Erich von Manstein died before the Second World War.
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 . World War II ( often abbreviated to WWII or WW2 ) , also known as the Second World War , was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945 , although related conflicts began earlier .