proper usage of the word 'blitzkrieg'

In the October 2015 issue of National Geographic I read on page 43 (page 42 in the printed edition)

[…] Berger invited more than 30 young scientists […] for a blitzkrieg fossil fest lasting six weeks.

A German friend was astonished and revulsed about the usage of the Nazi wartime word blitzkrieg in such a non-historical context. I am therefore asking about the meaning and appropriate usage of blitzkrieg and its implied connotations.

Solution 1:

"Blitzkrieg" is German for "lightning warfare". It was a term used to describe a particular set of tactics the Germans used in World War 2 involving very rapid advance across enemy territory using tanks and aircraft.

In U.S. English, people sometimes use "blitzkrieg" to refer to any attempt to accomplish some task quickly. Like, "We're planning a blitzkrieg of advertising on the west coast once the new product is released." Note "blitzkrieg" is a noun. English speakers sometimes use "blitz" as either a noun or a verb. I don't know what proper German usage is there.

In general, it's pretty common to use military metaphors in non-military contexts. We talk about "attacking" a problem of any sort, "targeting" specific opponents or competitors, conducting a "campaign", starting a "war on poverty", etc. Whether such language is inappropriate or offensive is a matter of opinion. Most people don't think it is and use it routinely. If you personally find it offensive, the question of what to do about it is a matter of how important the issue is to you, I guess.

(There was a big deal in the U.S. a few years ago where some Democrats criticized Republicans for using such language, claiming that it encouraged political violence, to which some Republicans replied by pointing out examples where Democrats had used the exact same language. Of course that sort of thing goes on in politics all the time.)

Solution 2:

To place the source quotation in greater context, here's a link to the National Geographic article:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/09/150910-human-evolution-change/

I would agree with the posts that point to military terminology generally creeping into non-military vernacular over time; and that US speakers, overall, are sufficiently removed from the horrors of World War II that some terms will have connotations that do not seem to match the accepted or usual meanings in Europe.

However, I'm also surprised that this term was applied here, especially from a periodical which exceeded my expectations for professional journalism in every regard throughout my life.