The German term "Blitzkrieg" (literally Lightning war or flash war) is a popular name for an offensive operational-level military doctrine which involves an initial bombardment followed by the employment of mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an enemy from implementing a coherent defense. The founding principles of these types of operations were developed in the 20th Century by various nations, and adapted in the years after World War I, largely by the German Wehrmacht, to incorporate modern weapons and vehicles as a method to help avoid the stalemate of trench warfare and linear warfare in future conflicts. The first practical implementations of these concepts coupled with modern technology were instituted by the Wehrmacht in the opening theatres of World War II. The strategy was particularly effective in the invasions of Western Europe and initial operations in the Soviet Union. These operations were dependent on surprise penetrations, general enemy unpreparedness and an inability to react swiftly enough to German offensive operations. That the German Army quickly defeated numerically and technically superior enemies in France led many analysts to believe that a new system of warfare had been invented.

The German Blitzkrieg series consists of six vehicles:
- Pz.II Ausf. B light tank, Pz.Abt.z.b.V.40, Norway 1940
- Pz.III Ausf. E medium tank, Pz.Rgt.3, 2.Pz.Div., Greece 1941
- Pz.38(t) Ausf. G medium tank, Pz.Rgt.204, 22.Pz.Div., Sevastopol 1942
- Pz.III Ausf. F medium tank, 4.Pz.Div., Russia 1941
- Pz.IV Ausf. D medium tank, 21.Pz.Div. DAK, North Africa 1941
- Pz.IV Ausf. F1 medium tank, 5.Pz.Div. Russia 1942

Note: The limited edition Pz.Kpfw.38(t) w/ tank crew is sold separately. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Length: 1-1/2 inches
Width: 1 inch

Release Date: January 2006

Historical Account: Blitzkrieg (German for "lightning war") is a popular name for an operational-level military doctrine which employed mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent an enemy from implementing a coherent defense. The doctrines resulting in the blitzkrieg effect were developed in the years after World War I as a method to help prevent trench warfare.

Blitzkrieg was first used on any serious scale by the German Wehrmacht in World War II. Operations early in the war�the invasions of Poland, France, and the Soviet Union�were highly effective, owing to surprise penetrations, enemy unpreparedness for massive exploitation and an inability to react swiftly enough to the superior German military doctrines. The Germans faced numerically superior forces and technically superior vehicles in the invasion of France, proving the early effectiveness of their tactics and strategies. From this peak, the Wehrmacht's cohesion deteriorated. Heinz Guderian, an early implementor of the blitzkrieg, was relieved of command on December 25th, 1941, for ordering a withdrawal which contradicted Hitler's "standfast" order.