In the summer of 1940, German successes in Europe had been based on a very particular model of interaction between air and ground forces. The planned invasion of southern England and the seizure of London envisioned by Hitler presented the German airforce with entirely new problems. Some German commanders believed that the Luftwaffe alone could defeat the British, but it was Eric Raeder, the head of Hitler's navy, who wanted an amphibious invasion to showcase the power of the Kriegsmarine. Hitler offered a peace deal to the British, certain that it would be rejected, and instead embarked upon his first great failure, the Battle of Britain and the subsequent bombing campaign known as the Blitz.

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