In 1945 I interviewed many German generals, and they all agreed that Field Marshal Manstein had proved to be the most capable commander in their army, and they all wanted him to be the commander-in-chief of the army.It is evident that he possessed a superhuman sensitivity to the possibilities of combat, as well as his command of combat command, and a greater understanding of the potential of mechanized forces than any other commander from a non-armored branch. .In short, he possesses military genius. In the early stages of the war he exercised a great influence behind the scenes as a staff officer.Later he became an outstanding commander.And from 1941 to 1944, in the great duel on the Eastern Front, it was responsible for an important task.His detailed account, sharp criticism, and very meaningful revelations of these battles combine to make this book one of the most important and honorable contributions to the history of World War II.

It is a characteristic of Manstein's life and career that, at least outside Germany, his best-known deeds occurred when he was still a relatively low-ranking general, and he did not actually participate.Because the main reason for his fame is his influence on the design (or transformation) of the German offensive plan in 1940.The project finally broke through the Western Front and brought the fall of France, with all its far-reaching consequences.The new plan, which became known as the Manstein Plan, consisted in a decisive breakthrough through the forested Ardennes along the least expected line of operations.This should be attributed to Manstein, for he was not only the author of the new plan, but also because of his efforts, the new plan replaced the old one, which favored a more direct attack through Belgium. That is likely to be blocked.

At that time, Manstein was the chief of staff of Army Group Rundest, and when his arguments for changing the plan irritated his commanders, he was pushed out of the headquarters, and he went up and down. Be a commander of a reserve (infantry) corps.Then, after listening to Manstein's opinion, Hitler finally exerted pressure and passed the new plan.This book provides much new information on these debates, and on the evolution of the project. During the crucial opening phase of the offensive, which cut off the Allied left flank and besieged it on the Channel coast, Manstein's corps was merely a follow-up force.But in the second and final stage it has a more important task.Under his active leadership, his infantry raced the panzers on foot, racing south across the Somme and Seine to the Loire.

After the collapse of France, Hitler hoped that the British would sue for peace, but when he was disappointed, he slowly and listlessly began preparations for an invasion across the Channel.Manstein was ordered to lead his corps to participate in the first landing operations, so he moved to the Boulogne|Calais region.His book has excellent comments on this issue, on the choice of strategic route, and on Hitler's motives for turning to Russia. During the invasion of Russia in 1941, Manstein fulfilled his long-cherished wish and was transferred to the commander of the 56th Panzer Army.In the opening phase of the campaign he led the corps on the swiftest and deepest assault, advancing some two hundred miles in four days from East Prussia to Dvina.Later, he was transferred to the south and promoted to the commander of the Eleventh Army. He broke through the fortified Perekop Isthmus and broke into the Crimea Peninsula.In the summer of 1942, he took the main center of Crimea, the main Soviet Russian naval base on the Black Sea, the famous fortress of Sevastopol, and further proved that he was proficient in sieges. technology of war.

So he was transferred to the north to prepare to command the attack on Leningrad.However, because the main German offensive in 1942 had failed and Paulus's Sixth Army was also trapped in Stalingrad, he was recalled urgently to take on the task of rescuing the Sixth Army.The effort ultimately failed because Hitler forbade any retreat and refused to agree with Manstein to allow Paulus to break out west to join reinforcements.The long chapter on the tragedy of Stalingrad in this book is full of important revelations, especially because in the previous chapter, there is a very thorough analysis of Hitler as the Supreme Commander, so it is even more instructive.

After the surrender of Paulus, there was a widespread collapse of the German southern front under the pressure of the Russian advance.But Manstein saved the situation. He made a brilliant flank counterattack, recaptured Kharkov, and sent the Russians back in a panic.This time the counterattack became the most brilliant combat performance in Manstein's career, and it is also considered a first-rate masterpiece in all military history.As long as the study of military science survives, his detailed account of this operation will always be worth studying for its instructive value. Then in July 1943, the German army launched its last major offensive on the Kursk Prominence on the Eastern Front, which was the so-called Operation Acropolis.Manstein's Army Group South formed his right pincer.It achieved a considerable degree of success, but because the Army Group Center that formed the left pincer failed to complete the task, it turned out to be in vain.Moreover, at the critical juncture, as a result of the Allied landing in Sicily, Hitler sent several divisions to Italy.Having stopped the German advance, the Russians are now launching their larger offensive along a wider front, and their strength is increasing day by day.

From then on, the German army was strategically forced to take the defensive.Therefore, Manstein was repeatedly ordered to reverse the crisis. This is the most difficult task in the general's way. Facing the far superior enemy, he fought and retreated. He showed great skills, always hitting the crowd with less, and repeatedly prevented the conflict of the Russian army, which greatly delayed the westward advance of the Russian army.His concept of strategic defense places special emphasis on offensive operations used to achieve defensive missions.He is always looking for an opportunity to fight back, and as long as there is such an opportunity, he will never let it go.But when he advocated retreating farther (that is, a strategic retreat) so as to be more resilient when launching a counterattack against an overstretched enemy, Hitler always refused to listen.

Hitler's reluctance to authorize any retreats jeopardized every chance of stabilizing the front and repeatedly clashed with Manstein's vision of strategy.Unlike most of his colleagues, Manstein still maintained the old Prussian tradition of telling the truth. No matter in private conversations or meetings, he dared to criticize Hitler strongly. of.Although Hitler was impatient, he endured for such a long time, which is enough to prove that he admired Manstein's ability very much.This is exactly in contrast to Hitler's attitude towards most generals and the entire General Staff.But the cumulative effect eventually became unbearable for Hitler one day, especially when, in hindsight, it always proved that Manstein's warning was unfortunately right again.So in March 1944, Hitler finally reached the limit of his patience and put Manstein on the shelf, but his attitude was still very polite, which can be said to be very rare for Hitler.

Thus ended the lifetime career of the Allies' most formidable military opponent.This is a man who can combine the modern concept of mobility with the classic sense of movement, and is also proficient in technology and has great driving force. Lied Hart