(kärl r ´dōlf gĕrt f n r nt´shtĕt)
, 1875—1953, German field marshal. He proved his exceptional abilities in World War I. In World War II he commanded in the Polish campaign (1939), in the French campaign (1940), and in Russia (June—Dec., 1941). From Mar., 1942, to Mar., 1945, except for a brief period in 1944, he was supreme commander in the West. He launched a deadly counteroffensive on Dec. 16, 1944 (see Battle of the Bulge). After the war he was held by the British for possible prosecution as a war criminal. In 1949 he was released because of ill health.
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