Blitzkrieg (1965)

Blitzkrieg is one of Avalon Hill's earliest releases. The game is a fictional representation of the breakout of World War II. Five minor countries become engulfed in a tremendous conflict for territory waged by Great Blue and Big Red, the major countries.

Revised by:

• Blitzkrieg Module System

From The Avalon Hill Company History, 1980

Blitzkrieg (1965) Revised 1975
Designed by Lawrence Pinsky
Developed by Tom Shaw
1975 Freelance design revised by Avalon Hill
1975 Design by N/A
1975 Development by Don Greenwood

BLITZKRIEG could probably lay claim to being the first “monster” game and took the young hobby by storm back in 1965. It was the first time that a commercial wargame had broken out of the mode of an operational scale portrayal of a specific battle. It was also the first time a commercial wargame had attempted to address all elements of 20th century warfare: land, air, and sea in the same game system. The game also marked the first use of the names of company personnel in a fictional context within the components of the game. Thus, Lake “Pinsky”, and “Zocchi” River, and the Dubs Tributary got their names. One imagines that the Orioles-Dodgers World Series that year also had something to do with the naming of the Great Koufax desert (so named because it was “Sandy”). Although such in-jokes went over the head of most people, the precedent had been set for more successful uses of individual names in the future as any SL enthusiast who has enjoyed shooting down Lt. Greenwood or CPT Shaw will attest. The 1975 revision authored by Dave Roberts made great improvements to both the mechanics of play and the clarity of the rules themselves. Only the rulebook and Attrition Combat Results Table were changed. By that time, however, other grand strategic games with historical themes had put BLITZKRIEG in a secondary role.

Avalon Hill Complexity ratings:
Basic Game - 6
Advanced Game - 7 to 10

• The GENERAL Vol.2,No.3
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg - Coming in October” (Commentary)
• The GENERAL Vol.2,No.5
  • Blitzkrieg – “Strategy for Blitzkrieg” (Strategy) Carl I?. Knabe II
  • Blitzkrieg – “'Short -tournament' Game” (Variant Discussion) Robert Olson
  • Blitzkrieg – “The Blitz Tactic” (Strategy) Myron Brundage's Midwest Editorial Staff
  • Blitzkrieg – “Operation Gulp” (Strategy) S/Sgt. Louis Zocchi
  • Blitzkrieg – “CONTEST NO. 11” (Strategy)
  • Blitzkrieg – “Appendix of Questions and Answers for Blitzkrieg” (Discussion)
• The GENERAL Vol.2,No.6
  • Blitzkrieg – “Correction...” (Discussion)
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg-Troops for the Minor Countries” (Variant Discussion)
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg - Additional Optional Rules” (Variant Discussion)
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blue First Turn, Blitzkrieg” (Strategy) Tom Holsinger
  • The Question Box - Blitzkrieg
• The GENERAL Vol.3,No.1
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg Air Power” (Strategy) C.R. Wagner, SSGT, U.S.A.F.
  • Blitzkrieg – “Minor Country Armies in Blitzkrieg” (Variant Discussion) Richard C. Giberson
  • The Question Box - Blitzkrieg
• The GENERAL Vol.3,No.2
  • Blitzkrieg – “Operation Sandstorm” (Strategy) Gary M. Dziatko
  • Blitzkrieg – “Operation Ungawa” (Strategy) Eric R. Shimer
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg - Offense & Defense” (Strategy) Michael C. Kohn
  • Blitzkrieg – “What to do With Minor Country Troops” (Variant Discussion) Joseph Antosiak
  • Blitzkrieg – “PBM Substitution of Units in Blitzkrieg” (Variant Discussion) Mark Rosenberg
  • Blitzkrieg – “The Second Front” (Strategy) s/sgt. Louis Zocchi
• The GENERAL Vol.12,No.2
  • Blitzkrieg – “Surface Raiders” (Variant) Don Greenwood
• The GENERAL Vol.16,No.5
  • Blitzkrieg – “Blitzkrieg Propaganda” (Strategy) Early Thomas
• The GENERAL Vol.18,No.6
  • Blitzkrieg, Victory in the Pacific – “Blitz in the Pacific - Or Victory in the Krieg” (Variant)James Stahler
• The GENERAL Vol.20,No.4
  • Blitzkrieg – “A New Look at an Old Friend - A Commander's Notebook: Blitzkrieg” (Discussion) Robert D. Harmon

Panzerfaust and Campaign Article Index:

• Number 72 Mar-Apr 1976
  • Blitzkrieg - "A Look at the 'New' Blitzkrieg" (Review), Vance von Borries and James W. Stendera