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Hallo!
Karl and I have been discussing many issues about this excellent commander.
One, is that Karl has got the stripes he used in 1905 as a cavalry officer. (I smell envy...)
Another is that: Do you know he knew Winston Churchill?
He travelled to Great Britain in 1936 or 1937 and met Churchill at his house to warn him of Hitler's crazy policies and to tell him how the officers felt about it. He could have been considered a traitor... but he was not.
Now, I will give you my opinion about this excellent officer and I hope to read yours later.
I think he was a very professional soldier from the old school who actually modernised his mind. He became from an infantry man to an armour man within months!
For the risky assualt on France, General der Artillerie Franz Halder needed a conservative officer, like him to take control of the young and impetuous generals; specially Guderian. So a Panzergruppe was created and Von Kleist, without armour experience was put in charge. During the invasion Guderian fought a lot with Von Kleist because Von Kleist was too careful. Von Kleist did not stop bothering him until Guderian finally accepted to stay in a Headquarters instead of the frontline. But Guderian did it just because he thought that it would give him more freedom of action. He did what he wanted, anyway...
But later, In the Balcans, Von Kleist showed himself as a good armour officer and later in the Soviet Union with his 4. Panzergruppe. He captured Rostov and made other incredible things. That's why he replaced Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm List as commander of Army Sub Group A in the Caucasus and later became a field marshall.
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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars
"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun
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