Very few German generals had the ‘nads to stand up to Hitler. Those that did before July 1944 got sacked, like von Manstein. After July 1944 opposition to Hitler was suicide (although Guderian did challenge Hitler from time to time).
The time article offered little depth or perspective on Brauchitsch. I thought his direction of operations in Poland and France was outstanding. He did less well in Russia, but no one could have accomplished what Hitler demanded because it was physically impossible to conquer the USSR in one campaign season.
The article does point out “The German Way of War” accurately. Germany goes to war staking everything on the one knock-out punch in round 1. She does less well in a long war, mostly due to an inferior resource position vis a vis her opponents. And that was exactly the type of war she had to fight to defeat the USSR. If the Germans had planned a two year campaign, they might have pulled it off. Trying too much in one year left them a burned-out army that never really recovered.
Rommel stood up to Hitler. So did Model. So did Raeder. Hausser got away with disobeying a Fuehrerbefehl. Steiner’s disobedience in ‘45 convinced Hitler that the war was lost. It could be done.
I’ve often wondered if Bruchitsch’s lack of spine might have had something to do with the lack of a unified front between Brauchitisch, and Halder and OKH.