Lost Victories The War Memoirs of Hilter's Most Brilliant General

by Manstein, Erich

• ISBN13: 9780760320549
• ISBN10: 0760320543
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-22
• Publisher: Zenith Press

Summary

Originally published in Germany in 1955, and in England and the United States in 1958, this classic memoir of WWII by a man who was an acknowledged military genius and probably Germany's top WWII general, is now made available again. Field Marshal Erich von Manstein described his book as a personal narrative of a soldier, discussing only those matters that had direct bearing on events in the military field. The essential thing, as he wrote, is to "know how the main personalities thought and reacted to events." This is what he tells us in this book.His account is detailed, yet dispassionate and objective. "Nothing is certain in war, when all is said and done," But in Manstein's record, at least, we can see clearly what forces were in action. In retrospect, perhaps his book takes on an even greater significance.

Author Biography

Erich von Manstein was born in Berlin in 1887. He was the chief of staff of Rundstedt's army group for the September 1939 invasion of Poland and commanded an infantry corps during the May 1940 invasion of France. He commanded a panzer corps at the beginning of the June 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, becoming a field marshal in 1942 and rising to command Army Group South. In March of 1944 he was relieved by Hitler and served out the rest of the war in retirement.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION by Martin Blumenson	9	(4)
FOREWORD by Captain B.H. Liddell Hart	13	(4)
AUTHOR'S PREFACE	17	(4)
Part I. The Campaign in Poland
1. BEFORE THE STORM	21	(13)
2. THE STRATEGIC POSITION	34	(13)
3. THE OPERATIONS OF SOUTHERN ARMY GROUP	47	(20)
Part II. The Campaign in the West
INTRODUCTORY NOTE	67	(108)
4. THE ECLIPSE OF O.K.H.	71	(23)
5. THE OPERATION PLAN CONTROVERSY	94	(33)
6. COMMANDING GENERAL, 38 ARMY CORPS	127	(21)
7. BETWEEN TWO CAMPAIGNS	148	(27)
Part III. War in the East
8. PANZER DRIVE	175	(29)
9. THE CRIMEAN CAMPAIGN	204	(56)
10. LENINGRAD - VITEBSK	260	(13)
11. HITLER AS SUPREME COMMANDER	273	(16)
12. THE TRAGEDY OF STALINGRAD	289	(78)
13. THE 1942-3 WINTER CAMPAIGN IN SOUTH RUSSIA	367	(76)
14. OPERATION 'CITADEL'	443	(7)
15. THE DEFENSIVE BATTLES OF 1943-4	450	(101)
APPENDIX I	551	(4)
APPENDIX II	555	(5)
APPENDIX III	560	(2)
APPENDIX IV	562	(2)
MILITARY CAREER	564	(2)
GLOSSARY OF MILITARY TERMS	566	(1)
INDEX	567