Erich von Manstein was alive during the Second World War and commanded armies.
Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Lewinski , known as Erich von Manstein ( 24 November 1887 -- 9 June 1973 ) , was a German commander of the Wehrmacht , Nazi Germany 's armed forces during the Second World War . In September 1939 , during the invasion of Poland at the beginning of the Second World War , he was serving as Chief of Staff to Gerd von Rundstedt 's Army Group South .