Plan 1919 Plan 1919 was a military strategy drawn up by J . F . C . Fuller in 1918 during World War I . His plan criticised the practice of physically destroying the enemy , and instead called for tank s to rapidly advance into the enemy ' s rear area to destroy supply bases and lines of communication , which would also be bombed . He suggested a lightning thrust toward the command center of the German army : The Allied advance and German retreat across France and Belgium in 1918 had begun to show some of the pace and aspects that would mark later mechanized warfare ; British tanks played an increasing role , and German rear - guard defenses focused on stopping their advance . Although never implemented , Plan 1919 would have carried these trends forward earlier , and can be said to have formed the basis for later blitzkrieg tactics and the Soviet theories of Deep Battle and Deep Operations Background . By 1918 , the German , French and British armies had been through years of trench warfare and were getting close to the breaking point . Both sides realized that a new form of warfare was needed for the successful conclusion of the war . Tanks , although used unsuccessfully at the Battles of the Somme and Passchendaele , were used in the Battle of Cambrai and demonstrated their usefulness . Although the main objective was not achieved and the German artillery made short work of them after the initial shock wore off , they inspired military theorists to try to incorporate them properly . In the spring of 1918 , J . F . C . Fuller , a British staff officer with the Tank Corps , submitted a study titled " The tactics of the attack as affected by the speed and circuit of the Medium D tank " , a bold new plan involving tanks and air support that aimed to target the German leadership and supply lines , as opposed to the then current tactic of grinding away at the main forces . Fuller ' s plan had three elements . The first was a fast attack by medium tanks and aircraft against the German headquarters , removing its ability to control their forces . Then the main assault by heavy tanks , infantry and artillery would make break the German lines . Finally cavalry , light tanks and infantry mounted on trucks would follow the retreating Germans preventing them from reforming or counterattacking . His plan was to be used as the blueprint for the spring offensive the next year and was titled Plan 1919 . The German surrender that November precluded the implementation of the plan , but it was studied extensively by the Germans and used as the model for their Blitzkrieg attacks during the next war ( Fuller ) . Plan 1919 , although never carried out , laid the “ groundwork ” for numerous upgrades in military equipment , technology , and tactics of modern warfare . Fuller ' s ideas were largely in line with papers put forward by other members of the Tank Corps such as by Capper and Elles ' paper " The future of tank operations and production requirements " which envisaged tank forces of several thousand light , medium and heavy tanks and the means and time it would take to produce them and deploy them to the front . The Plan . Fuller , in his " Military History of the Western World " states , " There are two ways of destroying an organization : 1 . by wearing it down , 2 . by rendering it inoperative . In war the first comprises the killing , wounding , capturing and disarming of the enemy ' s soldiers - body warfare . The second , the rendering inoperative of his power of command - brain warfare . To take a single man as an example : the first method may be compared to a succession of slight wounds which will eventually cause him to bleed to death ; the second - a shot through the brain . " To accomplish this " shot through the brain " Fuller ' s plan required generals to penetrate the enemy ’ s defenses using tanks and targeting his chain of supply ; so that in the ensuing confusion the enemy leadership could then be eliminated decisively . The goal of this was “ the destruction of the enemy ’ s policy ” ( Reid ) . This would be accomplished by armored units penetrating the enemy lines and causing havoc in the rear areas , with the ultimate aim of eliminating the enemy leadership . The Plan emphasized the intended use of aircraft in the support role , along with motorized infantry to conduct operations in terrain unsuited to tanks . This mobile form of operations utilizing tanks and aircraft was a huge departure from the established infantry tactics of the day . Detractors point out the flaws in Fuller ’ s plan . It is a strong point that the tank required by the plan had not been fielded yet , and that war weary Britain could not afford the manpower and materials needed to implement it ( Palazzo ) , and as was demonstrated at Cambrai , the German artillery was deadly against the current British tanks without accompanying artillery support . A new 40 ton tank design Mark VIII tank - based on the earlier British heavy tanks - was under construction in late 1918 with an ambitious production scheme of up to 4 , 500 tanks . Hundreds of these would be used in the spearhead and once these had broken through the German lines , the faster medium tanks would have " raced through " to disrupt the enemy rear . Aircraft would have been used to resupply the tanks and keep the breakthrough moving . ( Ellis ) The British had a " trench fighter " design in production with orders for 1 , 400 aircraft . The Sopwith Salamander was armoured so that it could strafe and bomb the enemy trenches and artillery with less risk . Plan 1919 ' s Effect . Plan 1919 , although never carried out , laid the “ groundwork ” for upgrades in military equipment , technology , and tactics of modern warfare . The Americans designed a new tank based on the British Medium “ D ” tank , as described by Fuller in his Plan 1919 , to be able to execute the new mobile form of warfare ( Hofmann ) . The Germans modeled their blitzkrieg style of modern warfare , in the subsequent world war , upon Fuller ’ s Plan 1919 . This style of warfare emphasized the use of armored units and close air support , to make quick attacks designed to penetrate the enemy ’ s front lines and cause confusion ( Fuller ) . This type of warfare is still used today , as demonstrated by the American forces in Operation Iraqi Freedom , when they first occupied Iraq . Fuller ' s Theory . Fuller ’ s theory of having the tanks , aircraft , and numerous other warfare tactics prescribed in Plan 1919 was that a mobile battlefield would provide more protection against losses to friendly forces . Fewer soldiers therefore put at risk on the battlefield , implied fewer troops to command , therefore making it easier for the commander to lead troops . More effective battles could then be fought with fewer casualties . Warfare could then become more organized . Superior firepower , and air power would increase the combat effectiveness of attacking command and communication centers . Fuller drew up the plans for Plan 1919 with many beliefs and hopes for the future of armies in Europe and around the world . He believed that Plan 1919 was the groundwork for numerous innovations in the armed forces . The new armies would consist of highly trained and proficient individuals that would be professional in the way they acted and the way they led on the battlefield . Fuller also believed that with time , military technologies would become more advanced and more proficient in their performed operations . This meant that technologies would thus become more deadly and more effective at destroying the enemy , allowing more pinpoint strikes and minimizing collateral damage . The Chemical Plan . Fuller ' s plan was not the only option on the table for 1919 . As Albert Palazzo points out in his paper " Plan 1919 - The Other One " , the chemical warfare planners had big plans for the next year ' s offensive . He points out they were fielding a new gas called DM , which penetrated the German masks ( 47 ) . The technology for this new gas was much closer to fruition than the tank required by Fuller ' s plan . In addition , Winston Churchill , as Minister of Munitions , had already called for the production of gas agents to be increased by five times the current production ( 46 ) . The chemical advocates therefore did not have to contend with technology issues . They were utilizing a proven method of warfare . Their plan only called for increasing the extent of chemical warfare . Palazzo also points out they intended to use airplanes as delivery systems for the chemical agents and envisioned the gas being used to target command centres ( 45 ) . In many respects then , the gas advocates plan seems to have offered much the same possibility for success , with little of the implementation difficulties of Fuller ' s plan . The armistice however made their plans unnecessary also . In history ' s light however , this plan remains obscure due to the nature of chemical warfare . As Palazzo put it , " few weapons have inspired such universal revulsion " ( 39 ) .