In the wake of Poland and France falling to the Nazis, the American Army quickly worked to develop anti-tank capabilities to counter the German armor threat. Unfortunately the Americans lack of understanding of events of the past led to a poor definition of the problem. This resulted in unsound tactical theories which yielded poor doctrine aimed at a problem which did not exist. The Americans failed to understand that, in order to develop effective doctrine, planners must consider relevant historical perspective and use sound tactical theory. In comparison, the German Army of 1916 realized the need for a doctrine to alleviate the effects of the trench warfare of World War I. The Germans clearly utilized lessons learned from the past to develop a keen situational awareness about their predicament. This understanding led their planners to create accurate theories which translated into sound tactical doctrine that has stood the test of many past battlefields. Doctrine development must be based on an accurate historical perspective and sound tactical theory. During WWI the Germans clearly excelled in this concept while the Americans in WWII did not. Perhaps the final and most concrete evidence of this lies in the fact that the American tank destroyer corps was put to rest over 60 year ago; while the theories and principles of the German defense continue to live on today.

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