Heinz Guderian

[Juggernaut]

The father of modern warfare

 

Heinz Guderian was the leading theorist of armored warfare in Germany, and a great tactician as well. One might not expect this from his service in World War One, for, unlike multiply-decorated Rommel, Guderian had served in technical and staff, rather than combat positions. However, this experience with unglamorous radios and trucks gave him an insight into the new technology missed by many of his contemporaries. After the war, as an officer in the reduced German Army under the Versailles Treaty, he became part of the secret development of tanks, which the Treaty had prohibited. After Hitler had repudiated the restrictions of the Treaty, in 1937, Guderian published "Actung! Panzer" (Attention! Armor), in which he advanced his ideas for tank warfare. In it, he proposed a middle road in the debate then raging on role of armor. The tank could NOT simply overrun all opponents, as its radical supporters assumed; nor should it be just a tool to help the infantry. Instead, it should operate as part of a "combined arms team" supported by large numbers of motorized infantry, artillery and engineers.

This middle position was more upsetting than it might seem. If either of the extreme views was correct, all the Army had to do in peacetime was train a few isolated tank units; when war came, these would simply be told which infantry unit to support, or be turned loose on the helpless enemy (depending on which extreme was talking). Guderian, however, was calling for large parts of the Army to be reorganized into divisions built around armor, upsetting the routines of lot of people who were ordinarily willing to ignore the question. This had doomed such proposals in other countries; but Hitler, always enchanted by new ideas, liked the plan, which gave Guderian the support he needed to form not one, but three of the new "Panzer Divisions" and later, still more.

 

Guderian commanded XIX Panzer Corps in the Polish Campaign and the Battle of France and led 2nd Panzer Group (Army) in BABAROSSA, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, in 1941. In each case, his forces were critical to the offensive and his theories were confirmed in victory. These successes came to an end in December, when he was relieved of this command, after disobeying the orders of General von Kluge! Guderian's career resumed fourteen months later, in February 1943 when he was made Inspector General of Panzer Troops. He reformed and rebuilt depleted units and increased tank production, but did not command troops again. Hitler named him Army Chief of Staff on 21 JULY 44, a post he filled until 28 MARCH 45, when he argued with Hitler once too often and was dismissed.

 

After the war, it was decided that as Guderian had neither direct responsibility for, nor clear knowledge of war crimes, he would not be tried by the Nuremburg Tribunal. He lived until 1953.

 

And was he Armenian do you ask? Unfortunatelly not, just thought I might give you hope . We did have a good general in WW2, Marshall Bagramian (one of the top five). In the next couple of months I will be profiling him as well as a few other generals of the Second World War. Hold on tight.......

[ThornyRose]

He has been mentioned before...

/cgi-bin/forum/ultim...c&f=20&t=000038

[gamavor]

I'm Proud of Him (provided that he is an Armenian) just like, I'm proud of Babadjanian, Mikoian etc..

[shaunt]

http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Palais/2230/ww1.html

 

GUDERIAN (GUEDERIAN) Dikran, né le 16-06-1892 à Achovva (?), + 5/06/15 dans la Marne

 

[Dave]

He might have been one of the descendants of Armenians who immigrated to Eastern Europe after the fall of Ani.

[Zartonk]

I knew it : eine "Guder" ist zu Duetch, Niegung ist Armenisch.

 

I can't wait to hear of Baghramian on here. Have I ever heard legends of him..

Edited November 11, 2005 by Zartonk

[gamavor]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Bagramjan_i.jpg

 

Hovhaness Baghramian Marshall of the Soviet Union

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Bagramian

[shaunt]

Check out this article:

 

http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/n...85-0486-1-b.pdf

 

It's a long read, but worthwhile. They list an Armenian Lt General as an Azeri because he was born in Azerbaijan. Haha, that's some bs for you.

[Zartonk]

He was demobilised in 1917, and in 1920 he joined the Red Army and took part in the Russian Civil War, fighting against Armenian and Georgian nationalist forces.

 

 

Blame Wikipedia??

 

Does anyone know about this?! Nonsense all over..

Edited December 23, 2005 by Zartonk

[Karen]

That's BS, he never fought against Armenians. It was added into his biography during soviet times for him to fit "in the box".

 

To the contrary, he fought under general Antranik against turks, before sovietization of Armenia. And he nearly missed the execution by Stalin and Beria in early 50s, just because of that accusation (which in soviet politics equalled him to Dashnak). But he was warned by academician Alikhnov (an Armenian by race, who developed soviet nuclear program), so Bagramyan was ready for the plot and had some proof of not being Dashnak.