[John H K]

It took the Germans 21 days to reach the English Channel in their invasion of France in 1941, and 42 days for the French to surrender.

I think if that invasion was covered with precisely the same technology and number of channels and media we have today, THAT would seem slow, too.

And that was one of the ultimate examples of "Blitzkrieg" (Shock and Awe = Blitzkrieg, but for obvious PR reasons you can't call it that; the US military has tried about 20 different euphamisms for Blitzkrieg in the last 20 years. Oddly, the foremost practicioner of Blitzkrieg since WWII has been the Israelis.)

[Colonel_Flagg]

It took the Germans 21 days to reach the English Channel in their invasion of France in 1941, and 42 days for the French to surrender.

That would be 1940. But compared to World War I, Blitzkrieg really was lightning.

[Cicero]

You want a euphemism for Blitzkrieg?

How about Blixkrieg?

[ffusco]

Blitzkrieg or lightning war was a euphamism for heavily mechanized war with combined air and land attacks. This is now a part of modern warfare.

Shock and awe refers to a political will to use a "Show" of overwhelming force- unlike carpet bombing campaign of Vietnam which just bombed indiscriminately. ( Overlord, Rolling Thunder, Arclight)

Isreal to their credit has always used their small, well trained, armed forces decisively against superior numbers. Not Blitzkrieg, but definately a swift and determined use of force free of the confines of political correctness.