The WW2 German Generals were not only leading the offensive actions on every front of the European Theater but also in North Africa. They were characterized for their innovative tactics (Blitzkrieg), brilliant military plans, and the traditional Prussian discipline. But if you want to know who were the best German Generals of World War II, I can say that Erich von Manstein, Franz Halder, Heinz Guderian, Erwin Rommel, and Ewald von Kleist were the best, with the first one standing out from the rest as the most brilliant military campaign strategist of this armed conflict.
Supreme Commanders of the Wehrmacht
Adolf Hitler, Werner von Blomberg (commander-in-chief of the German armed forces and minister of defense), Karl Dönitz (the third in command).
Walther von Brauchitsch- commander-in-chief of the German Army.
Hermann Göring/Rober Ritter von Greim- first and second supreme commander of the Luftwaffe (German air force) respectively.
Karl Dönitz- commander-in-chief of the Kriegsmarine (German Navy).
Franz Halder- chief of the General Staff of the German Army High Command (OKH).
German Commanders in the Invasion of Poland (1939)
Franz Halder- the General who planned Fall Weiss, which was the German Invasion of Poland.
Fedor von Bock- commander of Army Group North, which had the assignment of advancing across the Polish Corridor, seizing the northern portion of the Polish territory. Georg von Klücher was commander of the 3rd Army, while Günther von Kluge led the 4th Army. These were the two armies that made up Army Group North.
Gerd von Rundstedt- commander of Army Group South, which had been assigned the task of sweeping across the southern half of Poland and then swinging up north to meet Army Group North spearhead units in a pincers movement. Johannes Blaskowitz was the commander of the 8th Army; Walther von Reichenau led the 10th Army, while Wilhelm List commanded the 14th Army.
German Commanders in the Invasion of France (1940)
Erich von Manstein- the General who planned this military campaign, especially Fall Gelb.
Gerd von Rundstedt- He commanded Army Group A, which attacked France through the Ardennes (Fall Gelb). Günther von Kluge headed the 4th Army; Wilhelm List commanded the 12th Army; Ernst Busch, the 16th Army; while Ewald von Kleist led Panzer Group Kleist (it is noteworthy to mention that Erwin Rommel led the 7th Panzer Division).
Fedor von Bock- He was the commander of Army Group B, which swept across Holland and Belgium, attacking France from the north. Walther von Reichenau was in charge of 6th Army, while Georg von Küchler led the 18th Army.
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb- He was the commander of Army Group C, which attacked through the Maginot Line. Erwin von Witzleben led the 1st Army, while Friedrich Dollmann commanded the 7th Army.
German Commanders in Operation Barbarossa (1941)
Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb- He commanded Army Group North, whose objective was to take Leningrad. Ernst Busch led the 16th Army; Erich Hoepner, the 4th Panzer Group; Georg von Küchler, the 18th Army.
Fedor von Bock- He was in charge of Army Group Center, whose final target was Moscow. Günther von Kluge, the 4th Army; Adolf Strauss, the 9th Army; Heinz Guderian, the 2nd Panzer Group; Hermann Hoth, the 3rd Panzer Group.
Gerd von Rundsted- He led Army Group South, which marched in the direction of Kharkov, Ukraine. Carl Heinrich von Stülpnagel commanded the 17th Army; Eugen Ritter von Schobert, the 11th Army; Walther von Reichenau, the 6th Army; and Ewald von Kleist, the 1st Panzer Group.
North Africa (1941-1943)
Erwin Rommel- He commanded the Afrika Korps, which supported the Italian forces fighting against the British 8th Army. He was succeeded by Ludwig Crüwell and Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma.
Case Blue Operation (1942)
Wilhelm List- He was the commander of Army Group A, which struck southward to carry out the Caucasus Campaign. Ewald von Kleist led the 1st Panzer Army; Erwin Jaenecke, the 17th Army, while Alexander Löhr commanded the 11th Army, which would stay behind to take part in the siege of Sevastopol, conducted by Erich von Manstein.
Maximilian von Weichs- He commanded Army Group B, which advanced straight towards the Volga. Meanwhile, Friedrich von Paulus led the 6th Army, which had to take Stalingrad; Hermann Hoth was in charge of the 4th Panzer Army; Maximilian von Weichs and Hans von Salmuth were commanders of the 2nd Army, with the latter succeeding the former in late July 1942..
Italian Theater of Operation
Albert Kesselring- He was the commander-in-chief of Army Group C. Meanwhile, Heinrich von Vietinghoff led the 10th Army; Joachim Lemelsen, the 14th Army; Alfred Schlemm, commander of the I Parachute Corps. When Albert Kesselring was involved in a car crash, he was succeeded by Vietinghoff.
Normandy Campaign (1944)
Gerd von Rundstedt- He was the High Commander West (Oberbefehlshaber-West) from 1943 to 1944, while Erwin Rommel led Army Group B. Rommel would eventually be succeeded by Günther von Kluge in late July, and this by Walther Model in August 1944, until the end of the war.
In the photo below, Erich von Manstein (right), one of the best General of World War II.
