sitzkrieg

See also: Sitzkrieg

English

Etymology

Borrowed from German Sitzkrieg (“sitting war”), a pun on Blitzkrieg (literally “lightning war”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: sĭt'skrēg, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪtskɹiːɡ/
• enPR: zĭt'skrēg, IPA^(key): /ˈzɪtskɹiːɡ/
• Rhymes: -ɪtskɹiːɡ

Noun

sitzkrieg (plural sitzkriegs)

1. warfare without any military operations or campaigns, a stalemate
2. The Phoney War (French: Drôle de guerre; German: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germany's Saar district.

Related terms

• blitzkrieg