Guderian's diligence paid off when he was chosen as the youngest of 168 officers to attend a three-year program at the War Academy in Berlin. Already gathering a reputation for moving fast, Guderian earned the nickname Schnelle Heinz (Quick Heinz). He liked to quote a saying by military leader Helmuth von Moltke: "First reckon, then risk," which summed up his thinking. Always the student, Guderian would study a situation intently and then strike at a moment's notice.
Guderian's study of military history and strategy was interrupted by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria at Sarajevo and the outbreak of World War I. Guderian joined the wireless staff, a difficult post, because the new technology did not have the support of those directing the war effort. Although an arduous task, Guderian's work in the communications division allowed him to witness almost every front where real fighting took place. The carnage he viewed was instrumental in developing his thoughts on mechanized warfare, which would protect the infantrymen and provide for quick victory.
In the later stages of the First World War, Guderian served as an intelligence officer. Then, in February, 1918, he became a General Staff officer.
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