Heinz Guderian

Born in Kulm, Germany--now Chelmno, Poland--in 1888, Heinz Guderian joined the German army and served as a staff officer during World War I. He stayed in the army after the war and took an interest in armored warfare. He had a talent for it, and his tactical innovations and revolutionary ideas brought him to the to the attention of German leader Adolf Hitler, and he was able to implement many of his ideas--such as the concept of the "blitzkrieg", or lightning war--into effect. He advocated for the formation of independent armored units backed with strong air and motorized infantry support in order to quickly break through enemy lines and encircle and destroy enemy troops and material behind those lines. Guderian's ideas and tactics proved themselves in 1939 when World War II broke out, and his tank outfits sliced through Poland, France and other allied countries like a hot knife through butter, handing Guderian victory after victory. In 1941 he was able to reach the gates of Moscow before the Russians finally managed to stop him. In the face of a fierce Russian counteroffensive, Guderian withdrew his forces in order to save them from annihilation, and a furious Hitler dismissed him. He came back in 1943,however, and was made inspector general of armored troops. In that position he streamlined and accelerated the production of tanks, but constant interference from Hitler caused him to resign in 1945. He died in Germany in 1954.