Best General of WW2?

[FM_Von_Manstein]

The desire to conquer another country has nothing to do with Nazism. Obviously Manstein knew that many Russians would die in the process of the war. But that's what war is. Manstein or most German generals for the matter did not endorse genocide or racism. Rommel would have shot any soldier who displayed such ideals. Many German generals had a great deal of respect for Hitler, he saved their country, that's just human nature. Being professional soldiers they would like to see their country succeed in warfare, and obviously had a great deal of devotion to their country. But they were not devoted to Nazi causes. They did not believe in extermination, and as the war dragged on they knew that Hitler was destroying the country they loved. They knew that their service to their country meant nothing because it was being run by a mad man. But they carried on because they wanted to defend their people.

As for the German generals being opportunists and supporters of the Nazi party. They might have believed in the changes made to the armed forces, but they did not believe in the Nazi ideals. They supported the Nazi Party because they wanted Germany to be powerful, not because they believed in it's politics.