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Heinz Wilhelm Guderian (17 June, 1888 - 14 May,
1954) was a Theorist|military theorist and General
of the Nazy Germany|German Heer|Army during the
World War II|Second World War. Germany's panzer
forces would be raised and fought according to his
works, best-known among them Achtung! Panzer! He
held posts as Panzer Corps commander, Panzer Army
commander, Inspector-General of Armored Troops,
and Chief of Oberkommando des Heeres|OKH.

== Biography ==
Guderian was born in the Germany|German West
Prussia|West Prussian town of Chelmno|Kulm, now
inside Poland. From 1901 to 1907 Guderian attended
various military schools. He entered the Army in
1907 as an ensign-cadet in the 10th Hanoverian
Jäger Battalion commanded by his father. In 1911
Guderian joined the 3rd Telegraphen-Battalion
(Wireless-Battalion) in the army signal corps and
in October of 1913 married Margarete Goerne, with
whom he had two sons.

During the World War I|First World War he served
as a Signals and General Staff officer. After the
war, Guderian stayed in the newly reorganized
100,000-man German Army (Reichswehr) of the
Versailles Treaty, where he came to specialize in
armored warfare. Fluent in both English
language|English and French language|French, he
was influenced by the British maneuver warfare
theorists J.F.C. Fuller and, to a lesser extent,
B.H. Liddell Hart, as well as the writings,
interestingly enough, of the then-unknown Charles
de Gaulle. Their works were translated into German
language|German by Guderian. Achtung! Panzer!, was
written in 1936-37 as an explanation of Guderian's
theories on the tank and aircraft's role in modern
warfare. The panzer force he created would become
the core of the German Army's power during the
World War II|Second World War, and fight according
to what became known as blitzkrieg doctrine. 

In the World War II|Second World War he first
served as the commander of the XIX Army Corps in
the Polish September Campaign|invasion of Poland
and the Fall Gelb|invasion of France. Guderian
personally led the attack that traversed the
Ardennes Forest, crossed the Meuse River and broke
through the French lines at Sedan. Guderian's
panzer group led the "race to the sea" that
encircled the bulk of the Allied armies. He
commanded Panzergruppe Guderian in Operation
Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet
Union, and from October 5 1941 the redesignated
Second Panzer Army. During the Barbarossa campaign
he led his panzer forces in rapid advances as
according to the Blitzkrieg doctrine and he earned
the nickname "Schneller Heinz" (Fast Heinz) among
his troops. His armored spearhead captured
Smolensk in a remarkably short time and were
poised to launch the final assault on Moscow when
he was ordered to turn South towards Kiev. He was
relieved of command on 25 December 1941 for
ordering a withdrawal in contradiction of Adolf
Hitler|Hitler's "standfast" order, and transferred
to the Oberkommando des Heeres reserve pool.


After the German defeat at Battle of
Stalingrad|Stalingrad, Guderian was recalled to
active service and on 1 March, 1943 became the
Inspector-General of the Armoured Troops. Here his
responsibilities were to oversee the training,
production, and use of Germany's panzer forces. On
21 July, 1944 he became the Chief of the OKH.
Hitler dismissed him on 28 March, 1945 after an
argument over the failed counterattack of an army
commander, ending a long series of disagreements
between them.

Despite Soviet and Polish government protests,
Guderian was not charged with any war crimes
during the Nuremberg Trials, as his actions and
behavior were considered consistent with that of a
professional soldier. Poland argued that at the
Battle of Wizna, Guderian had threatened the
Polish commander with shooting Prisoner of
war|prisoners of war if he did not order remaining
forces to surrender. Contrary to the Poles, most
in the west felt he was justified to make such
threats, as they interpreted this as a harmless
bluff. Guderian also accepted an estate in the
German occupied Poland in Warthegau area. Polish
owners of the estate taken over by him were
evicted. He also received and accepted a state
money gift from Hitler, after his retirement in
1942.
http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/genocide/reviewstr74.htm

Guderian's son, Heinz Günther Guderian became a
prominent General in the post-war German
Bundeswehr and NATO.

== Books by Heinz Guderian==
* Achtung Panzer! (1937, reissued by Cassell
Academic, 2000) ISBN 0304352853
* Book reference | Author=Guderian, Heinz |
Title=Panzer Leader (book)|Panzer Leader |
Publisher=Da Capo Press Reissue edition, 2001. New
York: Da Capo Press | Year=1952 | ID=ISBN
0306811014

==Reference==
* Kenneth Macksey|Macksey, Kenneth, Guderian:
Panzer General (1992, revision of Guderian,
Creator of the Blitzkrieg, 1976)
* Karl J. Walde|Walde, Karl J., Guderian (1978)

==External links ==
*http://www.mindef.gov.sg/safti/pointer/back/journ
als/2003/Vol29_3/13.htm Personality Profile -
General Heinz Guderian by the Journal of the
Singapore Armed Forces