A Comparative Study of Blitzkrieg and Cold Start Doctrine: Lessons and Countermeasures for Pakistan

The legacy of Blitzkrieg as deployed by the Wehrmacht during World War II cannot be denied due to its lethality, speed and surprise which completely out-manoeuvred the enemy. While employing its basic tenets, the Indian Army announced a doctrine known as the Cold Start Doctrine (CSD) in 2004. Germany used Blitzkrieg as an operational level doctrine, but India wants to bring into play the same tactics on a strategic level. The effectiveness of this German battle plan makes it critical for Pakistan to analyse the repercussions of CSD in case of an armed conflict with India. This article is an effort to look for ways in which the Pakistan Armed Forces (PAF) can deter, repel and respond to an attack by employing conventional forces, while remaining strictly below the nuclear threshold.