Bologoye, the Soviet army originally built fortifications to resist the German army here. However, due to the extremely fierce attack by Manstein's troops, the Soviet army's defense collapsed overnight. Hundreds of thousands of troops were defeated, and most of them were defeated.
Only a small part of the Soviet army escaped from the German encirclement, and Manstein's outstanding command played a decisive role in this battle.
I have to admit that Manstein was an extremely outstanding general in Germany. As early as when he was a staff officer, he formulated a "Manstein Plan" to destroy France. His plan was to put the main force of the German army into Germany and France.
In the Ardennes area at the junction, a surprise attack was carried out against France, while the German army on the other side was responsible for attracting the attention of the French army. This plan was extremely risky, but the effect was very good. After the German head of state adopted it, it only took a month and a half.
France was destroyed, and Manstein's plan was a great success.
On the southern front, Manstein led the German Eleventh Army to encircle Stalingrad. Although the Eleventh Army was transferred to the northern front in the final stage, Manstein communicated with the staff of the succeeding German Southern Army before leaving.
Rommel had a long talk and expressed his views to Rommel. Rommel also believed deeply and boldly adopted Manstein's tactics and finally captured Stalingrad in one fell swoop.
Manstein's strategy was very simple, which was to cut off the Soviet supply lines in Stalingrad, increase the logistical pressure on Stalingrad, and then conduct psychological warfare against Stalingrad, telling them that the Germans came to the Soviet Union to overthrow the Soviet Union.
The tyranny of the government and the liberation of the Soviet people can leave Stalingrad as long as they no longer serve the Soviet government.
In this way, it prevented the Soviets from turning all the people into soldiers and taking advantage of the masses' dissatisfaction with the government to cause civil strife in Stalingrad. The soldiers and civilians in Stalingrad were bound to break out after losing supplies and having a psychological collapse. At this time, Germany sent some servants
The German army attacked Stalingrad and was only allowed to lose but not win, making the Soviets mistakenly believe that the German army was not powerful. At this time, the German army deliberately left a gap in the encirclement of Stalingrad. In this way, the Soviets were bound to break through.
When the Soviet soldiers and civilians break through to the plains, they will encounter a powerful attack from the German troops ambushing all around, and they will be able to learn all about them and capture Stalingrad in one fell swoop.
Rommel completely followed Manstein's tactics in attacking Stalingrad, and finally achieved a brilliant victory, wiping out 700,000 soldiers and civilians in Stalingrad. For Germany, this was a huge victory and could defeat Kiev.
In comparison, this battle opened the door to the south of Moscow. If the German Army Group South had not suffered heavy losses and was eager to digest the oil fields in the Caucasus and began to rest and recuperate, Rommel could have sent troops to Moscow at this time.
If war is a game of chess, then Manstein was definitely a master of manipulation. Before the Soviet-German war broke out, he proposed a brilliant plan to the German head of state to destroy the Soviet Union. This was called "Oriental Manstein" by later generations.
Stein Plan".
When the Barbarossa plan was proposed, Manstein once said to the German head of state, regardless of the head of state's face: "Unlike France, the Soviet Union has a vast territory and broad strategic depth. It is by no means a country that will soon perish.
If we destroy the economy and industry before they can be restored, we will be unable to support the war. To achieve this goal, we must fundamentally disintegrate the people's attachment to the Bolsheviks, otherwise, any military victory will be in vain."
The clever German head of state understood Manstein's idea at once. Manstein's plan was to attack the city first and attack the heart first, fight the city first and fight the heart first, completely breaking the Soviet people's determination to resist.
In their hearts, they betrayed Stalin and refused to serve the country.
Manstein clearly saw that the Soviet people were not satisfied with the current ruling party and party leaders. The great purges of the 1930s made everyone in the Soviet Union panic, from officials to ordinary people. Not only that, Stalin blindly pursued industry.
The successful policies have made people's living standards very poor. In many places, hungry citizens can be seen freezing to death on the streets. The brutal collectivization of agriculture has caused many people to lose their land and become dissatisfied with the government.
In this case, if Germany's attack does not actively and deliberately harm the Soviet people, the other party's will to resist will be almost zero, and it is not impossible to even join the German army in organizing an uprising. Once this happens, the Soviet government will completely lose
Workers in steel mills, farmers in fields and miners underground may go on strike if they are timid, while those who are bold may stay on the job and help Germany produce tanks, aircraft, food and oil.
Manstein was preparing to build a huge Soviet puppet army to support the 2 million rebellious Red Army in attacking Stalin. Germany could support a puppet regime just like it supported the Vichy puppet government in France. It could even allow this puppet regime to send troops to Britain.
Or the African battlefield!
The German head of state followed Manstein's advice, and the early stages of the Soviet-German war also confirmed Manstein's prediction. The Soviets often lined up to welcome the arrival of the Nazis.
However, the German head of state has serious racial concepts in his bones. He believes that the Germans and Swiss are superior nations in the world, while the Slavs are backward and barbaric inferior nations. With this concept, the German army began to attack the inferior Slavs.
The crazy killing prevented Manstein's original plan from being implemented well, which made Manstein very upset.
At this time, Manstein had just won a great victory on the southern front, captured 170,000 Soviet troops with 110,000 soldiers, and occupied the Crimean Peninsula. Therefore, he was directly promoted to marshal by the German head of state.
It was in the limelight for a while.
Manstein was also very satisfied and prepared to attack Tver from Bologoye. As long as he captured Tver, he could go straight to the city of Moscow. Manstein believed that with his own ability, he would be able to capture Moscow.
Even end this war.
Manstein was sitting in an armored command vehicle at this time. Although the Northern Army Group he was in only had one armored group, Manstein believed that this was enough. The troops should be better but not too many. It depends on who comes.
Commander, as long as you are here, you will be able to defeat all the enemies in front of you!
Manstein had previously received the news that Army Group Center had been defeated. He felt that the plan for Army Group Center to occupy Moscow could no longer be realized, and Army Group South was under repair, so the burden of attacking Moscow could only be
It fell on his own Army Group North.
At this moment, an order from Marshal von Loeb, commander of Army Group North, came in, telling Manstein not to underestimate the enemy and to control the speed of the advance to avoid logistical difficulties caused by a lone army going deep.
Manstein knew that von Loeb had become cautious because of the disastrous defeat of Army Group Center, which made him very dissatisfied. Manstein felt that the fighter opportunity was fleeting, and if he could not seize the opportunity, he would be killed.
Opponents take a breather.
Manstein was a little annoyed by von Loeb's chaotic command. Tver was now like a naked woman in front of him. He could easily capture it, but he was afraid of long nights and dreams. If the Soviet reinforcements came,
, then you will miss this golden opportunity.
Manstein decided to ignore von Loeb's order and continued to march southeast with his ace Eleventh Army to seize Tver! "Target, Tver, move forward!" Manstein ordered to continue the march.
The order. The tanks rumbled, and the 100,000 troops of the Eleventh Army rumbled towards Tver.
The Eleventh Army consists of the German 30th Army, the 49th Mountain Army and the 54th Army. The Eleventh Army has just captured the Sevastopol Fortress on the Crimean Peninsula. This army has concentrated the German army
Most of the heavy artillery has strong urban attack capabilities, so it is invincible and invincible along the way. At this time, the troops are reaching Tver. Manstein believes that with the combat effectiveness of the Eleventh Army, it will be able to easily
Capture Tver.
Just as the Eleventh Army was marching towards Tver, Zhukov had already received intelligence. According to the intelligence, it only took one day for the German vanguard to reach Tver. Zhukov was extremely anxious. Tver only had one division of garrison troops, numbering eight to nine thousand.
The way people look, if there is a fight, they can resist for a few hours at most. The war in Moscow has just ended, and it will take three days for the troops closest to Tver to arrive. What should we do?
We must protect Tver and not let it fall into the hands of the Germans! Zhukov thought for a moment and glanced at Xu Rui beside him. His eyes couldn't help but light up. Maybe Xu Rui would have a way.
Thinking of this, Zhukov said to Xu Rui: "Comrade Xu Rui, the vanguard of the German army will arrive in Tver within one day, and our army still needs three days. Do you have a way to make the defenders of Tver hold on for three days?
?”
Xu Rui thought for a while and said: "If we send Wolf Fang to Tver, it may be possible to block the German attack."
"Is there any way for Langya to reach Tver within one day?" Zhukov asked.
Xu Rui said: "Of course there is a way, we can airborne."
"Airborne?" Zhukov's eyes lit up and he said: "Okay, I will immediately send a plane to send Wolf Fang to Tver. You must help Tver's defenders hold on for three days."
Xu Rui said solemnly: "I need five transport planes."
"No problem, I'll give it to you."
"If we want to defend Tver, we must maintain air superiority over Tver. I also need one hundred fighter jets and fifty bombers."
"I can fulfill all your wishes. As long as you can defend Tver, I will give you whatever you want." Zhukov said.