Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt
Gerd von Rundstedt commanded German army groups in Poland, France and the Soviet Union, and was dismissed and recalled by Hitler four times. Born in 1875 into an old Prussian military family, he was commissioned in 1892, served as a staff officer in the First World War, and retired in 1938 as a colonel-general after the Blomberg-Fritsch affair. He was recalled in 1939 and commanded Army Group South in Poland. In 1940 he commanded Army Group A, which executed the Manstein plan through the Ardennes — the decisive operation of the campaign. He also issued the halt order outside Dunkirk on 24 May, which Hitler confirmed and which allowed the evacuation of some 338,000 men; the responsibility has been argued over ever since, and Rundstedt's own account shifted. He commanded Army Group South in the invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, took Kiev, and was dismissed in December for withdrawing from Rostov against orders. He was recalled in 1942 as commander-in-chief in the west, where he built the Atlantic Wall and disagreed with Rommel about whether the armoured reserve should be held back or placed on the beaches. After the Normandy landings he told Keitel by telephone to make peace, and was dismissed again in July 1944. He returned in September, presided nominally over the Ardennes offensive, and was dismissed for the last time in March 1945. He sat on the court of honour after the July plot. He was captured, held for trial, and released in 1949 on grounds of health. He died in 1953.
- Lived: 1875 CE – 1953 CE
- Nationality: German
- Roles: field_marshal
