Son of a Prussian General, Guderian received his commission in the 10th Hanoverian Jager in 1908 but was employed as a signals and staff officer in the first world war. Following the conflict he specialized in motorized transport and helped develop Germany's first tanks when they were still banned by the Versailles treaty. He was then made commander of one of the first Panzer divisions and in 1938 he published the influential Achtung! Panzer! on armored combat. By then he was promoted to General Der Panzertruppen and with the outbreak of war, given command of XIX Corps, which he lead in the Polish campaign.
Guderian was then given command of a Panzer group for the battle of France which served to vindicate his theories about the use of armor. Guderian's tanks were the first across the Meuse river, at Sedan (14 May 1940) and the first to reach the English Chanel. In 1941, in Russia, with the same command, now renamed 4th Panzer Army, led the drive to Moscow. After a dispute with Hitler, he was dissmised on 25 October 1941 only to be recaled in February 1943 to become inspector of Panzer troops. In 1944 he was appointed Cheif of staff and remained at that post until finaly dismissed by Hitler on 21 March 1945.
