Gerd von Rundstedt was in an army.
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt ( 12 December 1875 -- 24 February 1953 ) was a Field Marshal in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II . Born into a Prussian family with a long military tradition , Rundstedt entered the Prussian Army in 1892 . During World War I , he served mainly as a staff officer . He was recalled at the beginning of World War II as commander of Army Group South in the invasion of Poland . He commanded Army Group A during the Battle of France , and was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal in 1940 .