# Without checking any reference source: define and give the significance of the word "blitzkrieg." **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 23, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798 "2014-04-23T19:37:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2014, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/101 "2014-04-29T23:50:49Z")
It’s a German word for a battle tactic in WW2. The first part of the word means “lightning” and it refers to a plan that involved moving one’s forces in a sudden surprise attack (_"And then Robin and everyone swung from the trees in a sudden surprise attack. And they captured the Sherriff and all of his goods and they carried him off to their camp in the woods and the Sheriff was guest at their dinner and all but he wiggled away and he sounded the call and his men rushed in and the arrows flew! – Adolf Hitler did sort of that kind of thing, too …_) The other people’s name was MacGregor. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/102 "2014-04-30T00:26:51Z")
fast … war or smash … German Anyhow, it comes from the second world war, related to aerial bombing of land targets, not strictly military targets, like bases, but civilian and factories Checking now … Well, at least I got the language right. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/103 "2014-04-30T14:38:04Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Would Joe Internet know the song is actually called, “Blitzkrieg **Bop** ”? 😉 :smack: I have heard it as “Pop” all these years. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/104 "2014-04-30T14:52:09Z")
“Blitzkreig” is a German word for, literally, “Lightning war”, and refers to a combat style used by the Germans in WWII based on high mobility and rapid taking of territory before defenders are able to effectively respond. How’d I do? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/105 "2014-04-30T16:10:17Z")
Lightning war. What do I win? ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/106 "2014-04-30T16:23:37Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Lightning war. What do I win? The ability to pay [GOG.com](http://GOG.com) $10 for a copy of Panzer General II. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/107 "2014-04-30T16:24:15Z")
An aggressive marketing strategy once favoured by Stonewall Jackson. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/108 "2014-05-04T11:36:12Z")
> [@Manduck](#): > > An aggressive marketing strategy once favoured by Stonewall Jackson. And forever immortalized in the poem “The Charge Account of The Light Brigade”. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/109 "2014-05-04T12:27:00Z")
Battle tactics employed by the Germans in WWII to avoid the long battle of attrition of WWI. General Dwight D. Eisenhower worked out that it’s defeat was built into its success. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/110 "2014-05-04T22:47:47Z")
So, I forget, was Stonewall Jackson on the side of Mordor or Persia? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/111 "2014-05-04T23:46:42Z")
No, he was an American! Jackson was a Blood and Grant was a Crip. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/112 "2014-05-05T06:54:10Z")
The important thing is that he moved units. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/113 "2014-05-05T16:26:53Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Anyway: without checking any reference source other than your own brain, what does the word “blitzkrieg” mean, what language does it come from, and what is its historical significance? A lightning-fast attack strategy using motorized units, German, and the initial German attacks on Western Europe in WWII ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/114 "2014-05-05T16:38:07Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > But more commonly, **Blitzkrieg** is the longer version of “Blitz,” which is a football term for swarming the quarterback with overwhelming force and speed. Wait, what? I’ve never heard of anyone referring to the blitz (as in the American football defensive maneuver) as “blitzkrieg”. As far as I can tell it has always just been _the blitz_. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/115 "2014-05-05T17:24:45Z")
Not really that up on history, but Blitzkrieg sounds German so I’ll guess it had something to do with WWII. I had the impression it was some kind of massive overpowering onslaught, possibly by air bombs. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2014, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/116 "2014-05-05T20:10:22Z")
The word is German in origin. It means “lighting war”. It refers to the German Armed forces using Air, Armor and Infantry together in carefully coordinated plans to gain territory quickly. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/117 "2014-05-07T06:00:37Z")
Giving myself twitter rules, and confining myself to 140 characters (72 now…oops!) German term, “lightning war”, Guderian, Poland, France, b ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/118 "2014-05-08T02:07:04Z")
Its like a dirty sanchez, only dirtier. Baba Booie. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/119 "2014-05-08T02:28:12Z")
Its a color of OPI nail polish. ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2014, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798/120 "2014-05-08T06:12:01Z")
> [@jackdavinci](#): > > Not really that up on history, but Blitzkrieg sounds German so I’ll guess it had something to do with WWII. I had the impression it was some kind of massive overpowering onslaught, possibly by air bombs. Or struedel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/without-checking-any-reference-source-define-and-give-the-significance-of-the-word-blitzkrieg/686798.md?page=7)