Erwin Rommel
German field marshal known as the Desert Fox, commander in North Africa and Normandy, implicated in the 20 July plot.
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel, nicknamed the Desert Fox, was a German field marshal who served across three different German militaries: the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, and the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany. Born on 15 November 1891 in Heidenheim, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, he was the third of five children. His father had been an artillery lieutenant, and his maternal grandfather headed the local government council. Rommel joined an infantry regiment as an ensign at age 18, studied at the Officer Cadet School in Danzig, and was commissioned as a lieutenant in 1912. While at cadet school, he met his future wife, Lucia Mollin, who was of Italian and Polish descent.
During World War I, Rommel fought in France, Romania, and Italy, earning the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front. He was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class, for engagements in September 1914 and January 1915. His tactics involved penetrating enemy lines with heavy covering fire and rapid flanking movements to achieve surprise. In August 1917, his unit captured the heavily fortified Coșna Hill after weeks of fighting. Later that year, during the Battle of Caporetto, Rommel and 150 men captured 81 guns and 9,000 prisoners over three days. He married Lucia in Danzig in November 1916. After the war, he published *Infantry Attacks* in 1937, a classic book on military tactics based on his wartime experiences.
In World War II, Rommel commanded the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in North Africa earned him the nickname "Desert Fox" and a reputation among British adversaries for chivalry, often described as "war without hate." However, historians have challenged this as a myth, citing crimes against North African Jewish populations, though there is no clear evidence Rommel was involved or aware of them. He later commanded German forces opposing the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
After the Nazis took power, Rommel pledged allegiance to the regime. Historians disagree on the specifics of his loyalty, but he remained a supporter of Adolf Hitler, if not the Nazi Party or SS, until near the war's end. In 1944, he was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler. Given a choice between suicide or a trial leading to disgrace and execution, he took a cyanide pill. The regime announced he had died from injuries sustained in a strafing attack on his car in Normandy, and he was given a state funeral.
Rommel became a larger-than-life figure in Allied and Nazi propaganda and postwar culture. Many portray him as an apolitical, brilliant commander and a victim of the regime, though others reject this as the "Rommel myth." His reputation for a clean war was used to support West German rearmament and reconciliation with the UK and US. Several of his former subordinates, including chief of staff Hans Speidel, played key roles in West Germany's integration into NATO. The German Army's largest base, Field Marshal Rommel Barracks in Augustdorf, and a destroyer of the German Navy are named after him. His son, Manfred Rommel, served as the longtime mayor of Stuttgart, and Stuttgart Airport bears his name.
- born
- 15 November 1891, Heidenheim, Kingdom of Württemberg, German Empire
- died
- 14 October 1944 (suicide by cyanide pill)
- field
- Military commander
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- The Desert Fox; command in North Africa; authorship of Infantry Attacks; involvement in the 20 July plot
Lore & Background
Rommel was a highly decorated officer in World War I and awarded the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front. In 1937, he published his classic book on military tactics, Infantry Attacks, drawing on his experiences in that war. In World War II, he commanded the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign established his reputation as one of the ablest tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs, 'the Desert Fox'. Among his British adversaries he had a reputation for chivalry, and his phrase 'war without hate' has been uncritically used to describe the North African campaign. Other historians have rejected the phrase as a myth, citing crimes against North African Jewish populations. Others note there is no clear evidence Rommel was involved in or aware of these crimes. He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944. After the Nazis gained power, Rommel pledged allegiance to the new regime. However, historians have given different accounts of the specific period and his motivations. At least until near the war's end, he was a loyal supporter of Adolf Hitler, but not of the Nazi party and the SS. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot (or Operation Valkyrie) to assassinate Hitler. Subsequently, Rommel was given a choice between suicide or facing a trial that would result in his disgrace and execution. He ultimately chose the former and took a cyanide pill. Rommel was given a state funeral, and it was announced he had succumbed to injuries from the strafing of his car in Normandy.
Reader's Guide
Rommel became a larger-than-life figure in Allied and Nazi propaganda, and in postwar popular culture. Numerous authors portray him as an apolitical, brilliant commander and a victim of Nazi Germany, although others have contested this assessment and called it the 'Rommel myth'. Rommel's reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interest of the West German rearmament and reconciliation between the former enemies – the UK and the US on one side and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. Several of Rommel's former subordinates, notably his chief of staff Hans Speidel, played key roles in West German rearmament and integration into NATO in the postwar era. The German Army's largest military base, the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf, and a third ship of the Lütjens-class destroyer of the German Navy are both named in his honour. His son Manfred Rommel was the longtime mayor of Stuttgart, Germany, and namesake of Stuttgart Airport.
Did You Know?
- Rommel was born on 15 November 1891 in Heidenheim, 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, then part of the German Empire.
- He was the third of five children born to Erwin Rommel senior and his wife Helene von Luz.
- At age 18, Rommel joined the Württemberg Infantry Regiment No. 124 in Weingarten as a Fähnrich (ensign), in 1910, studying at the Officer Cadet School in Danzig.
- He graduated in November 1911 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1912.
- Rommel married Lucia (Lucie) Maria Mollin in November 1916 in Danzig.
Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)
"The title he chose for his memoirs of the North Africa Campaign, published in 1950." — Erwin Rommel "The art of concentrating strength at one point, forcing a breakthrough, rolling up and securing the flanks on either side, and then penetrating like lightning, before the enemy has time to react, deep into his rear." — Erwin Rommel "The German soldier has astonished the world; the Italian Bersagliere has astonished the German soldier." — Erwin Rommel "On the plaque dedicated to the Bersaglieri that fought at Mersa Matruh and Alamein." — Erwin Rommel
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