World War II

[Legbreaker]

I thought the discussion in the "Historical Kalisz-type Scenarios" deserved it's own thread and since Kato isn't about....

Originally Posted by Mohoender

Modern tank use was theorized by the General Jean-Baptiste Eugène Estienne. This time a Frenchman, colonel at the time, father of the french aviation, of the modernization of our artillery and of the tanks. He was read and taken into account by Liddle Hart (UK), Heinz Guderian (Germany), Toukhatchevsky (Soviet Union) and probably Patton (US, who had met him in 1917). However, these theories were refused by most high commands (except Soviet Union until the Stalin's purges) including Germany (Hitler ruled over the Generals on that matter, including the Blitzkrieg into a much wider classical plan)

That's my point. Some individuals certain knew, or at least theorised (since they couldn't have put it into practise beforehand), but those higher than them were operating on incorrect principles.
No matter how many Majors, Lt Colonels, and other "lesser" ranks believed, it was the Generals, etc who dictated "how things were". A shame, and one that wasn't corrected until the war was nearly won by the Germans (in other words, around late 1940 to 1941).

There always has been, and always will be brilliant tacticians and strategists, but unfortunately because they think "outside of the box" they aren't listened to until hindsight shows them to be correct.

Flawed wargames carried out in the 20's and 30's caused the British (and numerous other nations) to implement flawed tactics, strategy and equipment. The Germans (and a few other individuals) basically took a gamble on unproven theories and got it right when it mattered. If the allies had been working from the same book as the Germans, the war may well have been over almost before it started (or possibly turned into another bloodbath as two decades before, something EVERYONE wanted to avoid).