Why was the Wehrmacht so superior?

[Johan]

That's the tactic of mobility. Alexander the Great already used that.

my point exactly.

[Archduke Sven]

The so called Blitzkrieg tactic, which wasn't even a formal tactic, was a combination of mobile forces, armored spearheads and combined arms.

They used the old idea of mobile warfare that had been around for centuries, mixed in modern weaponry, then developed new tactics for the new weaponry and added it onto the original doctrine. Then finally they arranged the combat arms into cohesive and mutually supporting units. Course that's just a very basic view of it.

What the Blitzkrieg hinged on the most was local initiative on the commander's part to keep the momentum going.

[Captain America]

Blitzkrieg has been around for centuries, it's the exact same tactics as used by Napoleon (penetrate a single point, encircle, destroy) but with more advanced technology. The big thing that gave the Wehrmacht a massive advantage at the start of the war was inclusion of radios in Panzers to allow for incredibly efficient coordination. That, and the old Prussian ethos of mission tactics, with junior officers taking the initiative and not sticking to rigid battle plans. Blitzkrieg works fine in a relatively small theatre of war (Poland, France, etc.), but because of the vast distances involved they found it very difficult to implement successfully in the East.

[Archduke Sven]

Blitzkrieg has been around for centuries, it's the exact same tactics as used by Napoleon (penetrate a single point, encircle, destroy) but with more advanced technology. The big thing that gave the Wehrmacht a massive advantage at the start of the war was inclusion of radios in Panzers to allow for incredibly efficient coordination. That, and the old Prussian ethos of mission tactics, with junior officers taking the initiative and not sticking to rigid battle plans. Blitzkrieg works fine in a relatively small theatre of war (Poland, France, etc.), but because of the vast distances involved they found it very difficult to implement successfully in the East.

Not so much about distance, more about infrastructure. Russia being as backward as it was still had 80% of it's roads still unpaved which made logistics a nightmare and combat situations for German armor impossible.

[Duuring]

You honestly think the Germans weren't aware of that fact?

[Archduke Sven]

At which point exactly do i state they weren't aware of it?

[Duuring]

It sounded as an excuse why the Blitzkrieg tactic didn't work in Russia.

[Archduke Sven]

How is it an excuse? It's a fact.

[Prince_Eugen]

Blitzkrieg has been around for centuries, it's the exact same tactics as used by Napoleon (penetrate a single point, encircle, destroy) but with more advanced technology. The big thing that gave the Wehrmacht a massive advantage at the start of the war was inclusion of radios in Panzers to allow for incredibly efficient coordination. That, and the old Prussian ethos of mission tactics, with junior officers taking the initiative and not sticking to rigid battle plans. Blitzkrieg works fine in a relatively small theatre of war (Poland, France, etc.), but because of the vast distances involved they found it very difficult to implement successfully in the East.

Not so much about distance, more about infrastructure. Russia being as backward as it was still had 80% of it's roads still unpaved which made logistics a nightmare and combat situations for German armor impossible.

Interesting, but how Russia maintained their army on the SAME roads? And, the unpaved roads was tactics of Friedrich the Great, he once said - "Let me walk with comfort by enemy roads, but in our country they will stuck in mood."

[Duuring]

If the Wehrmacht didn't consider the bad state of the Russian roads and how that would have an effect on Blitzkrieg warfare, then they're pretty stupid.

[Archduke Sven]

Blitzkrieg has been around for centuries, it's the exact same tactics as used by Napoleon (penetrate a single point, encircle, destroy) but with more advanced technology. The big thing that gave the Wehrmacht a massive advantage at the start of the war was inclusion of radios in Panzers to allow for incredibly efficient coordination. That, and the old Prussian ethos of mission tactics, with junior officers taking the initiative and not sticking to rigid battle plans. Blitzkrieg works fine in a relatively small theatre of war (Poland, France, etc.), but because of the vast distances involved they found it very difficult to implement successfully in the East.

Not so much about distance, more about infrastructure. Russia being as backward as it was still had 80% of it's roads still unpaved which made logistics a nightmare and combat situations for German armor impossible.

Interesting, but how Russia maintained their army on the SAME roads? And, the unpaved roads was tactics of Friedrich the Great, he once said - "Let me walk with comfort by enemy roads, but in our country they will stuck in mood."

Their supply lines were much closer than Germany's, they were in friendly territory as well (Germans had partisans sabotaging roads and train tracks), lastly the Russians had different rail gauges than German ones, so the Germans didn't have trains to supply their forces. They weren't in the same conditions.

If the Wehrmacht didn't consider the bad state of the Russian roads and how that would have an effect on Blitzkrieg warfare, then they're pretty stupid.

The roads didn't turn into mud until October. The OKW took this into consideration and thus the offensive was supposed start in May, not late June. Due to delays that didn't happen but the offensive had to go on anyways.

[Prince_Eugen]

Their supply lines were much closer than Germany's, they were in friendly territory as well (Germans had partisans sabotaging roads and train tracks), lastly the Russians had different rail gauges than German ones, so the Germans didn't have trains to supply their forces. They weren't in the same conditions.

Then, that's a major fail of Axis invading Russia, they really believed it will fall like France and that they can capture the land more then 5 times bigger then Germany is, only for one summer. They didnt consider logistics problems, partisans and they didnt count on that retreating troops will cause as much problems, as they can.

The roads didn't turn into mud until October. The OKW took this into consideration and thus the offensive was supposed start in May, not late June. Due to delays that didn't happen but the offensive had to go on anyways.

Roads, mud. If you cant plan your logistics well - dont go for war.

[Archduke Sven]

Their supply lines were much closer than Germany's, they were in friendly territory as well (Germans had partisans sabotaging roads and train tracks), lastly the Russians had different rail gauges than German ones, so the Germans didn't have trains to supply their forces. They weren't in the same conditions.

Then, that's a major fail of Axis invading Russia, they really believed it will fall like France and that they can capture the land more then 5 times bigger then Germany is, only for one summer. They didnt consider logistics problems, partisans and they didnt count on that retreating troops will cause as much problems, as they can.

Not everyone did, take Gerd Von Rundstedt for example, he spoke out several times that the war in Russia could not be won in a single coup de grace. That idea was for the most part a fantasy of Hitler, but several mid ranking officers did believe it aswell, i mean after the fall of France and subsequent victories they really did view themselves as invincible.

The roads didn't turn into mud until October. The OKW took this into consideration and thus the offensive was supposed start in May, not late June. Due to delays that didn't happen but the offensive had to go on anyways.

Roads, mud. If you cant plan your logistics well - dont go for war.

It was planned but rather circumstancial. They had to start the war in 1941 if they wanted to win, the Russian army was outgrowing the Wehrmacht in producation of equipment very rapidly.

[Prince_Eugen]

Crying about bad roads and partizns in woods, is not for triumphators of Europe
They must count, that their terror tactics on captured lands and "New Order" is like adding oil to the fire, and it wont stay without payback. They achieved the full hate of local people. When people understood, that this is not just war - that's a war for survive, you know, something united them even more.

[Archduke Sven]

Crying about bad roads and partizns in woods, is not for triumphators of Europe
They must count, that their terror tactics on captured lands and "New Order" is like adding oil to the fire, and it wont stay without payback. They achieved the full hate of local people. When people understood, that this is not just war - that's a war for survive, you know, something united them even more.

Except that most of the Partisans weren't normal people, they were jews and ardent communists who would have fought either way. Many inhabitants of the USSR sympathised with the Germans, like those the Baltic states, Western Ukrainians, the Caucasus states.

Also i'll have you know, your triumphs of Europe, the Red Army, cried a river about the bad roads and partisans in the mountains in Afghanistan. So did the Americans in Vietnam. Being hindered by bad roads and partisans isn't exclusive to the Wehrmacht.