Editing Blitzkrieg (section)

===Spanish Civil War===
German volunteers first used armor in live field-conditions during the [[Spanish Civil War]] (1936–1939). Armor commitment consisted of Panzer Battalion 88, a force built around three companies of [[Panzer I]] tanks that functioned as a training cadre for Spain's Nationalists. The Luftwaffe deployed squadrons of [[Fighter aircraft|fighters]], dive-bombers and [[Military transport aircraft|transport aircraft]] as the ''[[Condor Legion]]''.{{sfn|Edwards|1989|p=145}} Guderian said that the tank deployment was "on too small a scale to allow accurate assessments to be made".{{sfn|Edwards|1989|p=25}} (The true test of his "armored idea" would have to wait for the Second World War.) However, the ''Luftwaffe'' also provided volunteers to Spain to test both tactics and aircraft in combat, including the first combat use of the ''Stuka''.{{sfn|Weal|1997|pp= 15–17}}

During the war, the ''Condor Legion'' undertook the 1937 [[bombing of Guernica]], which had a tremendous psychological effect on the populations of Europe. The results were exaggerated,{{by whom|date=November 2021}} and the [[Allies of World War II|Western Allies]] concluded that the "city-busting" techniques were now part of the German way in war. The targets of the German aircraft were actually the rail lines and bridges, but lacking the ability to hit them with accuracy (only three or four [[Junkers Ju 87|Ju 87]]s saw action in Spain), the ''Luftwaffe'' chose a method of [[carpet bombing]], resulting in heavy civilian casualties.{{sfn|Corum|1997|p=200}}