''Achtung – Panzer!'' (English: "Attention, Tank!" or, more idiomatically, "Beware the Tank!"), written by Major-General

Heinz Guderian Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (; 17 June 1888 – 14 May 1954) was a German general during World War II who later became a successful memoirist. A pioneer and advocate of the "blitzkrieg" approach, he played a central role in the development of ...

, a German World War II army general, is a book on the application of motorized warfare. First published in 1937, it expounds a new kind of warfare: the concentrated use of tanks, with infantry and air force in close support, later known as

Blitzkrieg ''Blitzkrieg'(Lightning/Flash Warfare)'' is a word used to describe a combined arms surprise attack, using a rapid, overwhelming force concentration that may consist of armored and motorized or mechanized infantry formations, together with ...

tactics. The book also argues against the continued use of

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

given the proven effectiveness of the machine gun, and advocates replacing the cavalry with

mechanised infantry Mechanized infantry are infantry units equipped with Armoured personnel carrier, armored personnel carriers (APCs) or infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) for transport and combat (see also armoured corps). As defined by the United States Army, me ...

. It was never properly studied by the French or the British general staff, both of whom helped introduce the tank. The first half of the book focuses on the advent of positional or '

trench warfare Trench warfare is a type of land warfare using occupied lines largely comprising Trench#Military engineering, military trenches, in which combatants are well-protected from the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from a ...

' in

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and the subsequent development of the first

tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

s. Here Guderian outlines the development of tanks and tank tactics throughout the Great War and during the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period, also known as the interbellum (), lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days) – from the end of World War I (WWI) to the beginning of World War II ( ...

. Later he discusses the effects of the

Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on 28 June 1919. As the most important treaty of World War I, it ended the state of war between Germany and most of the Allies of World War I, Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace ...

upon the German armed forces before detailing the recovery from the setbacks the Treaty caused in terms of development of mechanised forces. Guderian concludes by promoting the further development of the German tank force and providing suggestions concerning the future application of tanks and their relationship with other arms.Edwards, Roger, ''Panzer, a Revolution in Warfare: 1939–1945'', p.24

Influence

"Achtung – Panzer!" influenced motorized warfare in modern warfare. It brought back the 19th century school of thought that advocated manoeuvre and decisive battle outcomes in military strategy. Widely popularized as " Blitzkrieg tactics", "Achtung – Panzer!" was the main driving force behind German armoured manoeuver warfare in World War II that was so successful in Europe and Africa. Despite tanks and armoured combat vehicles being originated by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and French in the

first World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, neither had thought of tank warfare as a form of combat, choosing instead to stick of World War I-era tactics, such as

and a

defensive war A defensive war () is one of the causes that justify war by the criteria of the Just War tradition. It means a war where at least one nation is mainly trying to defend itself from another, as opposed to a war where both sides are trying to invade ...

. Although the British and French were ahead of the Germans in tank technology before World War II, the neglect of armoured warfare led to German

Panzer {{CatAutoTOC, numerals=no Words and phrases Germanic words and phrases Words and phrases by language la:Categoria:Verba Theodisca ...

-spearheaded attacks gaining the upper hand in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

. This lesson was learnt by the Soviet Union and the Americans, who eventually developed their own tanks capable of fighting the Panzers – such as the Soviet

T-34 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank from World War II. When introduced, its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was more powerful than many of its contemporaries, and its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, ...

and its upgraded version,

T-34-85 The T-34 is a Soviet medium tank from World War II. When introduced, its 76.2 mm (3 in) tank gun was more powerful than many of its contemporaries, and its 60-degree sloped armour provided good protection against Anti-tank warfare, ...

, as well as the American M4A3(76)W HVSS (M4A3E8). Motorized warfare to this day remains a major component of modern warfare as tanks and tactics evolve. Many nations have adopted newer tank technologies, and tank training remains a rite of passage for any military.

References

Sources

* Edwards, Roger. (1989) ''Panzer, a Revolution in Warfare: 1939–1945''. London/New York: Arms and Armour. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Achtung - Panzer! Military theory 1937 non-fiction books Military technology books German non-fiction books German-language non-fiction books Books by Heinz Guderian