Crossword clues for blitzkrieg
The Collaborative International Dictionary
blitzkrieg \blitz"krieg\ (bl[i^]tz"kr[=e]g), n. [German, blitz lightning + krieg war.] an overwhelming all-out attack with infantry, armor, and air forces, especially by surprise against an unprepared enemy.
blitzkrieg \blitz"krieg\ v. to fight a quick and surprising war.
Syn: fight a blitzkrieg.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"rapid attack," 1939, from German Blitzkrieg, from Blitz "lightning" (from Middle High German blicze, back-formation from bliczen "to flash," from Old High German blecchazzen "to flash, lighten" (8c.), from Proto-Germanic *blikkatjan, from PIE root *bhel- (1) "to shine, flash, burn;" see bleach (v.)) + Krieg "war" (see kriegspiel).
Wiktionary
n. A fast, sudden military offensive, usually combining ground forces with air support.
WordNet
v. fight a quick and surprising war
Wikipedia
Blitzkrieg ( German, "lightning war") is a method of warfare whereby an attacking force spearheaded by a dense concentration of armoured and motorised or mechanised infantry formations with close air support, breaks through the opponent's line of defence by short, fast, powerful attacks and then dislocates the defenders, using speed and surprise to encircle them. Through the employment of combined arms in manoeuvre warfare, blitzkrieg attempts to unbalance the enemy by making it difficult for it to respond to the continuously changing front and defeating it in a decisive (" battle of annihilation").
During the interwar period, aircraft and tank technologies matured and were combined with systematic application of the traditional German tactic of (" maneuver warfare"), deep penetrations and the bypassing of enemy strong points to encircle and destroy enemy forces in a ("cauldron battle"). During the Invasion of Poland, Western journalists adopted the term blitzkrieg to describe this form of armoured warfare. The term had appeared in 1935, in a German military periodical ("German Defense"), in connection to quick or lightning warfare. German manoeuvre 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 re-form defensive lines along rivers but were frustrated when German forces arrived first and pressed on.
Despite its ubiquity in German and British journalism during World War II, was practically never used as official military terminology of the Wehrmacht during the war. 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, Karl-Heinz Frieser summarized blitzkrieg as simply the result of German commanders using the latest technology in the most beneficial 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 outcome of the rejuvenation of the traditional German military principles, methods and doctrines of the 19th century with the latest weapon systems of the interwar period.
Despite blitzkrieg never being an official or formal doctrine, many modern historians use it casually to describe the style of manoeuvre warfare practiced by Germany during the early part of the war. In the context of the thinking of Heinz Guderian on mobile combined arms formations, blitzkrieg can be a synonym for modern manoeuvre warfare on the operational level.
Blitzkrieg is a real-time tactics computer game based on the events of World War II and is the first title in the Blitzkrieg series. The game allows players to assume the role of commanding officer during the battles of World War II that occurred in Europe and North Africa. Each country has its respective historically correct military units. Similar to the Sudden Strike games Blitzkrieg focuses on battles rather than real-time strategy aspects like base building.
Virtual Programming published a Mac OS X version of the game on the Mac App Store on April 20, 2011.
Certain versions of the original game, and several sequels, use the StarForce copy protection system. Blitzkrieg Anthology does not appear to use Starforce.
Graphics deliver realistic 3-D rendered isometric terrain and details include seasons, climatic zones and weather conditions which can affect game play. Blood is present although it can be deactivated. The game features over 350 different units and objects. The player has the ability to build pontoon bridges, dig trenches, lay mines, resupply and repair units or call in air support but there are no resources. Virtually everything can be destroyed including buildings and bridges. Forests can be flattened by tanks or artillery. Each unit of a respective nation speaks its own language, adding immensely to the immersion.
The game shipped with a mission and resource editors for users to create their own units and maps.
Blitzkrieg is a 1993 single by Excessive Force, a KMFDM side project. This release precedes the album Gentle Death, and was included in the re-release of that album in 2007.
Blitzkrieg are an English punk rock band, based in Southport and formed in 1979. They made a distinct contribution to the UK hardcore punk scene and have strong underground following. Despite the Nazi connotations of the name Blitzkrieg, German for "Lightning-War", they took a fiercely anti-Nazi stance.
Blitzkrieg are a heavy metal band initially from Leicester formed in 1980. The current line-up is Brian Ross (vocals), Ken Johnson (guitar), Alan Ross (guitar), Bill Baxter (bass) and Matt Graham (drums). Brian Ross is the only remaining member from the band's founding.
Blitzkrieg was a short-lived 1970s war-themed comic book published by DC Comics.
Blitzkrieg is a military term describing the use of overwhelming force and rapid speed.
Blitzkrieg may also refer to:
Blitzkrieg, in comics, may refer to:
- Blitzkrieg (Marvel Comics), a Marvel Comics superhero
- Blitzkrieg (DC Comics), a DC war comic series from 1970s
The Blitzkrieg series is a collection of real-time tactics (RTT) computer games set in World War II.
Usage examples of "blitzkrieg".
She wished Blitzkrieg would finish his rant so she could pay proper attention to those very accounts, but she knew from bitter experience that it might take all morning for him to run through his list of gripes.
Which would be true, except that we all know that General Blitzkrieg has a major grudge against this company and especially against our captain.
General Blitzkrieg, was on his way to Zenobia to harass the members of Omega Company.
General Blitzkrieg, a man whose entire career seemed to be the apotheosis of cross-purposes.
General Blitzkrieg got no further than that before his jaw dropped and his eyes bulged out.
Beyond them, General Blitzkrieg could make out a more or less green area with a small red-and-white flag flying from a pole in the middle distance.
He waved toward the waiting cooler, and General Blitzkrieg eagerly stepped forward.
As for the bunker on the left, Blitzkrieg could safely put it out of mind.
For once Blitzkrieg appeared to have figured out what it took to keep his shots in the center of the fairway.
General Blitzkrieg had hit something over a hundred balls, but by incredibly selective scorekeeping, had managed to put only forty-two strokes down on his scorecard.
What was most astonishing to Armstrong was that Blitzkrieg appeared to have no notion whatsoever that his score for the front nine was in any way questionable.
General Blitzkrieg had rushed over to his golf bag, and was examining it for grass stains.
After all, the robot nominally outranked everyone on the base except for General Blitzkrieg and his adjutant, neither of whom was likely to intervene.
The fellow was supposed to be in command here, not that Blitzkrieg had seen any sign of it.
Comm Central, General Blitzkrieg stopped as a familiar sound caught his ear.