von Rundstedt

1 9.9

A senior German army officer in World War II who led the invasion of Poland and the Ardennes attack

proper noun

: von Rundstedt

Did von Rundstedt lead the German forces during the Battle of France?

Examples

von Rundstedt was a key figure in World War II.
Allied commanders closely studied the strategies employed by von Rundstedt in Europe.
von Rundstedt played a pivotal role during the German invasion of Poland in 1939.
Historians debate whether von Rundstedt's leadership influenced the outcome of the Battle of the Bulge.
The military strategies of von Rundstedt influenced the outcome of several key battles during World War II.
Historian debates often focus on the decisions made by von Rundstedt in the Ardennes counteroffensive.
Many experts regard von Rundstedt as one of the most significant German commanders of World War II.

Synonyms

Rundstedt

vsvon Rundstedt

1 9.9

German army leader in World War II who led the invasion of Poland

is the more formal full-name version rather than the surname alone

Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt

vsvon Rundstedt

9.9

A German army leader in World War II who led the invasion of Poland and the Battle of the Bulge

is the shorter name form usually used alone

Surface Forms

von Rundstedt main

Morphology

von + Rundstedt

This is a proper name composed of a German nobiliary particle and a surname; knowing 'von' (a placename/lineage marker) and the surname 'Rundstedt' does not allow a learner to infer the referent is a World War II field marshal. The referential, idiosyncratic meaning (a specific historical person and his role) is arbitrary and not compositionally derivable from the parts, so it is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Von Rundstedt is a German name: the word von means 'from' and shows a link to a place, so Rundstedt was originally a family place-name. It belonged to a senior German general in World War II who led campaigns in Poland and the Ardennes, so today von Rundstedt usually refers to that commander.