Stunning footage gives extraordinary insight to frontline combat, the lives of ordinary soldiers, and their terror in the face of brutal, and mechanized warfare in WWII. The brand-new series WWII Battles in Color premieres tonight at 8 PM. | Smithsonian Channel Aviation Nation

Blitzkrieg: How Germany Shocked the World in WWII Blitzkrieg, or "lightning war," was a military strategy employed by Germany during World War II that revolutionized warfare. Unleashed in 1939, this tactic aimed to achieve swift victories through rapid, coordinated attacks using combined arms forces, including infantry, tanks, and air support. The initial deployment of Blitzkrieg occurred during the invasion of Poland, where German forces combined fast-moving mechanized infantry with air cover,