At the Nuremberg trials, why was Erich von Manstein not executed like other German generals?

At the Nuremberg trials, why was Erich von Manstein not executed like other German generals? Erich von Manstein was indeed a prominent German general in World War II and faced trial after the war, but there were a few reasons why he was not executed like other high-ranking Nazi officials or military leaders.

Complexity of Charges and Evidence:

Manstein was considered a highly skilled military strategist and less directly involved in the ideological atrocities of the Nazi regime. While he was convicted on multiple counts, including mistreatment of prisoners and aiding in the persecution of Jews in Eastern Europe, his charges focused more on war crimes than direct involvement in the Holocaust.

Cold War Context and Strategic Interests:

By the late 1940s, the emerging Cold War influenced the Allies’ decisions about German military figures. British authorities, in particular, saw value in preserving his expertise for potential future use against the Soviet Union, as he was an expert on Eastern Front warfare. This strategic shift sometimes affected sentencing, and some German military figures received relatively lenient treatment.

Partial Clemency and Early Release:

Manstein was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 1949 by a British military tribunal but was released after serving just four years, partly due to health concerns and partly because of Western interest in German military knowledge.

Public and Political Pressure:

Some in the British military and political spheres, including former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, advocated for clemency toward German officers like Manstein, who they argued had been professional soldiers rather than ideologues. Public opinion and lobbying by some former officers also played a role in reducing Manstein’s sentence.

While Manstein did serve a prison sentence, these factors ultimately helped him avoid execution, unlike other Nazi leaders tried at Nuremberg.