Rundstedt, Gerd von

Rundstedt, Gerd von

▪ German field marshal
in full  Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt  
born December 12, 1875, Aschersleben, near Magdeburg, Germany
died February 24, 1953, Hannover, West Germany
 German field marshal who was one of Adolf Hitler (Hitler, Adolf)'s ablest leaders during World War II. He held commands on both the Eastern and Western fronts, played a major role in defeating France in 1940, and led much of the opposition to the Allied offensive in the West in 1944–45.

      An officer in the army from 1893, Rundstedt rose during World War I to become chief of staff of an army corps and assisted in the reorganization of the Turkish general staff. He remained in the army after the war and was active in Germany's secret rearmament both before and after Hitler came to power. He retired in 1938 as senior field commander but returned to active duty to command an army group in the Polish campaign at the outbreak of World War II. Later, on the Western Front, he took part in the implementation of the plan that defeated France in 1940; as head of Army Group B, he led the breakthrough that sealed France's fate. He was, however, partly to blame for the order to halt the German armour, allowing the British to escape from Dunkirk. During the invasion of the Soviet Union, beginning in June 1941, he commanded the German southern wing, which overran almost all of Ukraine before winter. When a Soviet counteroffensive forced a retreat, Hitler dismissed the aged field marshal.

      Returning to duty in July 1942, Rundstedt became commander in chief in western Europe and fortified France against an expected Allied invasion. Unable to defeat the Anglo-American invasion forces in 1944, he was replaced in July but returned in September to direct the Ardennes offensive (Battle of the Bulge (Bulge, Battle of the)) that disrupted the military timetable of the western Allies for several months. Relieved for the third time in March 1945, he was captured by U.S. troops in May but was released because of ill health.

      Though the scion of an aristocratic Prussian family and highly disdainful of Hitler and Nazism, he refused to participate in the plots against the Führer in which many of his fellow officers were involved, and he was repelled by the attempt on Hitler's life in July 1944 (see July Plot). Even Rundstedt's opponents recognized his considerable military talents, which were displayed in a career that spanned half a century. General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Eisenhower, Dwight D.) called him the ablest of the German generals of World War II.

Additional Reading
Rundstedt's life and career are covered in Günther Blumentritt, Von Rundstedt, the Soldier and the Man, trans. from German (1952), written by his chief of staff; Earl F. Ziemke, “Rundstedt,” in Correlli Barnett (ed.), Hitler's Generals (1989), pp. 175–207; and Charles Messenger, The Last Prussian (1989).

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • RUNDSTEDT (G. von) — RUNDSTEDT GERD VON (1875 1953) maréchal allemand Membre du grand état major pendant la Première Guerre mondiale, Gerd von Rundstedt organise ensuite auprès du général von Seeckt la nouvelle armée allemande, la Reichswehr. Commandant de la région… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Gerd von Rundstedt — Naissance 12 décembre 1875 …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gerd Von Rundstedt — Naissance 12 décembre 1875 Aschersleben, Allemagne Décès …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gerd von rundstedt — Naissance 12 décembre 1875 Aschersleben, Allemagne Décès …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Gerd von Rundstedt — Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt Gerd von Rundstedt Generalfeldmarschall …   Wikipedia Español

  • Gerd von Rundstedt — Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt bei der Begehung seines 50 jährigen Militär Dienstjubiläums im Jahr 1942. Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (* 12. Dezember 1875 in Aschersleben; † 24. Februar 1953 in Hannover) war ein deutscher …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Gerd von Rundstedt — Infobox Military Person name=Gerd von Rundstedt born=birth date|1875|12|12|df=y died=death date and age|1953|2|24|1875|12|12|df=y caption= Gerd von Rundstedt placeofbirth=Aschersleben, German Empire placeofdeath=Hanover nickname=… …   Wikipedia

  • Gerd von Rundstedt — Mariscal de campo Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (Anschersleben, 12 de diciembre de 1875 Hannover, 24 de febrero de 1953). Conocido por ser uno de los mejores generales de la Wehrmacht durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y por tener un punto de… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rundstedt,Karl Rudolf Gerd von — Rund·stedt (ro͝onʹstĕt , ro͝ontʹshtĕt ), Karl Rudolf Gerd von. 1875 1953. German general who took part in the invasions of Poland, France, and Russia during World War II and was commander in chief of the western front (1942 1945). * * * …   Universalium

  • Rundstedt, Field Marshal Gerd von — 1875–1953    Rundstedt had retired from the German Army after the FRITSCHBLOMBERG crisis but returned to command Army Group A which invaded Poland in September 1939. In May 1940 he held the same command for the invasion of France and it was his… …   Who’s Who in World War Two

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”