Brouwer, Jaap J. Heinz Guderian and the Rise and Fall of Hitler’s Tank Units

Following the First World War, many nations found themselves confronted with the question: "What, now, are we to do with the tank?" The tank had undoubtedly proven its worth on the battlefield; nevertheless, not everyone was convincedparticularly since no one had yet developed a sound doctrine for its employment in future conflicts. The interwar period demonstrates that each nation approached the future utilization of the tankas well as the specific types of tanks requiredin its own unique way. These were by no means arbitrary undertakings, for the investments in tank development and production were substantial, and a subsequent shift to a different doctrine or tank type was simply not an option. This book traces precisely that quest. However, the fact that it was the Germans, of all peoplewith the phenomenon of "Blitzkrieg"who ultimately discovered the right combination of doctrine and tanks in no way diminishes the intriguing ideas, efforts, and decisions of the other nations. The career of Heinz Guderian vividly illustrates all those debates that culminated in the development, rise, and eventual decline of the German armored forces both before and during the Second World War. For this reason, he serves as the central thread of this book, around which the history of tank development is woven.