Warmatrix

Heinz Guderian on the eastern front, 1941 CE

Heinz Guderian was one of nazi Germany's most capable generals. He is credited with making the concept of 'Blitzkrieg' into a reality.
Guderian was born in 1888 CE in Kulm, as the son of a German soldier. He attended military school from the age of 13 and after graduation briefly enlisted in his father's unit, the 10th jäger battalion. From 1907 CE to 1908 CE he attended the military academy in Metz. He fought in World War I as a signals officer with the cavalry. Despite seeing little frontline action he earned the Iron Cross. When the German army was reduced 100,000 men at the end of the Great War, Guderian was one of 4,000 officers who retained his position. He remained militarily active, serving with the Iron Brigade in Lithuania and again with the 10th jäger battalion.
Guderian was headstrong and hot-tempered. He did not hesitate to criticize or disobey his superiors. His early career was in jeopardy on several occasions, but every time he was saved by a senior who recognized his talents. These proved to encompass a great tactical and strategic insight. Guderian could handle both the small details of tank operation and the more abstract tactical and operational concepts of armored warfare.
In 1927 CE he was promoted to major and transferred to Army transport and motorized tactics in Berlin. There he studied the theory of armored warfare, wrote several papers, engaged in wargaming and also experimented in the field, as the USSR allowed the Germans to practice deep inside Russia. In 1934 CE, now in nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler viewed some of Guderian's panzers maneuvering and was ecstatic about them. A year later he was made commander of one of three new panzer divisions and another year later of the 16th army corps, receiving the rank of lieutenant-general.
On request from general Lutz, Guderian wrote his ideas down in the book "Achtung - Panzer!". In it, he laid down the blueprint of later German panzer forces, advocating rapid armored thrusts and combined arms tactics. In 1918 CE the German army had successfully used 'infiltration tactics' against the western allies. Guderian extrapolated these to use tanks, in combination with motorized infantry and artillery. He also insisted that the armored forces would be equipped with radios, to communicate and synchronize their movements. According to Guderian, panzer attacks had to be launched by surprise, over open terrain and ruthlessly pursued until the enemy was defeated, giving him no opportunity to recover.
When World War II broke out, Guderian led the 29th corps into Poland and proved that his theories worked well in practice. A year later he assisted Erich von Manstein in devising the 'sickle cut' maneuver to defeat the western allies. In the Battle of France he commanded a large part of the forces in the field that broke through the defenses at Sedan and so repeated his success in Poland. He earned the nickname "Schnelle Heinz" (Fast Heinz) for his rapid advances. Several times Guderian disobeyed orders and executed what he called 'reconnaissance in force'. Only shortages of supplies and restraints from Berlin kept him from racing towards the English Channel and trapping the British Expeditionary Force.
In 1941 CE he participated in Operation Barbarossa, leading Panzer Group 2 towards Moscow. He was angered when Hitler ordered him to swing south to assist in the capture of Kiev and this caused friction between the two. Partially because of the detour his forces failed to capture Moscow. The Soviets launched a counterattack and Hitler ordered him to 'stand fast' in the face of danger of encirclement. Guderian disobeyed the order and pulled his forces back. After further clashes with his direct superior von Kluge, he asked to be relieved of command, which was 'granted'.
For a while Guderian sat idle. After the defeat at Stalingrad Hitler recalled him and made him 'Inspector General of Armoured Troops', responsible for the development and training of Germany's armored forces, reporting directly to Hitler. He developed a good relationship with Albert Speer, the minister for armament, and worked tirelessly to increase the production and quality of the tanks. In this position he faced a lot of competition from other generals, especially from the artillery branch. He was later appointed to chief of staff, yet in 1945 CE, near the end of the war, was dismissed again after a shouting match with Hitler.
After the war, Guderian was imprisoned, but managed to shove much of the blame for war crimes onto others. He was not charged with war crimes and released in 1948 CE. He later analyzed battles with some of his former British opponents and wrote an autobiography, 'Panzer Leader'. His last years were spent in setting up the army of the new democratic western Germany, the Bundeswehr. He died in 1954 CE.