Field Marshal Manstein: Hitler's Willing Tool

Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, a key figure in the German Wehrmacht during World War II, received an unexpected congratulatory telegram from West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer on his 75th birthday in 1962. Adenauer thanked Manstein for his "good advice" in building the Bundeswehr, West Germany's new army.

This act of recognition from the Chancellor was remarkable considering Manstein's past. In 1949, a British military court in Hamburg had sentenced him to 18 years in prison for war crimes committed during World War II. His alleged offenses included deportations, mistreatment, and forced labor. Crucially, he was accused of inciting his troops to murder Jews during the Wehrmacht's brutal Eastern Front campaign, particularly while commanding in Crimea.

Manstein's prison sentence was cut short, and he was released in 1953 due to good conduct and a vision impairment. Following his release, he actively worked to shape his historical narrative. In his 1955 memoirs, "Lost Victories," Manstein claimed credit for the Wehrmacht's swift victory over Allied forces in France in 1940, attributing the success to his bold strategy through the Ardennes. Conversely, he placed the blame for Germany's ultimate defeat squarely on Adolf Hitler.

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for the good advice with which you have contributed to the establishment of the Bundeswehr