Although the German general Erich von Manstein was praised for his outstanding skills and artistic commanding ability, he was unexpectedly dismissed by Hitler after the war. Subsequently, he was transferred to the Nuremberg Military Tribunal for trial.
Many years ago, Mr. Manstein was well aware of the crucial role of armored warfare on the battlefield of the future, and for this reason he was known as the "father of armored forces". Later, in 1939, he served as Chief of Staff of Army Group South, where he orchestrated the campaign against Poland. His groundbreaking tactic, "Blitzkrieg", amazed the world with its superior strength and speed, causing the mighty Polish army to collapse and disintegrate in just three months. This led to Mr. Manstein's gradual rise to become a highly respected member of the European military family.
After that, Hitler decided to swing his hand at France, intending to once again use the blitzkrieg strategy against Poland. Manstein, however, disagreed, foreseeing that France might have been prepared. After careful evaluation, Hitler adopted Manstein's "Manstein Plan". This made the Maginot Line, which France was proud of, useless, and directly changed the course of the European war in World War II.
Nevertheless, the potential crisis of Mr. Manstein's decisive decision-making process cannot be ignored. For example, when the German army was directed towards Dunkirk, Hitler unexpectedly halted the offensive, allowing the heroic 400,000 Allied troops to retreat safely. Even so, from the perspective of European historical strategy, he is still revered as a grandmaster.
Mr. Hitler proposed a geometrically progressive blitzkrieg strategy. He organized about 4 million German troops to encircle and attack Moscow in the north, center, and south, and at the same time dives and attacked two important cities of the Soviet Union, Leningrad and Kiev. A month later, the Soviet Union suffered heavy losses, with more than 300,000 soldiers killed.
In the remarkable Soviet-German war, the German army led by Manstein had an amazing miraculous operation - the Battle of Kharkov. This offensive was in danger of a complete defeat of the Soviet army, but at the moment of crisis, Manstein, well aware of the disadvantages of the German superiority, decisively launched a breakthrough of the Panzer Army and other units to the Voronezh area. Despite the Soviets' best efforts to resist, they realized the strength of the German army in the face of a life-and-death situation. This battle, praised by the world, can be called one of the best counteroffensives of the German army in the course of the subsequent Soviet-German war.
In fact, both Hitler and the German generals were at fault, and neither side could be blamed.
Many experts have spoken highly of Manstein's unique and ingenious strategic vision, and his extraordinary command talent played a pivotal role in the European theater of World War II.
Manstein's blitzkrieg strategy gave the Germans a clear advantage, but as the war progressed, the effectiveness of this strategy waned. Especially in the Kharkov defense, his heroic actions were admirable. Despite Germany's final defeat, Manstein's merits as a brilliant strategist cannot be overlooked. It was with his tactical excellence and leadership that Manstein rose to prominence on the stage of World War II. The blitzkrieg he proposed turned the tide of war in Europe. However, as the war progressed, this strategy failed to maintain its momentum. But even so, Manstein's wisdom and courage in the Kharkiv defense are still worth cherishing. He had a profound impact on World War II and is an iconic figure in European military history.
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