Word: manstein
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Junker's Life. In this dark hour of defeat by the despised Slav, Fritz Erich von Manstein must have longed to shut his eyes to the dreary, hostile scene and think of friendly Ostelbien: of the small estate of impoverished Prussian Artillery General von Lewinski, whose tenth child he was; of the Castle of Colonel Baron Georg von Manstein, who adopted Erich von Lewinski when his father died...
Baron von Manstein brought Erich up as his own son-in the Junker tradition. When Erich emerged from the Kadetten-Schule and was commissioned lieutenant in the swanky, expensive Potsdam Guards, the baron gave him a handsome allowance. Lieut, von Lewinski von Manstein had few vices, studied much and hard...
Early in World War I Manstein was severely wounded. On recovery he fought at Verdun, drew attention by his energy, will power, harshness. He remained with the army after defeat, served on the hush-hush postwar General Staff, helped to build up the Wehrmacht for the war of revenge...
...summer of 1932, while Germany and Russia were still slapping each other's backs, Manstein donned civilian clothes, went to Russia for a look. At the Kharkov station a leather-jacketed Soviet commissar bounced in, offered Manstein vodka and zakuska. While the surprised visitor was gulping the fiery drink, another commissar dashed in, pulled the first one aside. Both then approached Manstein, stuttering, red-faced: "Mistake. ... It was a mistake. . . . We thought you were Comrade Thälmann...
...year later Hitler came to power with Junker help, made able War Planner von Manstein a lieutenant general. Yet Manstein remained aloof from Nazi politics. After all, Nazis too were rabble...