Question

European and African Battles World War II Questions
What geographical factors lead to the early success of the German blitz?

Answer 1

The blitzkrieg, or "lightning war", involving a combination of mobile infantry, air power, and armor moving quickly across land to surround and destroy the enemy. Air power would soften the enemy up, armor would roll in while the enemy was in shock, and soldiers would mop up anything left.

It was a new kind of war philosophy that many European countries, so used to WW1 techniques such as trench warfare, had never really seen before but which Germany's tacticians embraced.

That said, the best kind of geography for that kind of warfare is something wide, open and relatively flat like plains of which there were plenty of in Europe and in Russia. Just remember -- blitzkrieg > air power smash > vehicles following up quickly across wide open spaces.