Gerd von Rundstedt was living during the time period of World War II.
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 . 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 . 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 .