Supremo!

[Lord Gort]

In the war Hitler was content for front supreme commander to be appointed, although he still interfered officers such as Kesselring in Italy and Rundstedt in France were given lattitude and supreme command, why wouldnt Hitler appoint Manstein as supreme commander of the eastern front?

[Andy H]

Maybe because it would put to much power into one persons hands that could change Germany's or Hitlers fate, whereas France & Italy though important wern't in the same league both in political and military terms.

Andy

[BillyJoe]

Maybe Hitler let his rivallry with Stalin get in the way of common sense and decided to control things himself so he could personally defeat Stalin?

[Juggernaut]

Maybe Hitler let his rivallry with Stalin get in the way of common sense and decided to control things himself so he could personally defeat Stalin?

Thats a fact, and probably true considering his ultimate plan was for the invasion of Russia.

[trower]

Poland and the lowlands were a political war to Hitler,...the eastern fron was an ideological war with Stalin.

[Zebedeu]

I think Hitler took command of the eastern front because he wanted the glory of conquering Russia for himself, after all that was the biggest campaign the world has ever seen. I think he wanted to be known the way Napolian did.

[Lord Gort]

How do you see the war going prospectively if Manstein had become Eastern front supremo say just after Kursk?

[Andy H]

Gorty old bean, are you assuming Manstien would have carried on with Citadelle as he wanted at the time or that he comes to power after Citadelle had been cut short by Hitler, as this has a bearing on Germany's posistion post Kursk.

Andy

[James McBride]

He wanted to be like Napoleon a little be too much for his own good, I guess. Did he somehow miss that part of history, or was his ego that big?

James

[Lord Gort]

Let say for Argument Andy old chap that he becomes "Supremo before". What do you envisage.

[DunklerProphet]

I think Hitler thought of the Eastern Front as too important to be led in the hands of anyone else but him.

Manstein was a brilliant tactic mind (e.g. the Sichelschnitt-Tactic against France), but Hitler thought of hisself as greatest commander of all times (maybe you've heard the word "Groefaz" once before?).