General Heinz Guderian: The Father of the Blitzkrieg

[@Biographics]

Thank you, Vincero! Check out Vincero's biggest sale here: vincerowatches.com/biographics

[@hadtrio6629]

do a video about moulay ismail of morocco

[@kevinbrown0529]

Really digging that black on black watch.

[@tacklecentralfishing1051]

15:05

[@ygztts]

You have a very small selection of Latin American/south and central American figures compared to the rest of the world, I'd like to see some bios on people of the Americas aside from the United states idk just more variety when it comes to the people you make the bios about.

[@catdaddychris666]

Sorry, Theyre screwing with you. The world is bonkers, bout now

[@blitzkrupp8583]

"New weapon require new tactics, never put new wine into old bottles" - Heinz Guderian -

[@joshhoehn]

"These hoes ain't loyal" -Winston Churchill-

[@panzerofthelake506]

"Haha T-34s goes brrrrrr" - Georgy Zhukov

[@RR18475]

@@panzerofthelake506 yeah all of them t34s went up into flames so easily!

[@RR18475]

@abis8 alpha8 Hitler was obsessed with attacking. He never liked retreating. He wanted to attack, and keep attacking even when he was supposed to retreat. And as you know, you need something highly mobile and versatile to attack; a tank. Of course, they were never big enough for Hitler, the Maus tank or even the idea of the Ratte was just ridiculous and ineffective.

[@mandalortemaan7510]

@abis8 alpha8 get an 88' truck

[@L.J.Kommer]

"Gotta go fast." -Heinz Guderian, probably

[@frankvonstroheim4456]

Gangsta's Paradise starts playing.....

[@JohnSmith-kz8yo]

Heinz was so far ahead of the game that everyone else was playing catch up..lol

[@legionofthedamned157]

But did he paint his tank red? I did not think so, he did not do what was needed to go really fast

[@christopherbrasher433]

"If you ain't first, you're last."~Heinz Guderian, definitely.

[@christopherbrasher433]

@@frankvonstroheim4456 Gangsta's Paradise?? What is this, a Sonic The Hedgehog trailer? Lol

[@ZaccusMaximus69]

The only ad I got from KZbin during this video was for a Hugo Boss suit. I cant help but admire the irony.

[@andredeketeleastutecomplex]

lol I thought I was alone in this, YT does this a lot imo

[@threadworm437]

I got a Mercedes Benz ad

[@MrWhangdoodles]

Well, it makes sense. If you don't mind watching a bio of THE nazi general then you won't mind brands that worked for the nazi regime.

[@Prosper_Dean]

ok..

[@jessiepinkman7736]

but that was the supreme cool thing to come out of world war 2: Neat Nazi uniforms. Designer? Hugo Boss!

[@hlt4418]

“There are no desperate situations, there are only desperate people” -Heinz Guderian

[@FranzBlitz]

His words Are Very Inspiring

[@romuloambay9624]

well on the other side, patton said there are no tired divisions only tired divisional commanders. .

[@comradestalin9444]

I think people in Berlin in 1945 would like to disagree lol

[@s.c5714]

desperate situations cause desperate people, bad quote

[@BabaDerBaer80]

@@s.c5714 Rommels "Ghost Division", so many of Guderians brave advances, there were many occasions were they found themselves in desperate and very dangerous situations, but they keeped a cool head and pulled through. Desperate situations cause weak commanders and soldiers to crumble, bad comment.

[@marko243]

During the Blitzkrieg offensive through the Ardennes, the German High Command was astonished by the pace of Guderian's advance and didn't even consider it to be possible, so they tried to order him to decrease the pace of the advance. Guderian found a loophole in that, by continuing in his charge and simply calling it "armored reconnaissance", since there was no restriction to the distance reconnaissance units could cover daily.

[@paulscanlon2]

As a history addict, I can’t begin to express how grateful I am for your work, sir.

[@heinzguderian7091]

I could tell you more, because I am him

[@sontapaa11jokulainen94]

@@heinzguderian7091 why didn't you continue your diary after being fired?

[@williamzk9083]

I would not attribute Guardian to Blitzkrieg. It evolved from Bewgungskrieg (movement warfare) that stems from Frederick the Great times in Prussia. The Prussians were generally outnumbered and surrounded by enemies on both sides so developed a style of warfare that involves a lot of moment and attempts to encircle. Hence a lot of cavalry and excellent marching drills. Hans von Seeckt who recreated the German Army in the Weimar period created it.

[@ARIXANDRE]

This guy was pretty underrated when compared to Rommel.

[@fatdaddyeddiejr]

@john smith Rommel was a member of the Nazi party. In fact before the war. He was in charge of an Amry unit that was responsible for the protection on Adolf Hitler.

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

@john smith Rommel was Wehrmacht Elvis and Guderian was Wehrmacht Dylan

[@blackblurable]

idoj654123 Hitler never played Risk as a kid... I always won Risk 😂 (My friends hated me because of this and last time we got into a shouting match.)

[@MrShaneVicious]

@@fatdaddyeddiejr Rommel was not a Nazi, he was non-political

[@matro2]

@idoj654123 The war was lost when it began. I'd say it was in 1933 if you look at their economy and its future.

[@rafisanders]

As someone who's served in a tank. I can safely say that most militaries use concepts of the blitzkrieg. Even today most armies (if not all) combine infintry with armour.

[@dennismccool8760]

rafi sanders, every military employs combined arms today, but that was no so in 1940. Hence the significance of his Blitzkreig doctrine.

[@rafisanders]

@@dennismccool8760 I agree that was my point

[@dennismccool8760]

rafi sanders 👌

[@zsl1256]

Isint the combined arms tactic that and not blitzkrieg?

[@shooterxd2387]

Well the saudis didnt get the memo lmao

[@djohanson99]

"The Revenge of Reality" what a term. i have to think about that. marvelous collection of words that vexes me.

[@ignitionfrn2223]

1:05 - Chapter 0 - A brief on Blitzkrieg tactics 3:00 - Chapter 1 - Heinz(el) & gretel 5:15 - Chapter 2 - Schnelle Heinz 8:35 - Chapter 3 - War of movement 2.0 11:45 - Part 1 - Tanks leading the charge 12:00 - Part 2 - Infantry supporting the tanks 12:10 - Part 3 - Aircraft & artillery supporting both tanks & infantry 12:20 - Part 4 - All teams require good communication 13:45 - Mid roll ads 15:10 - Chapter 4 - Bewegungskrieg in practice 18:30 - Chapter 5 - The revenge of reality 20:45 - Chapter 6 - Back in action 24:35 - Chapter 7 - A critical look

[@Tmanowns]

Because Blitzkrieg translates to "Lightning War," that means that the Second World War truly was "World War 2: Electric Boogaloo."

[@audiosurfarchive]

Dirk Diggler approved.

[@tomperkins5657]

@@audiosurfarchive Touché all!

[@BoudiccasGhost]

Generic Person Every time....WHY does this make me laugh EVERY TIME?!

[@Tmanowns]

@@BoudiccasGhost Because sometimes history just works wonderfully for the sake of comedy. And then 80 million people died, so it became not nearly as funny for a few years there.

[@knorweg1]

You're the real MVGP.

[@Spieler521]

”Before we divebomb like a Stuka.” *I love this channel*

[@newjones1754]

@Daniel Del Valle You wish you could have the same skills/discipline and accurateness of those pilots.

[@newjones1754]

@Daniel Del Valle Bitch please you would like to continue in Latin, Dutch, Italian, Greek , Mandarin, German or French ? Or do you get it that not every one is English in there native language and is perfect in it ? Atleast I'm understandable across the world even if it's not perfect and am not blaming some one that tries but, give them advice instead. That's to much for someone like you to look further then his own world.

[@kstreet7438]

@Daniel Del Valle because everyone is a native English speaker

[@ix8750]

@Daniel Del Valle you know all those languages and yet you still have no idea how to speak to strangers over the internet. What a joke.... Maybe trade in one of your extra languages for some manners and you could avoid seeming like a complete bitch. 😂

[@ix8750]

@Daniel Del Valle Also you're the one that brought up your language skills in defense of a pointlessly negative reply YOU made to someone's original comment. If anything you are the one writing in anger. Each of your responses in this thread are provoking these responses because of your condescending behavior. Nobody cares who can speak what language here what is your purpose?

[@philiproseel3506]

Having studied Guderian at length, this was my favourite installment to date. Very well done.

[@newjones1754]

Where did you found this info about him? I would love to read it myself My Master focused on Ancient. Med. Civil. and Wikipedia or KZbin can't be taken seriously.

[@aeris2001]

@@newjones1754 If you look at the sources Wikipedia uses critically its fine to take Wikipedia seriously

[@adamlee6435]

7:52 Commanding Officer: Why did you stop the advance ?! Stoßtrupp: I was hungry...

[@hassetjifrebro8222]

Big issue the Russians had in Finland. If they broke finish lines, Russian troops would often stop at finish camps to see that the finish, a small nation of just a few million. Fed their soldiers better, gave them more to drink and even coffee in some instances. So they stopped. Starved. And simply ate. A soldier without food can not function as my logistic officers told me.

[@tbeller80]

This was in March 1918. After four years of the British blockade all of Germany was starving.

[@stevebagnall1553]

Yet again, Simon is succinct and to the point in all aspects of his teaching. No waffle, just open and honest views of his opinions. If he isn't a teacher of modern history then he certainly should be.

[@JaakkoPeramaki]

Please do Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim, man who led Finland through ww2, or Risto Ryti who was president from 1940 to 1944. He took all the blame for allying Finland with Germany so others wouldnt have to face the consequences.

[@lanetomkow6885]

God bless that man.

[@Willswonderworkshop]

Shouldn't the Nazi collaborators all have been caught?

[@randomalien7746]

Marski oli kyl sisällissodas tosi tärkee henkilö.

[@ihmejakki2731]

@@Willswonderworkshop Finland was fighting with Germany against Russia, Finland was not fighting for nazism

[@Willswonderworkshop]

@@ihmejakki2731 that still Makes no sense so they were under pressure from one evil regime so they took help from another? I am unaware of how involved with the nazis the finns were

[@registeelix]

Can you please your biography at 1 million!?

[@yuandreazhou172]

Rex Fulgur get this comment to the top so he can see!!

[@johnf.kennedy5517]

Or 750,000

[@1234lavaking]

He said he won’t. Stop.

[@Bobertesq]

No. There is much more to this channel than just Simon.

[@roymartin500]

The host, Simon has stated through Shell, the executive producer; that he won't do one.

[@CreeperLadMC]

Guderian: exists The French flag: *turns white*

[@del.see.oh.89]

@Emil You're not my brother.

[@skyreaper7887]

@@del.see.oh.89 thank you for that

[@francisco-un6mf]

@Emil "no more brother wars" hah!! what a silly comment

[@gothempress]

I totally read that "The Guardian: exists" whoops.

[@_vallee_5190]

Mass oversimplification. And not correct.

[@jadeg194]

First off, i would like to thank you so very much for the comprehensive, and enlightening view of "Heinz Guderian". Heinz was "one" of 4 brothers, one of those brother's was named John, (he was my husband's father). I have 2 grown children (a boy & a girl), and my daughter is the spitting image of Heinz, just like her father. As far as the question you asked at the end of this video...Yes--Heinz was a Military Genius. Heinz had a rare combination of shrewdness & insight when it came to achieving his objective, sprinkled with arrogance & determination. Which is something that Hitler did admire, but, was sometimes put off by the fact that if Heinz thought he could do things better than Hitlers' suggestion...Heinz would fight for his ideas without flinching, which would infuriate Hitler at times, but, Heinz was one to make his point come hell or high water. Heinz was a career military man, with no delusions of grandeur like other higher-ups surrounding Hitler. I very much believe he was, and still is a bit....Underated......compared to some other well known Generals. And in conclusion, there is much more to Heinz than what has been written in history books.

[@jeremywall12]

Ahhh the ole Deutsch name “John”..

[@michaeldavidmontalvo2402]

Thats really cool

[@rogerhwerner6997]

Thanks for your personal observations.

[@tomryan3908]

FASCINATING JADE- THANK YOU FROM EIRE - A FRIEND SUGGESTED I CHECK OUT YOUR GRANDFATHER - AS I HAVE GREAT ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER MILITARY GENIUS FIELD MARSHALL ROMMEL BLESS HIM- NEC PLURIBUS IMPAR- DEUS VULT- BE SAFE AGUS (and in Gaelic) MACHT LIEBE NICHT KRIEG 🇨🇮✌💚✌🇨🇮✌💚✌🇨🇮🤝👋🐕

[@chillaxo9863]

@@jeremywall12 In german its Jonathan

[@christopherbrasher433]

"If you ain't first, you're last."~Heinz Guderian, definitely.

[@joshycasuga2555]

Haha Ricky Bobby

[@izzojoseph2]

You’re almost at One Million subs! Your channel is the blitzkrieg of KZbin! Keep up the great work.

[@Biographics]

We are unstoppable.

[@mindme7628]

@@Biographics Do Franco so many other people want you to do it.

[@1pcfred]

Heinz Guderian: The Father of the Blitzkrieg and more importantly delicious ketchup.

[@rezandrarizkyirianto-1933]

And also an evil pharmacist from Druselstein

[@kerriwilson7732]

No other kinds Once you've tasted Guderians !

[@silverstrike6048]

I've heard the ketchup was his wife's idea. She was 57 at the time.

[@kerriwilson7732]

@@silverstrike6048 haha!

[@heinzguderian7091]

Thank you comrade

[@natsune09]

I was in the military, I was on an M6 Bradley Linebacker (anti-air version of the Bradley) not an officer, so I am not a master of tactics. But you are right that a mixed unit is better than two separate units of one infantry and one tanks. They both have their weaknesses and you should have both to support each other quickly and efficiently. Infantry aren't the best in wide open terrain where there is no cover and concealment but excel in urban operations. Tanks do better long range warfare than infantry but do poorly in urban operations. Moving troops quickly involve APC's or trucks, which would get demolished by a unit of tanks. So having both in the same unit commanded by the same individual is the way to go. Imagine two units commanded by two different people and they have to coordinate between each other when and where the units will strike. It would be a lot of chaos. Bonus tactics: The Germans liked to protect the tanks with infantry. America liked to protect the infantry with tanks. When you have lots of tanks, you can easily do that. When you are lacking tanks (and crews) like the Germans were close to the end, you want to protect them.

[@jimlaker6552]

There's a Military History Unvisualized video that looked at the changing composition of armoured formations in the Afrika Korps, which noted that Rommel always wanted more infantry for his mobile units. This accords with other accounts, such as that in Troop Leader where the author reports to the commander of 7th Armoured Division that his reconnaissance unit had arrived, only for the general to exclaim that he didn't want "more bloody tanks. Where's my infantry?".

[@MrEvanfriend]

Infantry and tanks protect each other. Either is vulnerable by itself, but tanks with infantry screening is much less so. A tank is vulnerable to infantry armed with shoulder launched rockets, as it lacks the situational awareness to spot them with anything even approaching cover or concealment. Conversely, infantry is vulnerable to tanks, because most grunts don't have a SMAW or something similar, and that armor plus the machine guns is pretty much immune to most infantry weapons. But infantry can handle infantry that pose a threat to tanks, and tanks can handle tanks that pose a threat to infantry. Tanks are also good for maneuver warfare, but can't hold ground - you need infantry for that. It's a perfect symbiotic relationship - the strengths and weaknesses of infantry and tanks are complementary. Infantry needs ass behind it, and tanks need infantry to do what they can't. And you add in some air and arty, and you got yourself a winning combination.

[@jimlaker6552]

@@MrEvanfriend The Chieftain at Wargaming noted that when he was in Iraq, the first he knew of trouble was when he heard accompanying infantry shooting, and even then his first thought was, why are they shooting. While the Germans upped their proportion of infantry to tanks through the war after their initial experience in Poland, the British and American armoured divisions were even more tank-heavy. Which is odd for the British, as they were the first to experiment with a combined arms mobile formation (covered by both The Chieftain and Military History Unvisualized).

[@natsune09]

@personalsafetykam Yes, that is correct. The US has such a strong airforce and anti-air capabilities that the Army ended up killing off the job I had as a 14R M6 Bradley Linebacker Crewmember. The M6's we took to Iraq in 2005 were the last ones around, all other units with M6's had already turned them in during our deployment. We were the last battery, and soldiers, to be in that job. Since there was nothing to shoot down in Iraq, we just did what the infantry and 19D Cavalry Scouts were doing. Some argued that they should have kept the M6 in South Korea. The mountain terrain would make it easy for helicopters to hide and attack tanks. Regular use of aircraft to attack those copters would face a threat of SAM also hidden in those hills/mountains/forests.

[@John77Doe]

Wanuby So the 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss in El Passo, Texas has infantry brigades??? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@olimpiomagalhaes-tt2tp]

Obrigado!

[@mattyladd]

Thanks!

[@PrezMaks]

Can you do a video about the August von mackensen

[@konstantinkostov4588]

Yes please

[@BattleSyth]

Second

[@Sniper5875]

If he does, he needs to have a picture with the glorious hat, its so amazingly absurd

[@LoLMasterManiac]

@@Sniper5875 Mackensen looks gorgeous in that "dead head" hat

[@danielcadwell9812]

The Last Hussar!

[@ata-ayitehunlede5632]

Heinz Guderian is really the military genius of the second World War. He was underrated compared to Irwin Rommel the desert fox. His Units marked their tanks with his initial G as they penetrated deeper and deeper into France. He revolutionized Modern Warfare through the Blitzkrieg innovation by combining the element of surprise, speed, punch, encirclement and with a strategy that combined the forces of motorized armored vehicles supported by airpower and infantry to disrupt enemy lines. This Professional and Patriot Military Commander is in my humble opinion the true genius of the Second World War

[@chadmearhoff9086]

Why was heinz guderian such a good general? Because the allies couldn’t KETCHUP

[@deltapapa612]

Ba dum tssss

[@oilersridersbluejays]

Groan...

[@Prodigi50]

Get out...

[@AvoidTheCadaver]

Send this man to the eastern front

[@rtwiceorb770]

@@AvoidTheCadaver To the gulags/Salt mines ahahahahha

[@jamesm.taylor6928]

It's very refreshing to see/hear Guderian get the credit he deserves. It's usually Rommel that gets the credit for what Guderian dreamed up but then again in the military, no matter which nation, it's the commanding officer who gets credit for all that occurs within his unit while he is in command. So that means if you executive officer or XO invents a breakthrough method to utilize what is in itself a game changing weapon that was itself basically new (yes the tank, like the fighter, bomber, and recon airplanes were introduced in the previous war. However like with most game changing innovations they tend to appear quite some time before they can reach a level off evolution where they are ready to make that game changing contribution. Tanks in War One, and some even at the beginning of the second, were not much faster than walking pace. Their armament was ungainly slow and difficult to aim. Internal combustion engines themselves were relatively new inventions--in fact it was the internal combustion engine that was war twos primary technical innovation that made it a generational leap from the war before it--and were very unreliable, heavy, and anemic as far as power goes--and needed much more development before they were able to become usefull as opposed to more like curiosity. The tanks of the first war were rushed in premature with the desperate hope that they could make a different and finally lead to an end of the carnage. By war two they were finally developed enough to have a large potential impact, they just needed the correct tactics to be developed instead of attempting to force the newly developed tanks to conform to the old tactics of a bygone age. Guderian was the first and only General who dreamed of the new tactics at first. Being obviously superior and fitting the entire philosophy of the German army perfectly-as the whermacht and the German economy and mfg base behind it were all geared for a quick war lasting no more than a few years. Definitely not compatible with the old war one tactics. They were quickly adopted by his unit and the whermacht in general. They succeeded brilliantly as history proved and the ultimate compliment, the tactics he invented are still used today.

[@H8MACHINE1]

Hitler to Guderian:" How long do you need to conquer France?" Guderian:"Yes"

[@brrrrrtenjoyer]

@Giovanni Messe Manstein made the plan to invade France around the Maginot Line and through the Ardennes. However, it was Rommel and Guderian who executed it perfectly.

[@hydorah]

10:05 Guderian "solving technical problems with the first Panzer specimens" is so important Simon and his editors tell us about it twice!

[@paulvsmith]

And he continued publishing articles. Don't know if you noticed.

[@brzk_]

repetition legitimizes repetition legitimizes repetition legitimizes repetition legitimizes

[@vespasian79ad26]

I had to replay it I was like wait didn’t he just say that? Am I losing my mind?

[@jubjub7101]

I was falling asleep watching this, and thought I was tripping when he said the same sentence twice!

[@johnnycime]

Great and informative video as usual... one error though, 21:28 > the picture is not that of Kurt Zeitzler but that of General Von Rundstedt. Anyway, keep up the good work Simon :)

[@DrLesleyStevens]

Good catch!

[@InstigationFixation]

Also that double take at 10:00

[@clintzandrewmatugas5846]

To Simon and to all of the members of Biographics and to everyone who helped this channel, YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME, may GOD BLESS ALL OF YOU MORE including your viewers.

[@headcrab4090]

"Everybody is scared of the Fuhrer and nobody dares say anything!" History never repeats itself, but it does often rhyme.

[@falxgod6848]

Stalin died becasue all his docters were either in Gulags or too afraid to treat him. History ALWAYS repeats itself, andit does often rhyme. Would be more appriopriate imho

[@kirkjohnson9353]

Nothing rhymes with orange.

[@morganburton4490]

@@kirkjohnson9353 morange

[@AG26498]

Not Guderian. He would get into screaming matches with Hitler.

[@johnkern1878]

The first implementation of this tactic was by General Monash on the 4th of July 1918, combining artillery, infantry, tanks, aircraft and follow up logistics at the beginning of the 100 day Offensive in 1918. A battle Guderian would have surely studied

[@black_triton9264]

“Guderian’s reputation has recently come under fire”... by writers who’ve probably never been in an army or experienced war....

[@abhishekparmar6702]

Experiencing war absolves you of war crimes ? Or makes you incapable of exaggeration ?

[@dieflutkommt]

Abhishek Parmar only the loser of a war is guilty of war crimes, I know

[@MajinOthinus]

While those allegations seem somewhat exaggerated, having experienced a war certainly isn't a necessary qualification to determine if something is true or not. Having been in the military can help with understanding military matters and having experienced a war can help understanding why people do certain things, it does however *not* influence the judgement of the truth in a positive way (not necessarily in a negative way either though).

[@black_triton9264]

Starscream91 yes, because they studied military courses for years and attended command & staff college, war college, joint college, national defence university.... LOL

[@RR18475]

Exactly my thoughts. Those are the modern 'armchair' historians who've got nothing better to do with their life but ruin the reputation of dead geniuses, likely with the intent to get something out of it for themselves.

[@brentgranger7856]

Please do Wilhelm Canaris, the leader of Germany's Abwehr intelligence service. He's yet another man like Guderian who loved his country, but detested the Nazi ideology. He assisted in saving lives of Jews by diverting them to neutral nations and may have collaborated with the British (this is unconfirmed).

[@vatanak8146]

Has fed false info to the germans and was a british spy

[@KriegsmarineGrossadmiral]

Canaris was the only Admiral of the Kriegsmarine (out of 340) that opposed the National Socialist regime.

[@brentgranger7856]

@@KriegsmarineGrossadmiral What about Guenther Lutjens? I can't say he was against the regime, but he showed he was no diehard Nazi by giving a traditional naval salute to Adolf Hitler.

[@KriegsmarineGrossadmiral]

@@brentgranger7856 The Kriegsmarine preferred the traditional salute. Lutjens perhaps wasn't fond of the regime, but Canaris was the only one actively opposing it.

[@brentgranger7856]

@@KriegsmarineGrossadmiral I understand what you meant by "opposed." I can't argue against that.

[@fmeu7733]

Always thoroughly impressed by how well written your biographies are. Great stuff, thank you so much for the hours and hours of entertainment you have brought!

[@deadlyknights1119]

Guderian’s time as inspector of armored vehicles was arguably even more important than his work during the Blitzkrieg. He streamlined production, shrunk down model diversity, and considerably shortened the gap in tank production between the Reich and the Soviets.

[@johnhuelsmanjr4487]

An ad came up during his plug for for vincero. Good to see the man get paid for his efforts. And I appreciate his and his writers efforts.

[@TheMeritCoba]

21:30 is a picture of von Rundstedt, not Zeitzler.

[@N0Camping4U]

Military genius. Even the Allies respected and admired him. It wasn't always strictly better numbers, either. He found himself with inferior equipment/vehicles as well. He fought less organized/focused enemies. Him surviving the war while commanding at the front lines.. which alone is a unusual.. is a testament to his genius tactics.

[@paulwallis7586]

For those interested, read both his books "Achtung Panzer" and "Panzer Leader". He's consistent with his ideas and perspectives. To give some idea of how fundamental his ideas were, he was responsible for the installation of radios in all tanks, one of the most important operational needs of modern tank technologies. He took on arguably the most thankless job in military history, Chief of the General Staff, at the time when everything was falling to pieces after his decade of constant advice to do things very differently.. Fortunately, Guderian writes exceptionally clearly and frankly, and explains his opinions in proper depth. His son, Heinz Gunter, is also a good choice of historical information and speaks as clearly as his old man. For the record, he wasn't impressed with the conspiracy against Hitler, and clearly thought they'd make a mess of it. The debunkers obviously have no idea of the facts. The issues mentioned are spin, and used by these same historians against all German generals with sometimes glaring errors.The Commissar Order wasn't enforced, although legally the commissars, who weren't soldiers and often shot their own men, were also responsible for atrocities against German soldiers. The army thought it would be bad for discipline, and make a bad situation a lot worse. Numerical superiority? Where? In France, they were outnumbered. In Russia, they were outnumbered, and the T34 was a serious problem. Any tactical position of strength, in any situation, has to be created, not simply "played". There was a general order regarding the Nazification of the army, and it made no difference to anyone except, apparently, historians.

[@daxmac3691]

well said, esp. about the Soviet commissar's job ...executing traitors & disposing of Nazi POWs, Stalin had many trigger pullers workn for him. read The Gulag Archipelago A. Solzhenitsyn Robert Conquests books "The Harvest of Sorrow, Stalin the court of the red Tsar , Bloodlands

[@doones4649]

Yeah ive read his books . Very talented general.

[@davidcolin6519]

@@daxmac3691 Which is all very well and good... and pretty much completely wrong. There is actually a very good YT video on this very subject that showed that the reputation for Commissars to shoot deserters is vastly overstated. Yes, they did shoot deserters, there have been many, many modern armies that have done this. But the vast majority of Commissars did not shoot deserters. Shooting one deserter doesn't persuade others from deserting, it just makes sure that they take more precautions. OTOH, persuading a deserter to voluntarily return to his unit ensures greater unit adhesion. And that sentiment is very much from the commissars' handbook even if it is not word perfect. I've got no great love for Communism or the horrors it inflicted, but repeating BS propaganda serves nobody any good.

[@daxmac3691]

@@davidcolin6519 Yes David, you were so academic until the last paragraph. YOU should read ,The Gulag Archipelago A. Solzhenitsyn ....a well respected read. YOU are welcome..

[@daxmac3691]

@@davidcolin6519 David, turn OFF your computer and read The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, YOU are welcome

[@oweneather1435]

The true "father of blitzkrieg" is the Australian, General Sir John Monash, GOC of the Australian Corps in 1918, the largest Allied Corps on the Western Front. As a Divisional Commander, he had been developing his ideas of exact and precise planning and Staff work to ensure the Infantry had every means given to their support to place them on their objectives. This included moving barrages, use of aircraft to cover advancing forces, close supply of these forces as they moved and coordination with the new weapon, Tanks, to smash a path through wire, neutralise automatic weapons and create maximum surprise. This culminated in the Battle of Hamel, in July, 1918, in which rehearsal and cohesive tactics with Tanks were refined. All Arms elements were planned to combine in a cohesive impact, with meticulous planning derived from deep Reconnaissance, all on the foundation of the unsurpassed dash and fighting power of the Australian soldier. The plan even included aerial resupply by methods devised by an Austrian pilot and engineer, for the first time in war. The execution of the plan, the first combined all arms offensive battle in war, was so effective that all objectives were captured in ninety-three minutes, just three minutes more than planned, suchvwas their shock and exactitude. The attack, completely driving out, capturing or destroying German forces around the strategic town of Hamel, was a far greater advance on the British front than any previous and similar battle. Monash's methods were adopted as the template for the British Army on the Western Front, being the tactical foundation of the new offensive. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens, " the black day of the German Army", what followed was the famous 100 days for which the Germans had no answer. Guderian cites the Battle of Hamel in "Achtung - Panzer!", as the seminal basis for the shock tactics he was promoting ( though he mistakenly credits the Battle to Canadians). Thus, Monash is confirmed in his significant role as the creator of modern warfare. Bernard Montgomery States he was the most creative General of the Western Front. Interestingly, another Australian General, Lee Morshead, devised the answer to " Blitzkrieg" at the Siege of Tobruk. Again relying on the steadiness and prowess of his Australian Infantry, Rommel's Tanks were allowed to pass through the forward defended positions, soldiers sitting in weapon pots as the Tanks rolled over. The complacent German I fantry, expecting the defenders to have been demoralised and in rout, were shocked to find tough Diggers far from that and full of fight. The Tanks, meantime, were being destroyed by artillery in depth, also to the panzer commanders great surprise.

[@billballbuster7186]

It was J.F.C Fuller and Basil Liddell-Hart that first put forward theories of All-Arms "Battle Groups," a mix of Tanks, Self-Propelled Artillery and Motorized Infantry all fighting together. These formations were tested in Britain during the 1920's but discontinued due to a lack of funding. Guderian closely followed these developments and in the 1930's put them into practice in Germany. The difference was that Gudarian was well funded and able to take the theories to the next level. The Panzer Divisions were formed on the All-Arms principal, with the addition of Luftwaffe ground support units flying Stuka's and medium bombers. All were controlled by an excellent radio network allowing a commander to instantly react to any battlefield situation. But much of the rest of the German army was horse-drawn as it had been in WWI.

[@critictactic7090]

You do not “bore us” with military doctrine. It is very interesting! This video was incredible. I can tell you so as an amateur military historian.

[@critictactic7090]

@Mercb3ast and what exactly do you mean by that?

[@fission3292]

YES!!!! I was hoping you would see my request!!! Thanks Biographics!! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!!!!

[@gabri770]

FFS you guys cant stop to amaze me and all of us here with this absolutetely interesting characters and biographies. You’re keeping us glued in your channel and for good f reason. Keep up the good work!

[@Biographics]

Don't tell us what we can't do! ;-)

[@fratercontenduntocculta8161]

It amazes me how elementary combined arms warfare is, and some modern Armies still struggle to employ it effectively. Crazy how recent of an innovation it is.

[@WhiteSpermWhale]

I know German is really tricky for non-native speakers, so props for at least trying. It's either "Der schnelle Heinz" or "Schneller Heinz", "Die schnellen Truppen" or "Schnelle Truppen".

[@graysoncolvin3180]

Thank you for making a video about a German general who made significant contributions to warfare.

[@YanickMarti]

You guys haven't done a biography on a formula one driver yet. I think there are some amazing stories from drivers in the 60's 70's and 80's with death and heroism. Stories about Niki Lauda and so on are truly breathtaking.

[@alexismartinez729]

I absolutely adore this channel! Keep up the amazing work!

[@jawaidiqbalkhalil]

Guderian is my favorite General of WW2. Thnx for his elaborate biography

[@robynn144]

In this context "Achtung! Panzer!" means "Beware of the tank(s)!" or "Be in awe of the tank(s)"!

[@dcasper8514]

Attention !! Tanks !!

[@nikolamihajlovic7218]

Wie er Bewegungskrieg ausspricht ist so lustig

[@MsMdip]

😂

[@Biographics]

Simon is doing his best.

[@itsblitz4437]

English?

[@AlysN]

@@itsblitz4437 roughly "the way he says Bewegungskrieg is very funny"

[@fridericusrex9812]

@@itsblitz4437 On Chrome, right click --> Translate to English

[@gr9g]

When I first saw this channel I was against watching because I was thinking "That's the guy from those Top 10s" which aren't really my thing. But I gave it a chance and now I'm here straight up binge watching these videos. Keep up the good work my bald friend.

[@Tajarim88]

Guderian was definitely a war hero.

[@bullie86]

I got an extra ad. Thanks Simon!

[@jameseadsforth2185]

"The Revenge of Reality:" Guderian was a genius, so understand why. Like his father he was in the business of war; how execute with the minimum risk for maximum return. He spent decades in acquiring the skills to do so; Military school; communications, and learning from leading strategists of the day. What makes him a genius is being able to put into practise and realise these principles with devastating results. Think of it like Steve Jobs with Apple - he originated very little new technology; but how he pulled together technology and realised it's use is genius. However the "The revenge of Reality," with reference to the conditions in Russia is nonsense. Reality does not revenge. This is a failure to plan and smacks of arrogance - he's only human after all.

[@robynn144]

Thanks for another great video. Keep it up! In this context "Achtung! Panzer!" means "Beware of the tank(s)!" or "Be in awe of the tank(s)"! If more Allied commanders had read Guderians book, they might have been better prepared to counter the threat of Blitzkrieg. The term "Blitzkrieg" was never used by the Germans during WW2. As mentioned, "Bewegungskrieg" (war of movement) is a method of warfare. It was not invented by Heinz Guderian as such, but Guderian was one the first to realize the potential of the tank in modern war. Many of his peers, both in Germany and abroad, thought of the tank as a support weapon for infantry. In "Achtung! Panzer" Guderian describes that a focused og fast attack along a narrow front spearheaded by a concentration of battle tanks and mechanized infantry, supported by regular infantry and covered air unit, can deal a "knock out" blow to the enemy, punching through the line and thus scattering the enemy forces. The German type of lightning war also had a considerable psychological element to it. The method was meant to demoralize the enemy with shock, defeat and breaking up units.

[@richard165s]

I've been waiting for this for a LONG time. Danke!

[@WeShareTheSameAir]

@@MF-LXRD OOOh I've been waiting for a lost, unoriginal, and unlearned soul like yourself. We still on for mini golf?

[@Mr.Pallanza]

Guderian is like that quiet nerd at class who's very smart and can apply himself, but when that boisterous class president screams at him, he knows how to shout back and call him an imbecile. He may have been part of the losing side, but he was definitely one of the more honorable generals due to his actual skill and tactics, his involvement to a society of lunatic anti-semites aside. Salute to the man.

[@markkulke4551]

There is a widespread belief in the English speaking world that during the period between the two world wars the Germans evolved a new doctrine or concept which they termed Blitzkrieg, and which they put into practice with devastating effect in 1939-41. Such a view has been accepted not only by journalists and popular writers (amongst whom it seems to have originated) but by some of the most eminent academic authorities. It’s origins are obscure as it never appeared in the title of any Military doctrine or Manila of the German Army or Air Force. Guderian himself never used the phrase except on one occasion in his memoirs when he wrote ‘as a result of our success of our rapid campaigns out enemies coined the word blitzkrieg. The German High Command and Hitler all understood that Germany had a lack of ports and it isn’t an industrial powerhouse and as such it couldn’t win a protracted war and this has always been the case. Frederick the Great understood this and Hitler was an avid of fan of his. I’m short Germany has always had a marked preference for short decisive campaigns.

[@nedkellysghost7931]

Guderian was not the "Father of Blitzkrieg" 'Lightning War's father was General John Monash with assistance from Canadian General Arthur Currie and was born at the Battle of Hamel. Heinz Guderian saw it first at the Battle of Amiens where Monash's plan accomplished in 150 minutes what the allies had failed to achieve in 4 years of heavy fighting. That rout was the beginning of the end for Germany. Guderian plagiarized Monash's Amien plan in his book 'Achtung-Panzer' and used it to demonstrate the tactics to Hitler.

[@guillermoschafer1154]

Monash and Currie contribute definitively in the allied victory of the WWI. But it cannot be stated categorically that they devised the 'Lightning War'. That is an optimistic Australian-Canadian view. And I go on to analyze it: the first time a tank burst into the war was in September 1916, France and Great Britain had deployed tanks in large numbers in early 1917, albeit with considerably less effect. By the end of 1917, at the Battle of Cambria, a large-scale plan is projected, during which Major General Hugh Tudor, Commander of Royal Artillery (CRA) of the 9th Division, suggested trying new artillery techniques from infantry in their front sector. During the preparations, JFC Fuller was stationed as a staff officer with the Royal Tank Corps (RTC), he was in charge of planning in this regard, showing his entire strategy to General Julian Byng, commander of the British Third Army who decided to incorporate them into the attack. The battle would become the first successful large-scale combined arms operation. This is why I said that he is Fuller, in my opinion, the universal theorist.

[@poniatowski3547]

If you want to read about the General who brought the all arms tactics to the Germans in WWI - the General who recognized where the power of armour lay in its use enmass and utilize aircraft to disrupt HQ, to use artillery with 'walking fire' to the best effect - The guy who so influenced the Germans that it was his method of victories during WWI that they used to such great effect in early WWII? - General Sir John Monash. Last General to be knighted on the field of battle. Guderian recognized the genius of Monash.

[@donaldmac1250]

yes....as usual Australian millitary talent gets overlooked or accredited to Britain or the USA. Monash was an engineer who who created twentieth century war.

[@poniatowski3547]

@@donaldmac1250 yep the Germans thought he was the best General of the war, period. in his civvy life he was a world expert on reinforced concrete bridge design, was a leading hand in the creation of the Australian RSL. True Legend.

[@bobyoung1698]

Despite recent criticisms, I believe Guderian was one of the finest generals of the Second World War. He understood the discipline of battle: doctrine drives strategy; strategy drives tactics. He also understood that both strategy and tactics can be quickly amended to adapt to a changing battlefield, something many military leaders do not grasp, even today.

[@dougrobbins5367]

They would have murdered half the world, and you talk about how fine they were. What other perversions do you love?

[@Factagram755]

When the French were reluctant to sign unconditional surrender Hitler told Guderian "start the panzers" The French signed asap

[@bp6329]

not all of them

[@GHustle4]

too bad they let power get to their heads and look how they ended up....

[@Nute_Gunray]

Love how Heinz would shout back at hitler when he thought a better strategy was needed 🤣

[@dgs6315]

The "Blitzkrieg" doctrine was based on strategies developed/influenced by Manstein (numeric concentration with air support, and the Ardennes plan), Guderian (tank doctrine) and Rommel (infantry tactics). It is therefore correct to give him that credit, not only tactical concepts.

[@colder5465]

Guderian and his superior Lutz understood a seemingly very simple thing: that all other means supporting tanks (panzers) must have roughly the same speed as them. I.e. motorised infantry, high speed towed artillery and so on. In other words, German Panzer Division / Corps / and as the top of it - Panzer Group were a self sufficient high speed mechanism. And suddenly Germans got the means for encircling the whole armies and even fronts.

[@scottscott232]

Another excellent presentation as always. Thank you Simon. It's just amazing how the information just streams naturally from your font of knowledge.

[@davidwootton683]

A few years ago myself and my wife were hiking in South Africa on one of the trails that run along the garden route. Here we met one of Heinz Guderian's great grandsons. This youngster was very aware of the full political picture and was sent out to school here to, "Stay out of trouble". I would have to say that this apple did not fall very far from this family tree.

[@msbudmsbud7593]

The term "Blitzkrieg" was borrowed by the Nazis from the ottoman sultan "Yildirim Bayezid", meaning "Bayezid the Lightning".

[@Craftymom1o19]

8:30 yup, the lower in the unit structure the integration the faster the whole can move and the sturdier the unit. Decentralized units (units that can do their job remotely)can communicate with the new “ground forces” (units that can’t do their job remotely) and transport units can resupply.

[@TheMartialist]

Basically, at circa the eight minute thirty second mark, it's more than just combining troops. It's also planning out and executing the use of all the available weaponry. In modern day there is a lot of ordinance outbound, be it rockets, grenades, or mortars. Back in the day they had a little less technology (the M2 .50 cal has only undergone circa three changes since its inception) but they would also have to coordinate all of their firepower. Using all of these weapons platforms to create a kind of synergy is what you're trying to get at. Machine guns support infantry, aussaltmen move to fire the rockets, grunts hook and jab with the enemy. I hope this helps! I'm a former Marine machine gunner, 0331, 04-2011 OIF All gave some, some gave all

[@mausershooter100]

The photo you show of Zeitzler actually is von Rundstedt. Zeitzler was chubby. Rundstedt was old enough to have retired, with a wrinkled face.

[@FozzQuaker]

Could you do Nicolae Ceauşescu at some point...The mad man in charge of Romania during the Warsaw Pact Years... Keep up the good work anyway Simon

[@FozzQuaker]

@Solomon_GAFC And... We never perform against Curzon...I wasn't expecting anything against them

[@FozzQuaker]

@Solomon_GAFC As far as I am, we are nowhere near the top spenders in the League...Cant remember what our budget is, but we certainly aren't the top spenders

[@FozzQuaker]

@Solomon_GAFC I can certainly agree with that, were certainly not paupers...BUT...It is what you do with that budget, take last season, we were told we had a top 7 budget, but we we signed a load of rubbish...This season, I think we will be closer to a finish in proportion to the budget set for this season...

[@FozzQuaker]

@Solomon_GAFC Some of the wages at Steps 1, 2 and 3 are absolutely shocking eg Fylde and teams like Spennymoor, there are teams at Step 5 that somehow afford to pay Step 1 money... As for your team, I have a bit of an affection for Guiseley, they were always my starting save on Football Manager Mobile 🤣

[@robertsollory7475]

That's funny, I was going to suggest him about a week ago but I couldn't spell his name so I didn't bother You've done it for me. Thanks.

[@MPYarnall]

@21:27, that is a photo of Von Rundstedt, not Zeitzler

[@kentgrady9226]

Bewegungskrieg - be-VAY-goongz-kreeg Literal translation - movement war Actual translation - operational movement warfare. Fun fact... The earliest true proponent was actually de Gaulle. The Frenchman was something of a black sheep within French command, as demonstrated by their obtuse commitment to static defensive strategy.

[@provoguepro7]

Apt, Crisp and Nicely covered.. Heinz Guderian truly modernized the German Wehrmacht with his ideas and military genius. Should be respected for what he had achieved for Germany back then.

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

Good reason why you keep that friend around that tells you like it is even if they have to scream it at you.

[@garytruthteller2606]

I find real interesting the aspect that he got away with a fiery shouting match or more with Hitler, one of which was pretty well portrayed in 'The Bunker' from 1981. Most generals and political big shots cowered from doing that.

[@boomerix]

I would pay a dollar just to see 10 minutes of them shouting at each other.

[@jamesberlo4298]

I'm going to but the Chrono's w/ Brown Strap! Beautiful,

[@johnhenke6475]

War is the argument you win by killing the person you are arguing with.

[@Sniper5875]

@biographics i love your videos but one thing that might make these general and war videos better is movement maps, went saying the names of locations, i feel as if it would be more useful to add visually, even poorly drawn visuals using red and blue lines on a google map of france would be helpful to really quantify how the spearheads worked

[@j0ckel617]

The Blitzkrieg as the term was later used was actually a combination of doctrin/tactics which was the department of guderian and a few others and strategy (swiftly disable the enemy main forces by circumventing them an cutting them off so they can’t operate anymore) which was the department of von Manstein, an even bigger military genius

[@ICHBinCOOLERalsJeman]

25:13 reminds of the art of war, Sun Tzu states that supreme excellency in warfare is not finding a victory where everything is set against you, rather it is putting yourself in a position where victory is all but garatued.

[@panzerofthelake506]

Sun Tzu was writing for a Chinese warlord. So his perspective for war was tru the Chinese 3 kingdoms period.

[@schinsky6833]

@@panzerofthelake506 Sun Tzu´s the art of war is universal. You can apply his statements in fighting for a promotion in an office environment and it would still be helpful.

[@panzerofthelake506]

@@schinsky6833 bruhh

[@powerslave6944]

Wrong photo used Simon at 21:28 that’s not Zeitzler that’s von Rundstedt.

[@bragnimo]

It is infinitely better to see 100% infographics that the face of the narrator.

[@CreeperLadMC]

"Achtung! Panzer!" means "attention, tanks!"

[@selecterjd9785]

yes, but more like "Standby for action! Enemy Armor!"

[@chsims7032]

Literal translation, yes. But, that is not how it's used in that context. JD was spot on. It'd be same as a tank commander calling out, "Achtung! Jabos!", or a pilot exclaiming, "Achtung! Spitfire!"

[@MikeKojoteStone]

The Achtung is best translated Watch Out. It's a common German expression and still in wide use, especially inthe military. With multiple, nuanced meanings, but all in some way or another can be summed up by watch out.

[@MajinOthinus]

​@@MikeKojoteStone "Achtung!" should be translated as "Attention!" in the military sense (the order).

[@MrWhangdoodles]

@@MajinOthinus Well, no. Because the formalised military version of "Attention" is "Habt Acht!" The literal translation is "Be in Awe" or show respect. "Achtung" wasn't and isn't used because of its normal meaning of "Watch out!" or "Be careful!"

[@MisterRedFox]

Great video! Always love historical reviews of great men who shaped our history (for both good and bad).

[@thecaynuck]

Guderian was not a good man though, he was a Nazi and remained a staunch nationalist and tried to justify his crimes all the way until his death.

[@johnburns4017]

Blitzkrieg was first used by the British in the Battle of Amiens in WW1 - combined infantry, artillery, tanks and planes. They used 400 planes. Liddle-Hart of the British army was using an improved version using control of tanks by radio. Guderian was invited to a demo on Salisbury Plain in 1929. He took note.

[@seanlander9321]

Not by the British. It was the Australians under Monash who developed combined arms as lightning attacks. Hamel was their first victory and from then on every British officer was urgently trained on the Australian tactics for the 100 day offensive led by the Australian forces and command.

[@DarkSyster]

I will add a bit to the history. "War of Movement" was first developed in the 19th Century although it's surmised that Alexander the Great very likely used a version of it. The one thing no one ever talks about is the Blitzkrieg before the age of tank warfare. It is inconceivable that Guderain was not aware of the successful use of "War of Movement" by the Canadian Corps in the Battle of Arras led by General Arthur Currie. The Canadians sent in armored cars (turrets on wheels) followed by trucks carrying infantry with advancing artillery bombardment preceding the trucks in a fast moving attack which broke the Hindenburg line, not once, but twice. It's use on the battlefield was thus proven, but then ignored and mostly forgotten. But Guderin clearly understood the value of the doctrine and thus adapted, extended, and perfected it for WWII. It's important to not just learn from mistakes, but from successes as well, especially in war.

[@reyleno926]

This photo reminds me of the song “Blitzkrieg Baby (Don’t Bomb Me!)”, bu Una Mar Carlisle, 1941.

[@lordmaelstrom1269]

Subjects of Biographies with controversy in their personal histories must be very difficult stories to tell. You good sir, did so very well here. Kudos.

[@dannywaits6051]

At timestamp 21:28, the name says Kurt Zeitzler, however the picture is of Gerd Von Rundstedt..

[@micksmith5123]

The differences between heinz and other german miltary geniuses like erwin and erich was his balls. He was one of the few men who would stand up to hitler against his insane ideas on how the war should have been fought. Which sadly got him constantly sached only to be brought back when his martial prowess was despratly needed to unfuck the fürher misadventures.

[@georgedoolittle7574]

Von Bock was the founder of Blitzkreig and indeed implementer of said revolutionary attack against Poland...something for which he went unrecognized for then and apparently unrecognized for now even today. You can keep the stupid watch too..