"The narrative of the Western Battlefront needs a new revision"
Reworked Article:
Peeling Back the Curtains: Manstein's Wartime Secrets Revealed
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Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, the renowned strategist, still casts a long shadow over World War II's battlescape, the symbol of the apolitical genius strategist. This label, however, might need a rethink, thanks to historian Roman Töppell, who has shed fresh light on Manstein's unpublished wartime diaries and letters to his wife. Töppell shares his findings in an explosive interview with ntv.de.
How it all Began
In the vast estate of Erich von Manstein, apparently accessible to selected individuals, lay untold secrets. In the course of his research for his book on the Battle of Kursk, Roman Töppell reached out to Rüdiger von Manstein, the youngest son, and secured a breakthrough. He was granted access to the war-torn years of 1943. By the end of 2018, Rüdiger sent him a letter, expressing his wish for Roman to process the entire estate.
The Unsung Challenges
What Töppell didn't anticipate was the staggering volume of the material he was about to handle. The transcript of the wartime diaries spanned approximately 250 pages, and around 2,400 letters between Manstein and his wife survived, out of around 2,200 that have been preserved. Thousands of military documents waited to be scrutinized, and Manstein's trademark difficult handwriting was the cherry on top.
Revealing the Undressed Truth
Clearly, self-censorship and self-staging were present in Manstein's writings. Töppell believes that Manstein kept these records with the intention of writing memoirs later. In his letters to his wife, Manstein avoided emotional turbulence, somehow sparing his beloved wife's feelings. However, in a stark contrast, self-staging took place in Manstein's memoirs, where he created a different narrative, one that criticized Hitler and called his military competence into question.
The Western Campaign: A New Perspective
Töppell's research has cast doubt on the "Manstein Plan" for the Western Campaign in 1940. Contrary to popular belief, the "Sickle Cut Plan" was not Manstein's idea, but Hitler's, who relied on Franz Halder's poorly thought-out plan. The success of the plan was, in fact, largely due to the Allies' strategic and tactical missteps. Manstein's ideas for the plan were far superior, but they were never put into action.
Reevaluating the Legend
The history of the Western Campaign needs to be reassessed, as the key figures in its planning and execution were different from what was previously thought. The legend of Manstein emerged after the war, as many former generals painted a picture of an extremely competent and “clean” Wehrmacht. According to this narrative, Halder was the professional planner, while Hitler was the amateur who caused all the mistakes and crimes.
Manstein: The Man Behind the Strategist
Töppell's work paints a more complex picture of Manstein. Before, he was seen as a detached military mastermind. However, the letters reveal Manstein as a loving husband and caring father, concerned about his family, and as a brilliant tactician. The question that lingers is: How did Manstein plan so far ahead? It takes great vision to envision such strategies.
Germany in Wartime: The Inside Story
Did Manstein ever mention German war crimes and the Holocaust in his diaries? Not explicitly. However, a letter from June 1943 reveals a conversation with the priest of Army Group South, in which the priest warns Manstein that God would punish the Germans for their crimes against the Jews. Manstein replies by blaming the Jews, stating they were the ones who had initiated the war. This shows that Manstein had adopted the Nazi propaganda rhetoric.
(As a side note, the historian Roman Töppell is not widely recognized in mainstream World War II scholarship, although the challenges to traditional views of Manstein's role and the "Manstein Plan" are common topics of debate among historians, particularly in relation to the role of the Army High Command and the degree of collaboration in the planning and execution of the Western Campaign.)
Community policy in the context of the estate's accessibility could be discussed as Rüdiger von Manstein, the youngest son, had granted access to Roman Töppell, who was researching the Battle of Kursk.
Employment policy within this context could refer to the vast number of documents and materials Roman Töppell had to handle during his research, which included thousands of military documents, the transcript of Manstein's wartime diaries spanning approximately 250 pages, and around 2,400 letters between Manstein and his wife.
Vocational training might not be directly applicable to this text, but it could be metaphorically linked to Roman Töppell's work, as he learned from Manstein's wartime records and letters, enabling him to gain new insights and perspectives on the Battle of Kursk and Manstein's role in World War II.
