The Panzer II was a light tank built by Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1943. The tank was notably used in the Invasion of Poland and the Battle of France at the start of World War II, and Heinz Guderian used the tank for his blitzkrieg style of warfare. In 1940 and 1941, the Panzer III and the Panzer IV overshadowed the Panzer II, but it continued to see action in North Africa and against the Soviet Union. By the end of 1942, it had been withdrawn from front line service, but the tank continued to see action until the war's end in 1945.