Best General Of WW2

Rommel was defeated in North Africa by his inability to understand the importance of logistics.

The best general?  For strategy, probably Von Manstein.  Tactically, Heinz Guderian or Herman Balck.

 

Rommel only lost because Hitler refused to give him the amount of troops he needed. Hitler sent them away to Russia as that battle was more important to him. Rommel still did really well for sum1 with a very limited amount of tanks and troops.......

Originally posted by Paul He was a Prussian aristocrat, none were big Nazi's. However he was a devout admirer of Hitler's. He worked closely with Hitler during the early years of the war, was seen beside him and sucked up to him more than any other German general, he accompanied Hitler to Sudetenland in October 1938 and then into Prague in March 1939. He also didn't start doubting victory till 1942. Not so angelic?

he was not of Prussian aristocracy, von Manstein was but not him. he also did not liked Hitler as said, but he didn't wanted to join resisstance when offered, but on the bombing plot of 20th july 1944 he would have opened the front for the allies to enter paris without resisstance, however he has been replaced shortly before. he was therefore neither pro nor anti hitler, he was just a guy takign opportunities....

As others have already said - I vote for Erich von Manstein.  I mean, how can you go for anyone else?  I am a big historian, and fan, of von Manstein, and if any of you wish to familiarize yourself more with him be sure to read his memoirs, Lost Victories - you can purchase it on Amazon.

In any case, should I summarize his accomplisments?

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During the Polish Campaign his Panzers rolled into Warsaw, where he found out that tanks and street battles don't go together.  However, his genius truly flared when the remainders of the Polish Army which ad been overrung in the West had moved east to threaten the German Werhmacht from the rear.  Erich von Manstein quickly disengaged from the Warsaw suburbs and, along with other German units, quickly and effectively sorrounded this Polish Army and finished it off - which turned out to be the gravest debacle for Poland in the campaign.

His next largest achievement was the creation of Fall Gelb.  Many people aren't aware that the invasion plan for France was written by von Manstein. 

During his operations towards Leningrad his 56th Motorized Corps was able to sorround and destroy the 2nd Shock Army (which would be destroyed again near Mosnoi Bor).  He was then transferred to the Moscow Front, where he did relatively nothing, and then transferred back to Leningrad, where again he did not have the time to do anything, and finally he was given a command in the Crimea.  In early 1942 he captured Sevastapol (in which he suffered heavy casualties), and then he did relatively little until he was given command of Army Group Don in late 1942.  In what I consider his next work of genius he opened up on the Soviets and launched Operation Winter Tempest - he reached within 30 kilometers of the Stalingrad kessel, however, due to a lack of cooperation from von Paulus, who refused to break out, he was forced to cancel the operation and recall his men.  In Febuary 1943 Stalingrad surrendered creating quite the situation as the Soviet armies turned to fight Manstein's Army Group South.  However, in March 1943 he preformed his greatest deed and captured Kharkov using the 2nd SS Panzer Korp, and thereafter he led the attack into the Kursk salient, beginning July 6th, 1943, and reached the farthest.  After the Kursk defeat - in which he was a proponent of continuing the operation - he fought a genius defense in the Ukraine, until early 1944, when Hitler sacked him - and consequently Hitler lost the war for himself..although Hitler lost the war forhimself in 1933, when he became chancellor of Germany.

In this short, and very vague, history of Manstein I conclude, that I believe Manstein was the greatest general during the Second World War.  No other general can compare to him.