Beyond Stalingrad: Manstein and the Operations of Army Group Don

by Dana V. Sadarananda

This study fills a void in the military history of World War II by focusing attention upon individual battles and operations on the Eastern Front--a subject largely neglected in the literature. Basing his study on in-depth analysis of contemporary war diaries, author Dana Sadarananda examines Field Marshal Erich von Manstein's conduct of operations as the commander of the German Army Group Don from November 1942-March 1943. Sadarananda traces the course of the Winter campaign of 1942-43--the aftermath of the Soviet counteroffensive that trapped the German 6th Army in the city of Stalingrad--and illuminates the reasons why the Army Group Don was able to achieve a dramatic reversal of fortune and enable the German Army to regain the initiative along the critical Eastern Front. He concludes that the German successes during the period in question were largely due to the perceptive and decisive leadership of Field Marshal von Manstein.

Sadarananda demonstrates that the battles that Manstein directed during the winter of 1942-43 were among the most critical of the entire war. In fact, he shows, failure to succeed would have meant the collapse of the entire Eastern front and an earlier victory for the Allies. Piecing together the course of the campaign, Sadarananda identifies four distinct phases of the operations, beginning in November 1942 when the 4th Panzer Army aborted its relieve drive on Stalingrad and culminating in the elimination of Russian forces and the German recapture of the Donets River line. Throughout, the author analyzes Manstein's military decisions as well as his relationship with Hitler during a period in which the German leader's behavior was characterized by uncertainty and indecision. Sadarananda argues that Manstein's genius was not only his ability to anticipate enemy moves but also his effectiveness in dealing with Hitler.

Genres: World War II, Military History

184 pages, Hardcover

First published June 26, 1990

Reviews

[Charles Mccain · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to understand German military history in WW II, you absolutely must educate yourself on the life and campaigns of Field Marshal Erich von Manstein, the best field commander on any side if WW II. This book, describes von Manstein’s most famous and unfortunately most succusful campaign and I say unfortunately because his brilliance kept the German line from being rolled up South to North after the Soviets encircled Stalingrad. Had the Soviets been able to do this, the war could have ended a year earlier. But they were prevented by the brilliant operations of von Manstein who created Army Group Don out a handful of divisons to which he added every single straggler, rear echelon clerk, musician etc which he could find. Using his concepts of mobile warfare, he held the Soviets at bay. An astounding achievement given what he was up against. Von Manstein was the German staff officer who created the plan the German Army used to conquer France. He was a great general but refused to participate in the plot to kill Hitler or to kill Hitler himself which he had the opportunity to do on several occasions. So he is not at all a great man. His family will not release his papers because they will confirm what we already know: von Manstein was well aware of the atrocities being committed in Russia by the Germans and did nothing to stop it.