Nickname: The Last Prussian
Date of birth: 12.12.1875 - Aschersleben, Sachsen (German Empire)
Date of death: 24.02.1953 - Hanover, Niedersachsen (West Germany)
Buried: Stöckener Cemetery
Religion: Evangelical
Parents: Gerd Konrad von Rundstedt (Father) and Adelheid Elise Doraline von Zesterfleth (Mother)
Siblings: He had two brothers and three sisters
Spouse: Louise "Bila" von Götz (married in 1902)
Children: Hans-Gerd von Rundstedt (Son)
Promotions:
17.06.1893 Sekonde-Leutnant
01.01.1899 Leutnant
12.09.1902 Oberleutnant
24.03.1907 Hauptmann
28.11.1914 Major
01.10.1920 Oberstleutnant
01.02.1923 Oberst
01.11.1927 Generalmajor
01.03.1929 Generalleutnant
01.10.1932 General der Infanterie
15.03.1938 Generaloberst (with effect 01.03.1938)
19.07.1940 Generalfeldmarschall
Career:
22 March 1892: Entered the Army as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet) in the 83rd Infantry Regiment (Kassel).
17 June 1893: Promoted to Leutnant (Lieutenant).
16 June 1902: Promoted to Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant).
October 1906 – July 1909: Attended the War Academy (Kriegsakademie) in Berlin.
24 March 1909: Promoted to Hauptmann (Captain).
1909 – 1912: Assigned to the Great General Staff (Großer Generalstab) in Berlin.
1 October 1912: Transferred to the staff of the 171st Infantry Brigade (Magdeburg).
2 August 1914: At the outbreak of WWI, served as a General Staff Officer with the XXII Reserve Army Corps.
28 November 1914: Promoted to Major (Major).
10 May 1915: Transferred to the General Staff of the 8th Army.
30 September 1915: Appointed Chief of Staff of the XXXVIII Reserve Army Corps.
19 September 1916: Appointed Chief of Staff of the 7th Army.
1919: Member of the Peace Commission for the return of the Army.
1 October 1919: Joined the Reichswehr Ministry and served on the staff of Gruppenkommando 1.
23 October 1921: Promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).
1 November 1923: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Battalion of the 18th Infantry Regiment.
1 February 1925: Promoted to Oberst (Colonel).
1 November 1926: Appointed Chief of Staff of Wehrkreiskommando II (Stettin).
1 October 1927: Appointed Chief of Staff of Gruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 February 1929: Promoted to Generalmajor (Brigadier General).
1 October 1929: Appointed Commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division (Breslau).
1 February 1932: Promoted to Generalleutnant (Major General).
1 October 1932: Appointed Commander of Wehrkreiskommando III and the 3rd Infantry Division (Berlin).
1 February 1934: Promoted to General der Infanterie (General of Infantry).
1 June 1935: Appointed Commander-in-Chief of Heeresgruppenkommando 1 (Berlin).
1 March 1938: Promoted to Generaloberst (Colonel General).
31 October 1938: Retired from active service (in den Ruhestand versetzt).
01.11.1938 Appointed to Chef des IR 18 (collar-patches as Oberst, the figure “18“ on his shoulder boards)
18.08.1939 Leiter “Arbeitsstab Rundstedt“
24.08.1939 Oberbefehlshaber 12. Armee
02.09.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd (08.10. - 20.10.1939 also Oberbefehlshaber Ost)
26.10.1939 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe A (since 10.10.1940 also Oberbefehlshaber West)
10.06.1941 - 01.12.1941 Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd
15.03.1942 - 02.07.1944 Oberbefehlshaber West
05.09.1944 - 09.03.1945 Oberbefehlshaber West
Awards and Decorations:
Königlich Preussisches Kronen-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz II.Klasse des Sachsen-Weimarischer Hausorden der Wachsamkeit oder vom weissen Falken
Königlich Preussisches Roter Adler-Orden IV.Klasse
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des Sachsen-Ernestinischer Hausorden
Waldecksches Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse
Schwarzburgisches Ehrenkreuz III.Klasse
Kaiser-Wilhelm-Erinnerungs-Medaille 1797-1897 (Centenarmedaille)
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstorden IV.Klasse mit Schwertern
Ritterkreuz I.Klasse des königlich Sächsischer Albrechts-Orden mit Schwertern
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz I.Klasse
Lippisches Kriegsverdienstkreuz
Königlich Bayerische Militär-Verdienstkreuz IV.Klasse mit der Krone und Schwertern
Kaiserlich und königlich österreichische Militär-Verdienstkreuz III.Klasse mit der Kriegsdekoration
1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse
1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse
Ritterkreuz des königlich Preussisches Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz II.Klasse (16.09.1939)
1939 spange zum 1914 Eisernes Kreuz I.Klasse (21.09.1939)
Turkish Harp Madalyası (Türkischer Eiserner Halbmond)
Preussische Dienstauszeichnungskreuz
Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (1934)
Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Eichenlaub zur Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung I Klasse
Magyar Érdemrend Nagykeresztje (Grosskreuz des königlich Ungarische Verdienstorden) (11.08.1937)
Ordine della Corona d'Italia - Cavaliere della Croce Grande (Italienische Orden der Krone) (07.06.1938)
Königlich Jugoslawische Heisen-Orden II Klasse (06.07.1938)
Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes #1 (30.09.1939) as Generaloberst and Oberbefehlshaber Heeresgruppe Süd. The campaign was a baptism of fire for the German Wehrmacht, and von Rundstedt was the conductor of a complex symphony of armored and infantry movements. Under his command, Army Group South, comprising the 8th, 10th, and 14th Armies, launched a devastating offensive from Silesia and Slovakia aimed at destroying the Polish forces west of the Vistula River. The most vivid action occurred during the Battle of the Bzura, the largest single engagement of the campaign. Polish forces launched a fierce counter-attack against the German 8th Army, threatening to unhinge the German advance. Von Rundstedt remained calm amidst the crisis, directing the strategic response with cold precision. He ordered the 4th Panzer Division and the 1st Mountain Division to wheel around and entrap the Polish attackers. The battle turned into a slaughter as the German Luftwaffe dominated the skies, strafing the trapped Polish troops in the open fields. The encirclement was sealed, resulting in the destruction of three Polish infantry divisions and the capture of over 170,000 prisoners, a decisive victory that validated the Blitzkrieg concept and secured his status as one of Germany's foremost commanders.
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (06.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (08.08.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 3 (19.09.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 2 (19.09.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (11.10.1941)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (12.10.1941)
Rumanian Ordinul Mihai Viteazul, Clasa 1 (01.09.1942)
Mentioned in Wehrmachtbericht (10.09.1941)
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub #519 (01.07.1944) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, recognizing his role in attempting to stabilize the Western Front following the Allied invasion of Normandy. As Commander-in-Chief West, von Rundstedt was the supreme authority on the ground during the critical weeks of June and July 1944. Despite the overwhelming material superiority of the Allies, he orchestrated a defensive battle that inflicted heavy casualties and delayed the Allied breakout for weeks. The citation for the award highlighted his leadership during the defense of the Cotentin Peninsula and the grueling attrition warfare in the bocage country. Specifically, during the British Operation Goodwood and the American Operation Cobra, von Rundstedt coordinated the fragmented German armored reserves, including the II SS Panzer Corps, to launch violent counter-attacks against the Allied beachheads. In the fields around Caen, his forces turned the landscape into a fortress of hedgerows and rubble, engaging in vicious close-quarters combat that bled the British armored divisions dry. Even as the front lines crumbled under the weight of carpet bombing and naval gunfire, von Rundstedt's steadfast management of the chaotic retreat and his ability to reorganize broken units into cohesive defensive lines exemplified the "Old Prussian" virtues of duty and resilience in the face of inevitable defeat.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern #133 (18.02.1945) as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber West, for his role in planning and initiating the Ardennes Offensive, the last great German offensive of the war. At the age of 69, von Rundstedt was tasked with commanding an ambitious operation aimed at splitting the British and American lines and recapturing the port of Antwerp. While the plan was ultimately Hitler's fantasy, the operational setup was handled by von Rundstedt and his staff. On the morning of December 16, 1944, under his orders, thousands of German guns opened fire in a barrage that shattered the early morning silence of the Ardennes forest. He directed the 6th Panzer Army and the 5th Panzer Army to punch through the thinly held American lines. The initial assault was a stunning success, as German armored columns, including the elite Kampfgruppe Peiper, roared through the snow-covered pine forests, overrunning American positions and creating a massive bulge in the Allied lines. The terrain was treacherous, and the weather was foul, grounding the Allied air forces. Von Rundstedt managed to sustain the offensive for three weeks, engaging in a desperate struggle in the freezing cold, which momentarily caused panic in the Allied High Command. Although the offensive eventually stalled due to fuel shortages and improving weather, the sheer scale of the initial breakthrough and the temporary reversal of fortunes in the West earned him the high honor of the Schwerter.
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Karl Rudolph Gerd von Rundstedt was born December 12th 1875 in Aschesleben in the Harz mountains near Magdeburg. He came from a military family dating back to the 12th century. When Gerd was born, his father served in a Prussian regiment of Hussars in the rank of Lieutenant. His mother was the daughter of a real estate owner.
At the age of 12, he went to cadet school in Oranienstein. He already spoke English as his mother had employed an English nanny to take care of her children. Later, Von Rundstedt would even take the exam for French interpreter. At the age of 16, he was admitted to the Haupt Kadettenanstalt (central Prussian school for Cadets) in Gross Lichterfelde near Berlin, successfully graduating in 1892 to be admitted to the rank of candidate officer.
In 1892, Von Rundstedt joined the 83. Infanterieregiment Von Wittlicht (Kurrhessische No. 3) in Kassel for a period of six months before taking his exam for the rank of Fähnrich at the Kriegsschule in Hannover. In 1902, he married Louise von Götz, the daughter of a retired officer. In that same year, he passed the entrance examination to the Kriegsakademie whereupon the young couple moved to Berlin.
In 1906 Von Rundstedt was posted to the Generalstab on probation and after having passed the final, very difficult exam, he was promoted to Hauptmann on the Generalstab in March 1909. He was posted to the staff of headquarters of the IX. Armeekorps and in 1912 he went to work as company commander in the 171. Infanterieregiment in Colmar in Alsace-Lorraine.
At the outbreak of the First World War, 39-year-old Von Rundstedt was immediately given a posting on the operational staff of the 22. Reserve division. He owed his promotion to Major in November 1914 to the outbreak of the war by the way. During the battle on the River Marne, the 22. Reserve division was deployed on the right flank of the front. The division commander was killed in action whereupon Von Rundstedt was given command of the unit. At the beginning of the trench warfare, Von Rundstedt left the division and was posted to the staff of the German military government in Belgium. Afterwards he served in a division in Poland, in the military government in Warsaw, in an army corps in the Carpathians, an army corps on the Baltic coast and finally in 1918 as Chief of Staff of XV. Armeekorps on the western front. After the war, Von Rundstedt was posted to the new, starkly reduced German army, the Reichswehr.
After he had been promoted to Oberst in 1923, he was transferred from the 3. Kavalleriedivision to headquarters of Wehrkreis II as Chief of Staff. Two years on, he received a new command, this time of 18. Infanterieregiment (in 1938 he was named honorary member and he has always worn the uniform of the unit afterwards). In 1926, he returned to a staff position, this time as Chief of Staff of Obergruppenkommando II in Kassel. After his promotion to Generalmajor he was given command of the 2. Kavalleriedivision in Breslau. In 1929, he was promoted to Generalleutnant and in January of that year he became overall commander of Wehrkreis III in Berlin. In October that year he was appointed General der Infanterie and commander of Obergruppenkommando I, likewise in Berlin.
When Adolf Hitler came to power, Von Rundstedt was involved in the secret German rearmament. In March 1938, Hitler grabbed his chance to tighten his grip on the Wehrmacht. The two most prominent military men of Germany, Werner von Blomberg and Günther von Fritsch were ousted and also all those who sympathized with them. Von Rundstedt was not among them. He angrily submitted his resignation but his request was rejected. Hitler (Bio Hitler) probably did not want to lose his highest ranking general after seven of them on the list right beneath Von Rundstedt had been fired, including Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb (B) and Ewald von Kleist. Von Rundstedt was duly promoted to Generaloberst.
In October 1938, Generaloberst Von Rundstedt, commander of an Army Group, was involved in the invasion of the Sudetenland. When he became convinced that Hitler was preparing for war, he strongly argued that Germany was from being adequately equipped for war in the near future. As a result Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt to step down. Owing to a shortage of experienced commanders, Von Rundstedt was recalled. When the war started in September 1939, Von Rundstedt, in command of Heeresgruppe Süd (Army group south) participated in the attack on the main body of the Polish armed forces (Case White). He managed to prevent the Poles from retreating beyond the River Weichsel. For his achievements, Von Rundstedt was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross).
Von Rundstedt was commander of Heeresgruppe A during the German attack on France and the Low Countries in May 1940 (Case Yellow). Along with the bulk of the armored forces, he advanced through the Ardennes, crossing the River Meuse and striking towards the Channel coast. A large part of the Allied armies was encircled near Dunkirk in the process. Total victory failed to materialize however as the armies were evacuated from Dunkirk. Von Rundstedt proposed, and Hitler ordered the Germans should not attempt to capture Dunkirk and so they missed the opportunity to deal with the British Expeditionary Force once and for all.
After the fall of France, Von Rundstedt was appointed feldmarschall by Hitler on July 19th , 1940. Preparations for Operation Seelöwe (Sea Lion), the invasion of Great Britain, got under way. This invasion never took place though because the Luftwaffe failed to win air superiority over the British Isles in the Battle of Britain. Hereafter, Hitler decided to leave Great Britain alone and commenced planning for a campaign against the Soviet Union. Heeresgruppe A was transferred to the General Government (that part of Poland occupied by the Germans) in order to prepare for the imminent attack on the Soviet Union.
In April 1941, Generalfeldmarschall Von Rundstedt was named commander of Heeresgruppe Süd; in fact, Heeresgruppe A was renamed Heeresgruppe Süd. When Operation Barbarossa was launched on June 22nd, 1941, Von Rundstedt’s Heeresgruppe initially struck deep into enemy territory. The advance stagnated though and he needed help from 2. Panzergruppe commanded by Generaloberst Heinz Guderian (Bio Guderian) in order to encircle his most important strategic target Kiev. (Battle of Kiev) After the encircled Soviets had surrendered, Heeresgruppe Süd struck towards Rostov on the River Don. Against Soviet counter-attacks, under command of Marshal S.K. Timoshenko (Bio Timoshenko), Von Rundstedt was forced to pull back dozens of miles. Hitler was furious so Von Rundstedt offered his resignation. Hitler accepted his request and replaced Von Rundstedt by Generalfeldmarschall Walter von Reichenau (Bio Von Reichenau) who only did what Von Rundstedt had ordered previously and was fired for: retreat to a defensive line on the River Mius.
In March 1942, Von Rundstedt was called back into service once more and appointed Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander), succeeding Generalfeldmarschall Erwin von Witzleben. He was to prepare the western front for the expected Allied invasion. In that capacity he supervised the construction of the Atlantikwall, an immense network of bunkers and fortifications stretching all the way from Spain to Norway. Later on he was assisted by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel (Bio Rommel). In 1942, the first invasion took place at Dieppe. The Germans however managed to defeat the predominantly Canadian invasion force in this downright suicide operation. In violation of the rules of land warfare, Von Rundstedt handed the Allied prisoners-of-war over to the Gestapo.
On D-Day, June 6th, 1944, the Allies landed in Normandy. Von Rundstedt had no free hand to act concerning the redeployment of troops. Hitler was of the opinion that the D-Day landings were no more than a diversionary maneuver for an even more massive landing in the Pas de Calais. Partly due to these irregularities - within the O.K.W. for instance he had no say over the armored reserves, making it extremely difficult to launch a coordinated counter attack in time - the Germans failed to push the Allies back into the sea. The result was that Hitler ordered Von Rundstedt on July 1st , 1944 to retire once more. Nonetheless, he was awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to his Knight’s Cross (Ritterkreuz).
The day after the failed assassination attempt on Hitler in the Wolfsschanze on July 20th, Von Rundstedt was appointed chairman of a Court of Honor (Ehrengericht). During this trial, officers of the Wehrmacht who were suspected of complicity in the murder attempt were discharged.
On September 1st , Gerd von Rundstedt was recalled by Hitler to become Oberbefehlshaber West (supreme commander). Formally, Von Rundstedt was responsible for the failure of the Allied Operation Market Garden. In October he let Hitler know, through Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, it would be better to end the war. Hitler fired him on the spot but quickly revoked his decision. After having been appointed ObW again, Von Rundstedt assisted in the planning for the offensive in the Ardennes as he was formally in command. The real tactical work during the operation itself was done by Generalfeldmarschall Walter Model (Bio Model), just like during the defensive battles of Market Garden. On February 18th, 1945, Hitler awarded him the Schwerter (Swords) to his Ritterkreuz for his distinguished services.
On March 11th , 1945, Von Rundstedt was stripped of his function for the last time, due to the successful crossing of the undamaged railway bridge across the Rhine at Remagen by American troops. Moreover, there were arguments with the O.K.W. about the tactic to be applied. After his discharge, Von Rundstedt sat watching idly until the end of the war.
In May 1945, near Bad Tölz, the field marshal was taken prisoner by the Americans and handed over to Great Britain. He spent more than three years in prison and appeared before the military tribunal in Nuremberg as a witness, making an impression by his dignified attitude. Although he had been involved in most military campaigns on the highest level, the British never seemed to have considered bringing any charge against him.
Gerd von Rundstedt returned to west Germany in 1951. He passed away on February 24th, 1953 in Hannover.
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Source :
Messenger, Charles. *The Last Prussian: A Biography of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, 1875–1953*. London: Brassey's, 1991.
Liddell Hart, B.H. *The German Generals Talk*. New York: William Morrow, 1948.
Mitcham, Samuel W. *Hitler's Field Marshals and Their Battles*. New York: Stein and Day, 1989.
https://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerd_von_Rundstedt
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/12464/Rundstedt-Gerd-von.htm
https://grokipedia.com/
https://rk.balsi.de/index.php?action=list&cat=300
https://www.unithistories.com/units_index/index.php?file=/officers/personsx.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20091027052912fw_/http://geocities.com/orion47.geo/index2.html
https://forum.axishistory.com/
https://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/
https://www.geni.com/
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