We know that Nazi Germany produced three famous generals who shocked the world, namely Rommel, Guderian and Manstein. This person has three things in common. First of all, they are all army generals. Second, they all stood up to Hitler and did not agree with Hitler. In the end, they all served under a famous general. One hand has created three german celebrities, who has such a big skill?
His name was Rundstedt, a Veteran German general and one of the 27 Field Marshals appointed by Hitler. Marshal Lundstedt was born in 1875 and had already held the important position of commander of the military district during the First World War. When World War II broke out, he was over sixty years old.
Some people may ask: "Honest and old, can you still eat?" ”
The answer is yes. "Old Ji Futuo, determined to be in a thousand miles." The martyrs are in their twilight years and their hearts are full of excitement. ”
In the beginning, Rondstedt was not very kind to Hitler. He thought the former Austrian corporal was crazy and unrealistic. So when Hitler wanted him to take the helm of the attack on Poland, he refused. Giving face to face, Hitler removed him for the first time.
However, the veteran will be a rare fortune, and you annoy him, but you can't do without him. On 24 August 1939, Hitler decided to launch a major attack on Poland, reviving the veteran General Rondstedt and appointing him commander of Army Group South.
At this time, Manstein was his chief of staff, and Guderian was his pawn. It took several of the most talented officers less than a month to annex Poland, and then, in another half a month, to eat France, the once mighty European power. Then, together, they attacked the Soviet Union.
Although the three famous generals all believed that they should not attack the Soviet Union, under the pressure of Hitler, they still knew that they could not force it. After the fierce victory at the Battle of Kiev, Rondstedt's intuition told him that this was the end of the crossbow. The Soviets were about to counterattack.
Therefore, he asked for a retreat. Hitler, however, stubbornly ordered that all retreats be forbidden. Lundstedt argued that since that was the case, I had a heart attack and wanted to take sick leave. Hitler said without hesitation: "I approve your request, and I ask you to surrender command at once!" Without Zhang Butcher, can you still eat mixed pigs?
This was the second time That Rondstedt had been ousted. It didn't take long, however, for Hitler to think of him again very reluctantly. Because something is going to happen on the Western Front. On 15 March 1942, Lundstedt was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Western Front, as well as Commander-in-Chief of Army Group D.
(Rommel and Rondestedt are on the Western Front, and at a glance they know who is leading)
We know that at this time, Marshal Rommel, who had lost north Africa, also came to the Western Front as commander-in-chief of Army Group B, responsible for building the Atlantic Barrier. One is the commander-in-chief of Army Group B and the other is the commander-in-chief of Army Group D, and it is difficult to say who is bigger. However, Rondstedt was commander-in-chief of the entire Western Front, so he was still Rommel's superior.
The two generals had a dispute over the defense of the Western Front. Rommel judged that the Allies would land from Normandy, but Rondstedt stubbornly believed that the Normandy landing was an illusion and that it was possible for the Allies to land in the Calais Strait. Because of the different views, Lundstedt had many constraints on Rommel's military movements, which led to the later passive situation of the German army after the Allied landings on Normandy, which was the biggest failure of his life. As a result, he was deposed by Hitler for the third time.
In 1943, the assassination of Colonel Stauffenberg against Hitler broke out. Fortunately, Hitler was only slightly injured, and he ordered the interrogation of Stauffenberg and the people involved, including the famous general Rommel. Who will judge? Lundstedt. Hitler used him for the third time, appointing him chairman of the Honorary Military Tribunal of the Wehrmacht and commander-in-chief of the Western Front. Rundstedt, following Hitler's wishes, sentenced all the people he killed to death, and Hitler was satisfied.
On 10 March 1945, with the loss of the Rhine Line, Hitler dismissed Rondstedt for the fourth time. This year, Rundstedt was exactly 70 years old. A generation of veterans can finally be disarmed and returned to the field. After Germany's defeat, Rondstedt was sentenced. He was released in 1949. In 1953, Lundstedt died of a heart attack. He died on December 31, 2012 at the age of 7