“‘The younger men, in opposition to the older, believed that there was no time to be lost; the representatives of tradition wanted, and so far as they were able to do insisted, on a slow and gradual evolution.” (Guderian, 1990, 459). Heinz Guderian, a World War I junior officer and World War II General. Creator, trainer… Read More
“‘It was Schlieffen who coined the apothegm: ‘Great achievements, small display: more reality than appearance,’ and this was a recognition of the qualities of Moltke and his school.” (Guderian, 1990, 454). Apothegm: a concise saying or maxim; an aphorism. Heinz Guderian, a World War I junior officer and World War II General. Creator, trainer and leader of… Read More
“‘First weigh the considerations, then take the risks.’ is a German adage first coined by Field-Marshal Moltke.” (Guderian, 1990, 439). Heinz Guderian, a World War I junior officer and World War II General. Creator, trainer and leader of Germany’s armoured forces during the Second World War. Reference Guderian, H. & Fitzgibbon, C. (trans) (1990) Panzer Leader.… Read More
“A lesson learned from the First World War had taught us that it is necessary to be patient about committing new weapons and that they must be held back until they are being produced in such quantities as to allow their employment in mass. In the First World War the French and British used their… Read More
“Their caution was not Montgomery’s, who obviously considered that insistence on 100 per cent certainty was to be preferred to a policy of boldness, which is true in questions of strategy, although certainly not in tactics.” (Rommel, 1953, p.515). Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox), World War I junior officer and World War II… Read More
“They did not base their plans on the real possibilities of the situation, but allowed the wish to father the thought.” (Rommel, 1953, p.409). A contemporary version: “To call it a fad would be unfair; at the moment it’s a fashionable policy in search of persuasive evidence that it really works.” (Hawkes, 2013, p.25). Field-Marshal Erwin… Read More
“…weit vom Schuss gibt alte Krieger – far from the battle makes old soldiers.” (Rommel, 1953, p.327). Field-Marshal Erwin Rommel (the Desert Fox), World War I junior officer and World War II General, considered a brilliant military commander; adored by his troops and feared by his enemies. Reference Rommel, E., Liddel Hart, B.H. (ed) &… Read More
Boot Camp & Military Fitness Institute 