Why Germany's Blitzkrieg was so Effective in World War Two

There is a saying among military historians that the winners prepare for the last war. That means that winning armies often make the mistake of assuming that the next war will be fought in a way similar to how the last war was fought. Since military technologies and strategies are as dynamic as every other aspect of our modern lives, however, the assumption that the next war will be fought the same way the previous war can lead victorious armies to guard against outdated military strategies and give them a false sense of security. Probably the best example of the dangerous of an army preparing for the last war without giving thought to the future comes from World War II.

Fighting along the Western Front in World War I was characterized by trench warfare. Because of this, the French made the mistake of assuming that the next war, would also be characterized by trench warfare. Thus, they prepared for World War Two by building a "Super-Trench," the Maginot Line. Some French military officers, including Charles de Gaulle, warned that this defense may prove ineffective in the next war, but those opinions were largely ignored. As it turned out, they were right. When France went to war with Germany in 1939, the Germans employed a very different strategy. This strategy, known as Blitzkrieg (lightening war), emphasized mobility, making the Maginot Line precisely the wrong type of defense. The Germans simply went around it by invading through neutral Belgium. They then proceeded to overrun the French with their superior mobility.