg victories as proclaimed. He also reinterprets Rommel's North African campaigns, D–Day and the Normandy campaign, Patton's attempted breakthrough into the Saar and Germany, Montgomery's flawed breakthrough at Arnhem, and Hitler's last desperate breakthrough effort to Antwerp in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944. All of these actions saw the clash of the breakthrough theories with the realities of conventional military tactics, and Mosier's novel analysis of these campaigns, the failure of airpower, and the military leaders on both sides, is a challenging reassessment of the military history of World War II. The book includes maps and photos.
John Mosier
John Mosier is a professor of English at Loyola University in New Orleans. He is the author of four books of military history: The Myth of the Great War, The Blitzkrieg Myth, The Generalship of U. S. Grant, and Cross of Iron. He has appeared on the BBC, Fox News, the History Channel, Sky News, and Comcast. An active film critic (he served on the Camera d'Or jury at the Cannes Film Festival), he has also written over 100 articles on film for Kino, Americas, Variety, and the New Orleans Arts Review. He lives in Jefferson, Louisiana.
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Reviews for Blitzkrieg Myth
12 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This makes sense to me.
The tactics were the same. The change was horses to iron horses in the form of tanks and planes.
As with any change in military technology, defense is simpler and cheaper than offense.
The moral failure of the western leadership makes sense to me. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5the above comment is a bit much since the author has a book completely dedicated to the eastern front as well. So if you want both read both.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The art of choosing the examples to fit the theory.Mr Mosier conveniently ignores the eastern front!Any serious military enthousiast will be able to see through the thin arguments and the hughe, I mean really enormous, holes in his arguments.Avoid.Don't bother.