Degree Name

Department

Management

College

Marriott School of Management

Defense Date

2026-03-11

Publication Date

2026-03-16

First Faculty Advisor

Cacey Farnsworth

First Faculty Reader

David Bryce

Second Faculty Reader

Brigitte Madrian

Honors Coordinator

Mark Hansen

Keywords

strategy, blitzkrieg, ryanair, business strategy, military strategy, business military

Abstract

The field of business strategy emerged out of military strategy during the mid- twentieth century. Despite this shared DNA, the connection between the two fields has been limited to broad conceptual comparisons and abstract motivational framing. No prior research has paired a specific military history case with a specific modern business case to analyze the parallels between these disciplines in detail.

This research addresses that gap by comparing the German Blitzkrieg campaign during the 1940 invasion of France and the transformation of Ryanair in the early 1990s. Despite being separated by fifty years and operating in completely different domains, the two organizations faced remarkably similar problems, developed remarkably similar solutions, and achieved remarkably similar results. Both entered their respective contests as underdogs facing entrenched incumbents. Both abandoned conventional approaches after they proved ineffective. Both built strategies around speed, operational efficiency, iv and the exploitation of opponent weaknesses. And both achieved outcomes that the leading experts of their time claimed were impossible. The parallels emerged at every level of detail, from high-level strategic thinking to low-level operational methodology.

Three underlying principles emerged from the analysis: attack where your opponent is weakest, speed prevents effective response, and operational efficiency creates competitive advantage. These principles did not originate in either case. They appear throughout military history long before anyone applied them to business. Military history offers one of the largest libraries of competitive strategy available; this research argues that it is underutilized by business leaders and educators.