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Shock and awe, technically known as rapid dominance, is a military doctrine based on the use of "overwhelming decisive force", "dominant battlefield awareness", "dominant maneuvers", and "spectacular displays of power" to "paralyze" an adversary's preception of the battlefield and destroy its will to fight. The doctrine was written by Harlan K. Ullman and James. P. Wade and is a product of the National Defense University of the United States.
The military operation named "shock and awe" began the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Debate exists as to whether or not this operation was actually a rapid dominance campaign and truly elicited shock and awe.
Source
Originally posted by fritz
Had the Iraqis been similarly equipped, trained, and better led, I often wonder what would have happened.
Originally posted by Strangerous
Good answer fritz - I wrote something similar but the 'puter pixies ate it.
TheSilentProtagonist - where to start? so much of what you posted is just plain wrong!
WW1
The idea that there was no innovation during WW1 is just plain wrong. The innovation in weaponry, tactics and troop deployment were staggering all in just 4 short years. Train, canal and light rail were all used to transport ammunition, troops travelled by train and motor transport as well as marching.
WW2
France had vastly more tanks than Germany at the start of WW2 (actually more than Germany and UK combined) and as fritz says they were of much higher quality.
German infantry was never fully mechanised at any point during WW2. Even the SS were never fully mechanised.
German mechanised theory was copied from the UK who had the first mechanised infantry / armour force ithe World. Germany copied these ideas while the UK disbanded its mechanised force - read Guderian he's quite clear on this point.
The real innovation of Blitzkrieg was the use of air power instead of artillery - hence Sedan
Originally posted by Agit8dChop
In terms of technological ability in the eras they represent..
blitzkreig and shock and awe were the same things.
Both utilised the latest in technological advancements for military, to quickly assertain control of a country.
Hitler used primitive tanks and machines,
we used our jets, bombers, hummers, apc's
either way, both gave the invading country complete control, with little loss of life, while completely sapping the moral of the enemy, or the occupied nation
Originally posted by INc2006
btw tiger tanks and Tiger II and other German tanks are considered some of the best ever created, and they are the predecessors of the current German MBT, the Leopard I II.