Fascist Warfare and the Axis Alliance: From Blitzkrieg to Total War

Abstract

Axis concepts of the imagined future war varied widely. While some believed in the necessity of a lengthy total war, others anticipated a short decisive blow. Following the start of the Second World War, a series of fast German victories bolstered the feasibility of the concept of ‘Blitzkrieg’ (lightning war). The Blitzkrieg may have been more myth than reality, as historiography has recently claimed. But seen from a transnational perspective it was a powerful myth: from spring 1940 to early 1942 Blitzkrieg became central to the mutual political vision of the Axis. Ironically, soon after the Japanese realized their version of Blitzkrieg (Pearl Harbor) the time of quick victories was over. By discussing the applicability of the concept of fascist warfare to non-European theatres this contribution also stresses the global history of the Axis.