Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt: A Controversial yet Respected Military Leader

Few men managed to confront Adolf Hitler and retain their composure, yet Gerd von Rundstedt, Hitler’s eldest field marshal, was one of them. Born in 1875 into a Prussian aristocratic family, von Rundstedt began his military career in 1892 and rose steadily through the ranks, ultimately achieving the position of Colonel General before retiring in 1938. His reputation for skill and competence, however, meant that when World War II broke out, Hitler recalled him to lead major army groups during key campaigns.

Von Rundstedt was initially called to command Army Group South during the invasion of Poland in 1939 and later led forces in France in 1940. During the Battle of France, it was von Rundstedt who recommended that Hitler halt the German advance at Dunkirk, a decision that allowed the safe evacuation of much of the British Expeditionary Force and tens of thousands of French Allied troops to England. His military acumen earned him promotion to Field Marshal in 1940, and he subsequently led Army Group South during the invasion of the Soviet Union. However, he fell out of favor with Hitler in December 1941 after withdrawing from Rostov against the Führer’s direct orders. Despite this, his expertise was too valuable to ignore, and Hitler reinstated him in 1942 as commander-in-chief in the West.

Von Rundstedt oversaw German defenses during the Normandy campaign, where German forces, including the Waffen-SS, mounted a determined and skilled defense to slow the Allied advance. Nevertheless, Hitler’s interference proved disastrous, and von Rundstedt was dismissed again in July 1944 following the Allied breakout. Famously, when Wilhelm Keitel, Hitler’s chief of staff, sought guidance on how to handle Hitler’s unrealistic orders, von Rundstedt bluntly replied, “End the war, you idiots.” This remark, unsurprisingly, led to his dismissal, though he was still awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight’s Cross.

Despite repeated requests from German officers involved in resistance efforts against Hitler, von Rundstedt consistently refused to participate in any plots. He also chose not to report them, balancing his personal disdain for Hitler with a strict adherence to military hierarchy. Following these events, von Rundstedt returned to command in September 1944, overseeing several operations along Germany’s western front, including the ill-fated Ardennes Offensive, which he considered overly ambitious and wasteful—a judgment later proven accurate.

As the Allies advanced into Germany, von Rundstedt moved frequently to evade capture, ultimately deciding to remain at a sanatorium due to his age, heart condition, and arthritis. He was captured by the U.S. 36th Infantry Division on May 1, 1945, in full uniform. Initially held at Camp Ashcan in Luxembourg, a facility for high-ranking German officers, von Rundstedt was later transferred to Wiesbaden for interrogation regarding potential war crimes. While the International Military Tribunal collectively indicted the German high command, von Rundstedt was not tried independently, unlike Field Marshals Wilhelm Keitel and Alfred Jodl, who were convicted and executed.

Von Rundstedt remained a valuable source of information for the Allies, providing detailed accounts of military campaigns and the internal workings of Hitler’s regime. Transferred to British custody, he was held in Lancashire and then South Wales, where the damp climate aggravated his arthritis. He also volunteered as a defense witness at the Nuremberg trials in 1946, asserting that the German high command bore no responsibility for the invasions of Poland, Norway, France, or the Soviet Union, nor for the atrocities committed by the SS behind the front lines.

Following these appearances, von Rundstedt returned to South Wales, where British authorities ultimately decided not to prosecute him, despite initial American efforts to press charges. His son Hans’s death from throat cancer added to his personal hardships during this period. Although initially classified as a class-one war criminal under denazification laws, which denied him a pension, von Rundstedt eventually received a German Army pension in 1951. He spent his final years giving interviews to historians and was portrayed sympathetically in the 1951 film The Desert Fox, centered on Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Von Rundstedt passed away on February 24, 1953, from heart failure at the age of 77. He was buried at the cemetery in Sterkrade. His military legacy remains complex and controversial. He is often regarded as a highly professional and honorable officer, loyal to the German state under the Kaiser, the Weimar Republic, and Hitler, yet his refusal to actively resist the Nazi regime and his denial of German complicity in war crimes continue to divide historians.

Gerd von Rundstedt’s life exemplifies the difficult moral and professional choices faced by senior military leaders during one of history’s darkest periods. His career demonstrates both the skill of a seasoned commander and the challenges of navigating loyalty, conscience, and survival under a totalitarian regime.