Blitz

Blitz is a term derived from the German word for lightning and is used to describe rapid, concentrated activity across different domains. In military history, blitz is associated with two related concepts: blitzkrieg, a tactic of rapid, coordinated strikes using armored divisions, aircraft, and infantry to overwhelm defenses; and the Blitz, the sustained Allied bombing campaign against the United Kingdom by the German Luftwaffe during 1940–1941, aimed at breaking civilian morale and forcing a surrender or negotiated peace. The effectiveness and consequences of these campaigns are widely debated among historians.

In sports and games, blitz refers to fast or aggressive actions. In American football, a blitz is a defensive tactic in which extra players, often arriving as pass rushers, attempt to disrupt the quarterback, typically at the risk of creating gaps in pass coverage. In chess, blitz chess denotes games with a short time control, usually three to five minutes per side, demanding rapid decision-making; it remains popular online and in clubs, alongside rapid and classical formats.

Beyond war and sport, blitz is used metaphorically to describe a rapid, intensive campaign, such as a marketing or recruitment blitz, undertaken to achieve quick objectives. The term also appears in various cultural and media contexts as a title or descriptor. See also Blitzkrieg and blitz (chess time control).