Erwin Rommel, the German Field Marshal General, was one of those outstanding military leaders about whom they usually say: “It’s a pity that he turned out to be an enemy.” He was a favorite of soldiers and a folk hero, and his image was actively used for propaganda.
"Invincible Volksmashal"
His contemporaries paid tribute to his leadership talent - and not only those who fought for the Third Reich. “We have before us a very experienced and brave enemy and, I must admit, despite this devastating war, a great commander” - these words did not belong to a representative of the Nazi military or party elite, but to the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who uttered them at a meeting of the House Communities at the end of 1941. However, Nazi propaganda during the Second World War also did not hesitate to use his popularity in order to create the image of an invincible “Volksmarshal” in the minds of soldiers and civilians. The British Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Middle East was forced to issue a special order in which commanders and chiefs of staff were instructed not to mention this man by name for a more comfortable psychological well-being of the soldiers. We are talking about the legendary “desert fox,” whose name was Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel.
Career
“You won’t find support in the air,” said the father of the future Field Marshal in response to his son’s desire to become an aviation engineer, and he chose military service as his future path. As part of the Kaiser's army, Lieutenant Rommel proved himself to be a brave young officer, with a platoon subordinate to him, and subsequently a company, who repeatedly undertook bold and daring maneuvers against superior enemy forces, for which he was generously rewarded with a combat wound in the thigh and no less military awards (Iron Cross second and first classes), and promoted to captain. In the interwar period, Rommel was mainly engaged in teaching military art, in between taking part in the suppression of communist uprisings in the Ruhr region, was an instructor at an infantry school, and by 1937 he published his war diaries under the title “Infantry Attacks” and received the rank of colonel, and subsequently headed the Theresian Army. military academy (which he later recalled as the happiest time in his life). For a short time he was the commandant of Hitler's headquarters, and closer to the beginning of the Second World War his rapid career rise began.
"Entertaining walk"
In the winter of 1940, Major General Rommel was assigned to the 7th Panzer Division as its commander. Despite the fact that Rommel was not directly a tank general, the French campaign was described in his letters to his wife as “an entertaining walk around France.” The “walk” cost Rommel’s division the loss of 2,594 people, of which 682 were killed, which, compared with other German formations in France, could be regarded as high losses, but about a hundred thousand prisoners were captured, some of whom occupied the highest positions in the French military command, a huge number of military equipment were taken and more than fifty aircraft were shot down.
Birth of the "fox"
Rommel's next and most famous campaign, during which he received his legendary nickname for a variety of tactical tricks, took place in North Africa. The battles against the Allies lasted from February 1941 to May 1943. It was a peculiar irony that Erwin Rommel now had to command, among other things, Italian military units - for the actions against which he had been awarded his decorations in the previous world war. The first stage of the campaign was a success, but closer to 1942, the Afrika Korps began to experience enormous supply problems - all the efforts of the German military machine were transferred to the Eastern Front. Despite this, Rommel continued to fight, using captured guns and shells, being in a situation of overwhelming numerical superiority of the Allies, losing in the quality and novelty of military equipment and experiencing an extremely acute shortage of fuel.
The field marshal's cunning, and sometimes even outright impudence, forced the Allied troops to act hesitantly and allowed Rommel to hold out, periodically pushing back the enemy, until November 1942. One of the most famous tricks of the Desert Fox, who was excellent at making a good mine when the game was bad, was to attach to all the auxiliary vehicles and to some light tanks with the help of long cables, bundles of trees and bushes, raising clouds of dust. The British units, seeing this and being in full confidence in the attack of a large German formation, were not only forced to retreat, but also to regroup their forces for defense. At this time, real heavy tank formations struck from a completely different direction, which created panic, disorganization in the ranks of the British, and, as a result, defeat.
Retreat
At the beginning of November 1942, Rommel gave the order to retreat, which was interrupted by Hitler’s hysterical dispatch to “stand firm, not give up an inch of ground and involve everyone and everything in the battle, to the last soldier and the last rifle” - in conditions of a fourfold superiority of the Allies in manpower and fivefold – in the number of tanks and guns. Having lost about half of the tanks, the Field Marshal retreated at his own peril and risk, taking the remnants of the corps to Tunisia. Rommel launched his final offensive in North Africa on February 19, 1943, but it was stopped by the Allies three days later. In March, the field marshal left for Berlin in order to justify to the high command the pointlessness of the further presence of the Reich armed forces on the African continent. He was ordered to remain in Germany “for treatment,” which continued until July. The campaign failed, and by May 1943, the German-Italian forces, being completely surrounded, surrendered. This did not in any way affect the popularity of the “Volksmarshal”, who was a favorite of soldiers and a living legend.
Silent accomplice in the assassination attempt
During the Allied landings in Normandy, Erwin Rommel received a severe shrapnel wound to the head, for which he was urgently hospitalized. This happened on July 17, 1944. And on July 20, there was an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler’s life during a conspiracy by representatives of senior officers. The field marshal general, who was aware of the conspiracy but did not report it, was actually placed under house arrest.
The article “Rommel the African”, which was published in the American magazine “Time” during the life of the Field Marshal - July 13, 1942, gives an episode that best characterizes the personality and professional military qualities of the “desert fox”, who spent most of his time not at headquarters, but on the front line. “Recently, a new adjutant (the fifth in several months) reported to him about his arrival. “I want to wish you good luck,” the field marshal responded. “Four of your predecessors are dead.” Quite an expected greeting from a man who preferred “voluntary” suicide and subsequent burial with military honors, coupled with guarantees of the safety of his family, to the shameful trial of the “people's tribunal” on trumped-up charges of involvement in the failed plot of July 20 (1944) and treason.
And although history does not tolerate subjunctive moods, it is quite possible to assume that the foxes of the desert took direct part in the conspiracy and assassination attempt on Hitler, the result could have been completely different...
He was one of the German military leaders of World War II not involved in any war crimes.
Participation in wars: World War I. The Second World War. French campaign. North African campaign (1941-1943). Campaign in Northern Italy
Participation in battles:
(Erwin Rommel) Prominent Field Marshal of the Third Reich, commander of the Axis forces in North Africa
The future field marshal was born on November 15, 1891 in the town of Heidenheim, near Ulm. Young Erwin initially decides to devote his life to military service, and in 1910 he becomes a cadet. When did it start World War I he gets his first combat experience in the Alpine battalion on the mountain border with Italy and Romania.
After a year of hostilities Erwin Rommel distinguished, and receives the Iron Cross, 1st class, as a reward. In 1917 he again showed himself in battle of Caporetto, where the smaller forces under his command completely defeated the Italians, who had a greater numerical advantage.
At the end of the war, he continued to serve in the Reichswehr, as commander of an infantry regiment, and later taught at a military school in Dresden.
Rommel's first encounter with Adolf Hitler takes place in 1935. The Reich Chancellor, having read his book “The Infantry is Advancing,” which by that time was very much appreciated among the military, appoints a new genius as commander of his guard battalion.
For Second World War Rommel acquires the unofficial status of the most prominent German commander, whose skill and professionalism is appreciated even by Germany's opponents.
In 1940, he was appointed commander of the “7 Panzer Division” on the Western Front, taking part in the implementation of the victorious German “Gelb” offensive during the war with France.
On February 6, 1941, Hitler appointed Rommel commander of the newly created German Afrika Korps and sets him the task of helping Italian troops in North Africa, who were virtually defeated by British colonial forces.
The actions of the Afrika Korps under the command of Rommel, despite the most difficult strategic conditions, are phenomenal and forever fit into the history of military affairs. Almost all military historians come to the consensus that if Rommel had received the additional three motorized divisions that he persistently asked from Hitler, as well as the status of the Supreme Command of the Armed Forces in Africa, he would have defeated the British colonial troops, reached Cairo and the Suez Canal, and, moreover, , could block allied aid caravans going to the Soviet Union through the Persian Gulf and Iran. But all this did not happen, due to the fact that the Wehrmacht leadership was too preoccupied with the main offensive campaign on the Eastern Front and underestimated the importance of the African theater of operations.
At the beginning of February 1941, the huge Italian colonial army under the leadership of General Rodolfo Graziano British motorized units blockade in Cyrenaica, forcing the capitulation of Bedafomme. The Italian units remaining in Tripolitania are so shocked by what happened that they are unable to defend the remaining North African colonies.
It was at this time, in February 1941, that the advanced units of the German Afrika Korps landed in Tripoli, causing confusion at the Allied headquarters. The main forces of the Afrika Korps were not expected to arrive in Tripoli for another month, but even by the end of March the 5 Leichte Division had still not fully arrived. The arrival of the second division - “15 Panzer Division” - was generally expected no earlier than May.
Without waiting for the arrival of these forces, Rommel immediately threw into battle all his available, but rather modest in number, combat units, in the hope of distracting the British from the complete defeat of the Italian army.
This tentative German counter-offensive was so successful that Rommel seized the initiative less than two weeks later. A few days later, the Afrika Korps goes on the offensive and captures a number of important strategic cities, and then quickly marches deep into Egypt, to the Nile. The British are retreating with such furious speed that the German advanced motorized units do not have time to pursue them. Therefore, there is no talk of organized resistance to Rommel. Only towards the end of 1941, when the offensive capabilities of the Afrika Korps were completely exhausted, did British troops finally manage to gain a foothold in Benghazi.
For this brilliant operation in January 1942, Rommel was awarded the rank of army general.
In December 1941, the British, having a significant superiority in manpower, launched a well-planned offensive and forced the Afrika Korps to abandon Cyrenaica and retreat to their original positions on the borders of Tripolitania. However, Rommel avoids the prepared trap and does not allow his units to be surrounded. He manages to preserve most of the military equipment. Churchill, speaking at the height of the offensive in the House of Commons, calls Rommel "great commander".
At the beginning of 1942, Italian transports, despite the active actions of British aviation, managed to deliver about 100 tanks to the exhausted troops by sea. These reinforcements prove to be sufficient for a new crushing offensive by the Afrika Korps, and on March 27, 1942, Rommel inflicts such a sudden and powerful blow on the British that it forces them to roll back to the Egyptian border. A month later, his troops captured hitherto impregnable Tobruk. The day after this, perhaps the most outstanding success of the Wehrmacht in Africa, Rommel was awarded the rank of Field Marshal.
Until the end of October 1942, a precarious balance is established in North Africa: the German-Italian forces do not have fuel for their motorized units, and the British are accumulating strength at the expense of fresh colonial divisions and the latest military equipment arriving from USA. The German Afrika Korps did not receive reinforcements throughout 1942 and therefore included two poorly equipped divisions. Therefore, by the end of the year, British troops have a significant numerical superiority: double - in tanks and artillery; fourfold - in aviation, not counting reserves of fuel, ammunition, and food.
The situation is aggravated by the fact that Rommel An acute form of amoebic dysentery manifests itself, and he is forced to fly to Germany for hospitalization. Therefore, when the British suddenly begin their massive offensive, the field marshal has to urgently return to Africa without completing treatment, but the battle of El Alamein has already been lost, and the Allies, in less than two weeks, throw the Afrika Korps back a thousand kilometers to Tunisia .
Meanwhile, on November 8, American troops land in Morocco and Algeria in an attempt to spring a trap for the Italo-German forces. Rommel manages to carry out another attack on the superior American forces in the Kasserine Pass area, inflicting great damage on the enemy, but this does not change anything in Africa. The Allies achieve six-fold superiority in artillery, tanks and aviation. Taking advantage of this, the American group, with the support of the British 8th Army, pushes the Italian-German forces to the very tip of Cape Bon Peninsula, thereby completely cutting them off from the mainland.
After two months of continuous fighting, the Afrika Korps, blocked from land and sea, surrenders.
Field Marshal Rommel recalled from Tunisia on March 9, 1943 and appointed commander of Army Group B in Northern Italy. The Fuhrer sets him a task: to prevent the capitulation of Italian troops by any means and to repel the offensive of the Allied troops in southern Europe.
Rommel successfully carries out the order and delays the Anglo-American troops in Italy until mid-1944.
In January 1944, Rommel was appointed commander of the Army Group in Northern France. Thanks to his energetic actions, resourcefulness and extraordinary tactical thinking, the Atlantic Wall turns into a serious fortification. However, due to strategic disagreements with the commander of the entire military group in France - Field Marshal Rundstedt - a unified plan for the defense of the western border of the Reich was not accepted, which leads to ineffectiveness and inconsistency in the actions of German troops during Allied landings in Normandy June 6, 1944.
Due to the serious wound Rommel received on July 17, when a British fighter fired at his headquarters car, the field marshal is unable to continue his command and is sent home to Ulm for treatment.
By this time Rommel completely disappointed in Hitler's military leadership, which was far from reality, and tried to convince the Fuhrer to end the war.
Because of this, the military-direct and decisive field marshal supports the idea of an officer’s anti-Hitler conspiracy. However, Rommel opposes plans to physically eliminate Hitler, believing that such an action would make him a martyr. He believes that it would be more expedient to bring the Fuhrer to trial, exposing all his serious crimes to the nation. The field marshal does not play an active role in the July Plot, although some conspirators wanted him to lead Germany after Hitler was eliminated.
After the failure of the coup, one of its participants, dying from torture, in agony calls the name of Rommel, which predetermines the future fate of the great commander. On October 14, Hitler sent two officers to the field marshal who had not recovered from his wound, giving him a choice in honor of past merits - to commit suicide and remain a hero of the nation or to appear before the People's Tribunal, which actually meant an automatic sentence. Rommel takes poison.
The name of one of the youngest and most famous field marshals of the Third Reich, undoubtedly an outstanding commander of the Second World War, Erwin Rommel has always been surrounded by many different secrets and unsolved mysteries. It is worth recalling at least the mysterious story of the so-called “Rommel’s treasures,” looted by the SS men during the period of hostilities by the expeditionary force under the command of the field marshal.
It was not for nothing that Hitler set his sights on Erwin Rommel when he chose which of the military leaders of the Third Reich to put at the head of the expeditionary force sent to North Africa to the rescue of the Italians, who had suffered greatly from the allies. Mussolini then personally turned to Hitler for help, and there were hysterical notes in his voice: “We are facing a catastrophe!”
The Fuhrer promised to send his soldiers to North Africa as a matter of urgency. But who should be appointed to command them? Hitler chose Erwin Rommel. The general was considered experienced, daring, very lucky and cunning. An excellent strategist and subtle tactician, Rommel enjoyed the well-deserved love of his subordinates, he was respected by officers and almost idolized by soldiers. And the troops’ complete trust in their commander during heavy battles already meant half the victory.
February 6, 1941
On February 6, 1941, Hitler appointed Erwin Rommel commander of the newly created Afrika Korps and assigned him the task:
I want you to drive the damned English back to Egypt!
Yes, my Fuhrer! - Erwin Rommel answered.
Without having time to land and fully deploy his battle formations, he immediately began the battle, boldly advancing on the British and inflicting very sensitive blows on them. On March 21, he defeated the units of the British general Archibald Wawel near El Agheila and moved to Tobruk, which protected the path to the Nile. Only at the end of the year did the British manage to somewhat stabilize the situation. At the beginning of 1942, Hitler awarded Rommel the rank of Colonel General.
Already in the middle of the same year, for successes at Tobruk, the capture of more than thirty thousand British and other victories in Africa, Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the “Desert Fox,” became a field marshal. His troops were already only a few hundred kilometers from the Nile Delta and ancient Alexandria.
And yet, at the cost of incredible efforts, the British managed to stop the unstoppable German advance: this happened in October 1943. The British were helped a lot in this by the Germans' difficulties in supplying their troops in North Africa, the lack of reserves and the absence of Rommel himself - he flew to Germany for treatment.
Duce of Italy Benito Mussolini
During his absence from the theater of operations, the later famous Battle of El Alamein took place, which German troops shamefully lost. Churchill even sent Joseph Stalin a special film about the British victory in North Africa as a gift. But who knows how events would have turned out if Field Marshal Rommel had remained with his troops?
However, Rommel was not in Africa: he returned after the German troops were driven back by the British more than a thousand kilometers. On March 9, 1943, on Hitler's personal orders, Field Marshal Rommel was recalled from Tunisia and he returned to Germany.
No step back! Victory or death! - the Fuhrer called.
But the situation at the front continued to deteriorate. There was a terrible defeat at Stalingrad, then at the Kursk Bulge. Soon I had to leave North Africa. Rommel was appointed commander of Army Group B in Northern Italy.
“You have proven yourself in Africa,” Hitler told him wearily. “Now I want from you the almost impossible: to prevent the surrender of the Italian troops and repel the offensive of the British and Americans. The situation is very dangerous, Rommel!
The situation had indeed become extremely dangerous not only for the Italians, but also for the German units. Field Marshal Rommel, the “Desert Fox,” did everything he could, but he was by no means God and was not strong enough to radically turn the situation in favor of the Wehrmacht. Italy capitulated and left the war.
A very intelligent man and an experienced military leader, Field Marshal Rommel also possessed enviable courage. He decided to personally meet with Hitler and directly told him that everything was heading towards the possible and very early defeat of Germany in World War II! All the knowledge and experience of the military general spoke for this. He called on the Fuhrer, before it was too late, to take at least some steps to prevent a possible catastrophe and save science and the country.
If the Germans are not able to win the war, they must disappear from the face of the earth,” replied an enraged Hitler.
Rommel clearly understood: any calls for any reasonable military or political way out of the war would not find any response or support from the Fuhrer. In all likelihood, this was a very bitter discovery and a strong shock for the Field Marshal, who, in his own way, sincerely worried about the fate of Germany.
The threat of Allied landings in France forced Hitler to appoint Rommel as commander of the army group in the north of the country - this happened in January 1944. Here, the functions of the Field Marshal General included command of the western defensive line. Even before the landing of the Anglo-American troops, in Normandy twice, with a short break, on June 17 and 29, Rommel and von Runstedt met with Hitler. The generals tried to persuade him to immediately end the war, while Germany still had significant military forces and could count on fairly honorable conditions for concluding peace. They begged the Fuhrer not to destroy the country and the nation, but everything turned out to be in vain.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, with all his abilities and military talents, was a typical German military man. He hated and feared the Russians, dreamed of quickly concluding a separate peace agreement with the Anglo-Americans and, together with them, acting as a united front against the Red Army, which was moving ever further towards the center of Europe. In his opinion, the unification of the forces of the Wehrmacht and the Western allies could inflict a decisive defeat on the Russians and “save Western civilization from the Bolshevik barbarians.”
On July 6, Anglo-American troops landed in Normandy and opened a second front in Europe against the Nazi army. Erwin Rommel, as an experienced military leader, understood perfectly well that this was the beginning of a terrible end! Since July 6, events in his life rushed at a gallop, bringing both himself and Germany closer to an inevitable tragic outcome.
Not even a week had passed since the landing of the troops of the Anglo-American allies, and Rommel had already repeatedly reported personally to Git-
Lehr that the armies of the enemy who landed in Normandy are advancing much faster than the necessary reinforcements are approaching the Wehrmacht units trying to hold back the Anglo-Americans! It couldn't go on like this for long.
Hang in there, Rommel! - the Fuhrer repeated to him from Berlin like a mantra. But the reserves still did not arrive!
By this time, another and very serious conspiracy against Hitler had acquired real features. Most likely, it was during this period that his old friend met Rommel, a man whom the Field Marshal trusted - the mayor of Stuttgart, Karl Strellin.
Strellin knew about the Field Marshal's negative attitude towards Hitler and had some idea of Rommel's fruitless attempts to convince the Fuhrer to withdraw Germany from the war before the final collapse occurred. Therefore, Mr. Mayor quite openly informed his old friend about the existing conspiracy and asked permission to use the name of Rommel, which was extremely popular in Germany and the German army, to create a government in the country liberated from Hitler. It was supposed to physically eliminate Hitler, to eliminate, with the help of the Wehrmacht, SS units, units of the RSHA, SD, Gestapo and other Nazi intelligence services.
Rommel, although he was a soldier to the core, did not agree to the physical destruction of Hitler - he believed that in this way he could simply turn him into a martyr, and this would not lead to anything good. The field marshal proposed to try the Fuhrer for his crimes against the nation. Erwin Rommel was never a politician or an active participant in the July 20th conspiracy, but nevertheless he agreed to join the conspirators. They expected, if successful, to make the famous “Desert Fox” the head of the government of the new Germany. However, fate decreed otherwise for him.
July 17th
On July 17, the car in which Rommel was traveling was fired upon by a British attack aircraft and the field marshal was wounded. He was sent first to the hospital and then home to Ulm for treatment.
On July 20, there was an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler’s life at his field headquarters in East Prussia, “Wolfschanze” - the Fuhrer simply miraculously survived. Arrests, executions and interrogations began immediately. Rommel’s name was not on any lists, however, according to researchers, the Field Marshal General was betrayed by one of the conspirators, who was dying in agony: he gave the name “Desert Fox.” The shocked executioners reported this personally to the Fuhrer.
Damn him! - Hitler swore. - He is the favorite of the army and the nation! By order of the Fuhrer, Rommel’s name was never mentioned anywhere - Hitler did not want to lose himself completely, showing everyone that even the famous and legendary Rommel went against him. But Adolf never forgave or forgot anything to anyone. He didn’t forget about the Desert Fox either. The fatal hour struck for Rommel almost three months later.
On October 14, 1944, the Fuhrer’s headquarters called Rommel’s villa, located near Ulm.
Now the Fuhrer's adjutants Wilhelm Burgsdorf and General Ernest Meisel will arrive to you.
“Perhaps I won’t be here in the evening,” Rommel said to his son after hanging up.
Those who arrived offered the field marshal a choice on behalf of the Fuhrer: either commit suicide or go to trial.
“I’m not completely sure that everything will work out right away with the pistol,” the field marshal sighed sadly.
“We have a poison that acts very quickly,” Burgsdorf replied. - A few seconds and it's over.
Rommel chose poison.
He said goodbye to his wife, got into the car and drove away from the villa. Hitler's envoys and the driver accompanying him left the field marshal alone. When they returned a few minutes later, Erwin Rommel was already dead. The driver straightened his fallen cap and saluted the field marshal's body.
Hitler
Hitler officially offered his condolences to the widow of the Field Marshal, “who died at a combat post from English bullets.” In his eulogy, von Runstedt said:
Ruthless fate snatched him from us. His heart belonged to the Fuhrer.
A monument in the form of a German Iron Cross was erected at the grave of the hero of the battles in North Africa, the famous and legendary “Desert Fox”, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The funeral took place with all due military honors.
Current page: 1 (book has 25 pages in total)
Desert Fox. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
If you are going to enjoy the next praises in honor of the crowned commander of the Third Reich, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, you can immediately put this book aside. It cannot be of any interest to those who dream of the remilitarization of the German spirit.
While working on this book, the author and the publishing house set themselves fundamentally different tasks: firstly, to comprehensively illuminate the mysterious background and mysterious circumstances of Rommel’s forced suicide, which are still not known to wide circles of the German public. We consider it our civic duty to declare that we are dealing with an in no way disguised political murder.
Secondly, we wanted to look at the world and the war through the eyes of a soldier who had gone through a difficult path from a sincere supporter of the ideas of National Socialism (who, however, not only did not wear a gold Nazi badge, but was never a member of the NSDAP!) to opponent and convinced opponent of Adolf Hitler. In a military direct and decisive manner, Rommel called the Fuhrer “the misfortune of the German people.”
Thirdly, it has become the most important task for us to return the good name of a person who has suffered the right to enlightenment, repentance and purification. On the difficult path of spiritual renewal of the German nation, the life feat of Field Marshal Rommel should become our moral guide. The fate of the marshal symbolizes the tragedy of a nation of many millions; it reflects the fate of several generations of Germans as if in a mirror.
Reflecting on the difficult fate of his hero and the entire German people, Thomas Mann wrote heartfelt words in his novel Doctor Faustus:
-...Awe and sacred delight cover me every time I think about the tragic destinies of the great German people. With all the passion of the rebellious German spirit, he rushes to the heights of human existence in order to throw himself into the abyss of despair and chaos in blind zeal. I believe in him and know that he will find enough strength in himself to renounce the bloody past, reject false idols, and once again set out on the path of spiritual revival and elevation...
...Yes, we are birds of a different plane - we are an unpredictable people with a mysterious Germanic soul. We worship fate and will follow our destiny even into the abysses of hell...
Understanding the last months of the life and the tragic fate of the German patriot, his heroic efforts to overthrow the power of Hitler and rescue the German people from the darkness and chaos of the “Third Reich” will help our country find its way to a bright new future. He gave the most precious thing for the happiness of his people - life!
Rommel was deceived, like millions of his compatriots and many millions of people around the world who believed the demagogic assurances and promises of the “Führer of the entire German people.” He managed to escape from the tenacious embrace of lies, overcome circumstances and rebel against the tyrant, but Hitler’s bloody executioners cut his life short...
We think about the future, so we want to know the truth about the past...
"ROMMEL'S CASE"
Was Rommel a “party general” or a conspirator and revolutionary? What secrets did the mysterious soul of the “military genius” and “the greatest commander of all time” keep? What brought him to the ranks of the officer opposition - an understanding of the initially controversial and later openly criminal foreign and domestic policies of the dictator or the pressure of circumstances? What did the Field Marshal General have to do with the events of July 20, 1944? If Rommel was indeed part of the group of Witzleben, Beck, Stauffenberg, Goerdeler and Leuschner, how did he envision Germany's post-war future? What did the marshal dream about - the necessary respite for a “new push to the East” and a separate peace in the West, or the prevention of a national catastrophe and fundamental democratic changes in the country?
Public interest in the recent past continues unabated, and over the past few years many people have asked me many of these and similar questions. Taking a direct part in the preparation of this publication, I set myself the task of filling in the “blank spots” in Rommel’s biography and paying tribute to the memory of the German patriot. “The Case of Field Marshal Rommel” allows us to see the processes hidden from prying eyes that took place in the depths of the National Socialist dictatorship, and to “worthily” evaluate the negative impact that Adolf Hitler had on the German armed forces during the six years of war.
The question of the notorious “guilt of the generals” is increasingly being raised in the media. As part of this literary study, I will try to answer this and many other questions. The large-scale figure of Marshal Rommel, the only one of all the German commanders of the last war who went through the thorny path of moral quest and civic formation, standing at the center of the story, allows us to comprehensively illuminate such an important problem as “Hitler and his generals.”
So the curtain is up! The demonic Fuhrer plunged the peoples of Germany, Europe and the whole world into the chaos of war... Next to Rommel, extraordinary figures appeared and other German field marshals: Model, Kluge, Rundstedt, Kesselring and Keitel - and each of them played their role in the fate of the “Desert Fox”. The generals are represented by the names of Fritsch, Beck, Halder, Guderian, Zeitzler and Jodl, but they are all just extras, appearing from time to time in the mise-en-scène of the bloody drama in which Erwin Rommel plays the main role...!
I had the opportunity to participate in many events of the past war, so the book is largely based on my experiences and information obtained from credible sources. For various reasons, access to many archives of the last decade is still limited, some documents are irretrievably lost, while others continue to await the inquisitive researcher. In my creative search, I was guided solely by the interests of truth and used various sources of information: from the memoirs of Allied military leaders to transcripts of telephone conversations, imperial archives and the records of the War Crimes Commission. All available publications, statements of eyewitnesses and participants in the events have been repeatedly checked and double-checked. At the same time, I am fully aware that the personality of Field Marshal Rommel would have sparkled with new unexpected facets if, in the course of working on the book, I had been able to find even more archival documents and eyewitness accounts of those dramatic events.
Marked by the Shakespearean pathos of tragedy, the life and fate of Marshal Rommel are inextricably linked with the grandiose drama of the entire German people. I want to talk about that inescapable feeling of national guilt, which at all times, in the most paradoxical way, is always shared by both the executioners and their victims. In the sense in which Albrecht Haushofer wrote about it in his beautiful sonnet “Wine”:
Yes, I am guilty, but not as guilty as you...
I should have started earlier
Calling dishonor dishonor.
I have judged myself and am not afraid of word of mouth.
I'm in rags, with a guilty head...
I tried to deceive my conscience.
Only repentance can restore my honor.
To achieve a final victory over Nazism and Nazi ideology, stock phrases and superficial judgments are absolutely not enough. Slogans and calls cannot replace a serious study of the reasons for Hitler’s rise to power, the methods of maintaining power, the terror unleashed in the country (the dictator’s favorite expression is “not to be afraid of the consequences”), the strategy and tactics of the bloodiest war in human history. Germany, Europe and the whole world paid too high a price for their “beautiful soul” in the 30s. It is no coincidence that fascism and national socialism marked the entire first half of the 20th century with their diabolical stamp - and here one cannot do without a serious analysis of the socio-economic, religious-philosophical, geopolitical and all other prerequisites for the emergence of the “brown plague”.
The dictatorial regimes of Europe supported the stirrup, put the apocalyptic horsemen of the Fuhrer in the saddle and sent them into a mad gallop. They swept through three continents like a tornado of fire, sowing death, destruction and fear. It took the combined efforts of the entire civilized world to knock them out of the saddle and throw them into the abyss of oblivion...
Rommel opposed himself to the depravity of the dictator and his system. Crowned with glory, surrounded by universal love and honor, he was always the “people's marshal” for the Germans. Even his opponents, with whom he met on the battlefield, treated him with respect and highly appreciated his leadership and professionalism. Germany and the whole world have a rare opportunity to look at the large-scale figure of the commander from a somewhat unexpected perspective and discover a completely new person, with an unusually developed sense of civic responsibility, an ardent patriot of Germany. The path of spiritual development of personality and the tragic fate of a soldier is a silent reproach to those who are still not ready to rid their souls of the difficult legacy of the past.
Even in his youth, Rommel chose for himself a career as a professional military man and as a person, it was in the army that he became established. In peacetime, he was engaged in military training and patriotic education of the younger generation, and during the war he fulfilled his professional duty as a soldier on the fronts of two continents. The routine of the barracks and everyday life at the front were the main content of his life for a long time. In the ranks of the armed forces, he embarked on the thorny Path of emancipation of consciousness, rethinking the past and ascent to the heights of the human spirit. A traveler walking this long and arduous Path awaits the severity of losses, the pain of loss and the bitterness of disappointment. Rommel was not the first to stumble, fall and take two steps back after timidly moving forward! But without a doubt, he was the only representative of the senior military leadership of the “Third Reich” who fiercely and uncompromisingly fought for the integrity of “his” inner world.
Only “upstarts from military history”, who had no idea about the realities of the front-line life of the commander-in-chief of an army group, could accuse him of using the most aggressive and combat-ready Waffen SS divisions under the command of Sepp Dietrich in the European theater of operations during the repulse of the Allied invasion operation. Incompetent politicians reproached him for indecisiveness and inconsistency, forgetting about the limited capabilities of the army “conspirator.” Even his friends, who today make confidential conversations in a narrow circle public, do not understand that before them he was forced to appear in the mask of a “loyal Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht.” We should not forget that Rommel was a living person, and not a walking virtue, therefore, in the dispute between established barracks habits and newfound inner freedom, the “spirit” did not always triumph over the “flesh”!
Opponents accuse him of “doing everything too late.” At first glance, these categorical words spoken on the empty stage of a deserted auditorium may seem bold and effective. Personally, I consider this formulation of the question speculative and useless. It is not for us, his contemporaries, to judge him - let our descendants do that!
As a matter of fact, this issue has lost its relevance and has become purely “academic” since the time of the Casablanca Conference, when the Allies made public their unequivocal demands to the Axis governments for “complete and unconditional surrender.” The last, illusory hope of the internal German opposition for political support from the outside has melted, because not a single people, not a single statesman, and especially an officer, will agree to capitulate unconditionally.
The figure of Erwin Rommel is interesting for us because initially he was not among such conceptual opponents of National Socialism as Beck, Witzleben, members of the Kreisau group, Ambassador Hassel or even Reck-Malecheven... From Saul he became Paul! A nation of millions awoke from a hypnotic sleep and was horrified as it looked back at its recent past. Words of repentance and renunciation of false ideals were spoken...
The personality of one of the outstanding commanders of Germany continues to attract close attention of military historians. Recently, several monographs dedicated to the German field marshal have appeared abroad. The image of Rommel carries enormous educational significance: he proved to the Germans that spiritual cleansing is not only possible, but also a necessity.
There was no word “impossible” in his vocabulary! He proved this back during the 1st World War, when he fought in the Alpine battalion. The Medal of Merit, of which Lieutenant Rommel became a holder, was awarded by the command only to the best of the best. His talent for making the impossible possible, and turning defeat into victory, was fully demonstrated during the African campaign. In his book “The Infantry Advances,” which was translated into many European languages and made his name famous in military circles, Rommel formulated his professional and life credo - never capitulate! His tenacity and perseverance in achieving his goal were always incomprehensible to cautious, prudent and ready for a “reasonable compromise” people. A proud and independent person, he did not simply follow in the wake of his destiny, he rose above the circumstances and became his own destiny! For him, truth was not something given from above or acquired in a moment of insight; the truth was something that was born in pain, leaving raw and bleeding wounds. Only family and friends could guess about the field marshal’s moral quest, but even they saw only the very tip of the iceberg. Rommel struggled painfully with himself, but outwardly remained impeccable within the framework of his traditional “general” behavior. This fierce internal struggle remained invisible even to his comrades, not to mention those with whom the orbit of his life crossed by chance.
On my desktop there are two photographs from the archives of military chronicles. An impartial “chronicler” captured Rommel “of the 1942 model” on one of them - this is optimism, determination, attack! I see a person for whom the word “impossible” does not exist. The next photograph was taken two years later, in 1944 - and in front of me is a completely different person: aged, haggard, with deep wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, but still not retreating and not giving up!
I spent three front-line years next to Rommel, first in Africa and then in Europe. After the end of the war, I worked for another three years, collecting material about the outstanding commander. Six years of studying the “Rommel problem” allow me to say that I got to know this man and the motivations for his actions quite well. The turning point of his life was Normandy: Rommel was suffocating from lack of time - attempts to hold the front bursting at the seams, instinctive rejection of the dictator, anti-government sentiments and opposition to the invading armies were intertwined in a tight ball.
The final disappointment in the military and political leadership of the country occurred in Gerlingen, where he was undergoing treatment after being wounded. In the course of conversations with his wife, conversations with his closest friends, reflections during long walks in the forests around Gerlingen, he understood more and more clearly what Hitler and his henchmen had turned Germany into. Mindful of the fate of the participants in the July 20 events, he did not expect mercy for himself. “It’s too late” - these words were written in fiery letters on his fate. There were no divisions of his here that he could move against the hated dictator. The new appointment promised by Hitler turned out to be another hypocritical lie, and the faint light of hope that had begun to glimmer went out, and after it the life of the field marshal faded away.
What lessons should we, the surviving contemporaries of Erwin Rommel, learn? You can never take what you want for reality and be content with what lies on the surface, therefore only the tirelessly “seeking” is given the opportunity to penetrate into the very essence of phenomena. You cannot make a deal with your conscience so as not to turn life into an endless string of unfulfilled obligations and undone deeds. Only universal participation in public policy can prevent unscrupulous people from coming to power. We must put an end to racial hatred, dictatorship, violence, persecution of dissidents once and for all...
Within the framework of a renewed Europe and the establishment of a new, fair world order, the most important laws should be humanism and tolerance.
Before starting the tragic story about the life and fate of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, I considered it my duty to express my attitude to the events described and identify the priority themes of literary work.
Kweckborni Bielefeld, March 1949.
Lutz Koch
Chapter 1. SOLDIER OF THE MOTHERLAND
BECOMING
When on October 15, 1944, all radio stations in Germany broadcast a message about the sudden death of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, millions of Germans in the rear and at the front froze in mournful silence. The name of Rommel and the Wehrmacht combat operations carried out under his leadership during the French campaign, in North Africa and against the Allied invasion front in the European theater of operations were among the most striking pages in the military history of the Third Reich and World War II. In the midst of the fiercest battles on the fronts of three continents, his great victories and knightly methods of warfare were the subject of legends from both his brothers in arms and his mortal enemies!
The nightmare of the “three thousand kilometer death march” - the retreat from El Alamein, located 104 km from Alexandria, to Tunisia, which, contrary to Rommel’s will, became the “Stalingrad of the desert” - is also associated with his name. But even defeats could not cast a shadow on the impeccable reputation of the “people's field marshal.” This was reminiscent of ancient mysteries, and after all the circumstances of the marshal’s death were clarified, it became obvious that the German people had not created a false idol for themselves - Rommel was truly worthy of the love and respect of his compatriots.
The sincere grief of the inconsolable nation was shared by admirers of his military talent all over the world. The world heard the sad ringing of funeral bells and fell silent for a moment... Field Marshal Montgomery, who opposed Rommel on the battlefields from El Alamein to Normandy, highly valued the German commander for his chivalrous attitude towards the enemy, for his unparalleled courage and for the brilliant audacity of his strategy, which allowed him not only to oppose the interests of the British Empire in North Africa, but also to defeat the British army for a long time. After the surrender of Germany, he told reporters:
“I sincerely regret that I did not find Field Marshal Rommel alive and cannot shake his honest and courageous hand...
The story of Manfred Rommel, the eldest son of the Field Marshal, caused a wide public outcry. General de Lattre de Tassigny, Commander-in-Chief of the French Army of Occupation in Germany, as a sign of deepest respect for the memory of his great father, Erwin Rommel, released from the filtration camp a lanky teenager who had been drafted into the Luftwaffe in early 1945:
- Go, young man, you are unlikely to learn anything behind the barbed wire. Enter one of the oldest universities where outstanding philosophers in Germany studied (we were talking about the University of Tübingen), and constantly think about everything that happened to you and your country. No one is forcing you to renounce what the Germans are rightfully proud of. Try to form a sound judgment about the misanthropic ideology that led your Motherland to its current state...
After some time, General de Tassigny invited Manfred Rommel to the headquarters of the French occupation forces in Baden-Baden and told him that France would never forget the name of Field Marshal Rommel, who did not recognize any codes other than the code of chivalry, and all French people would always respect refers to the memory of his father.
The famous English military publicist Liddell Hart expressed his point of view in the book “The other side of the hill”:
– Since 1941, the figure of Rommel has become the most prominent among the Wehrmacht generals. He is the only one of all who succeeded in such a stunning “leap” from Hauptmann to field marshal. Such success cannot be explained only by Rommel’s personal qualities; apparently, we are dealing with a well-thought-out and carefully planned military career by Hitler... Rommel was to become the “Conqueror of Africa”, and Eduard Dietl - the “Hero of the Arctic”. Both started out as loyal servants, and as a military leader Rommel lived up to the expectations placed on him to a greater extent than Dietl. As for loyalty, here the Supreme Commander made a clear mistake: when it became finally clear to Rommel that Hitler and Germany were incompatible, he chose in favor of the latter and opposed his master ... "
Montgomery, de Lattre de Tassigny and Liddell Hart, each to the extent of their competence and depth of penetration into the “Rommel problem,” expressed a subjective point of view on the marshal and his role in the history of German society. What these and a great many similar statements by other authors had in common was that they all noted his personal originality, internal decency and high professionalism.
If even his opponents do not hide their admiration and respect, then we, the Germans, can only bow our heads low before the bright memory of the hero who gave his life for the bright future of his people!
Erwin Rommel was born on November 15, 1891 in Heidenheim, near Ulm (Baden-Württemberg) in the family of a gymnasium teacher. After successfully completing the gymnasium course, he chose a career as a professional military man and in the summer of 1910, with the rank of fanen-junker, he was accepted into the “King William” infantry regiment of the Württemberg Army (6th Zürttemberg Infantry Regiment, 124), stationed in Weingarten.
After a course of general military training, he entered a military school in Danzig and in 1912 was promoted to lieutenant. His comrades nicknamed him “the cheerful lieutenant from Weingarten.” He enjoyed authority among the soldiers and was in good standing with the command. Young Rommel was not only a good soldier “with a clear head” and quick reaction, but also an excellent athlete - seasoned, strong, dexterous, and resilient. The military training of the newly made lieutenant was suddenly interrupted in 1914. The 1st World War began.
Lieutenant Rommel took his first battle when he was 23 years old. Soon the regiment started talking about his courage and determination. He became the first lieutenant of his regiment to be awarded the Iron Cross, 1st class. Rommel received the high award in January 1915, and shortly before that, at the end of September 1914, immediately after the outbreak of hostilities, courage and bravery brought him the coveted award of all German front-line soldiers - the Iron Cross, 2nd degree. In the summer of 1915, he was promoted to lieutenant and appointed company commander.
Oberleutnant Rommel's military career changed dramatically after the appearance of a mountain infantry battalion in the Württemberg Army, whose formation began in Münsingen in October 1915. Solving the specific combat missions facing the Alpine units requires from each mountain infantry a measure of initiative, independence and self-sufficiency that is unnecessary or even harmful in other branches of the military. Merge with the harsh and majestic alpine nature, dissolve in the ice and rocks - and suddenly attack the enemy. It was Rommel's element!
As a combat commander, Rommel took place in the mountain troops of Baden-Württemberg, surrounded by his compatriots fighting bloody battles on the fronts of the 1st World War. He took command of the 2nd Company of the Württemberg Mountain Infantry Battalion, earning the love and respect of all ranks of his new company. Everyone, without exception, admired the young company commander. According to the recollections of his colleagues, he was “strict and demanding in the service, sociable and friendly outside the barracks.” The spirit of soldier mutual assistance and camaraderie reigned in the company. After comprehensive combined arms training and no less thorough special ski training in Arlberg (Rommel became a fan of this military-applied sport and a first-class skier for the rest of his life), the mountain battalion was sent to the front. The baptism of fire took place at the end of 1915 in the Vosges, in battles with French Alpine riflemen and selected enemy units. Like an experienced sculptor, the Oberleutnant gradually “fashioned from raw material” one of the most combat-ready units of the Württemberg army. During the Romanian campaign, the mountain battalion did not disgrace the honor of the battle flag in the battles of Valaria, Odobesti and Cosna. Rommel served as temporary battalion commander and particularly distinguished himself during the assault on Koszna. Despite his injury, he remained at the forefront and continued to lead the troops storming enemy fortifications. In those distant autumn days of 1916, Rommel's special gift for fully using military cunning in battle was revealed. Already at that time, the future commander knew how to secretly transfer reserves, skillfully outflank the enemy, break through to the rear, encircle, dismember and destroy an enemy unit. Full of combat passion, he could personally lead a battalion of mountain rangers storming the enemy’s battle formations, if the logic of the battle required it. The essence of his talent as a commander lay in the ability to find a paradoxical and unexpected for the enemy, but logically flawless solution to a combat mission of any degree of complexity. At the front, another stunning facet of his military talent was revealed: the ability to find the most vulnerable spot in the enemy’s defense and, leaving him no time to think, attack contrary to all and every orthodox canons of military art - when the most important trump card becomes... the absence of trump cards!
The campaign in Italy, which began immediately after the end of the Romanian campaign, became another, even more difficult test of strength for the mountain battalion of the Württemberg Army. The most difficult mountain battles strengthened Rommel's character and strengthened his spirit; now the young officer had no doubt that he had made the right choice in life - the army had become his destiny forever. The more complex and confusing the operational situation became, the more inventive the twenty-four-year-old “prodigy” acted. Many of Rommel’s military operations during the Italian campaign are already marked with the stamp of genius - he began to achieve tactical successes unheard of at that time, judging by the number of units under his command. On December 10, 1917, for the capture of the village of Mont Matajour, which decided the outcome of the entire battle, Erwin Rommel was awarded the highest German award for bravery - the Medal of Merit. The breakthrough at Tolmein, Longaron and Piave glorified the young officer and the mountain infantry of Baden-Württemberg! Sparing neither himself nor the enemy, Rommel, going ahead, even managed to be captured when, in the heat of hand-to-hand combat, he pursued the retreating enemy and became far away from his soldiers. Luck did not abandon him - very soon he managed to escape and return to the location of the German troops. A brilliant young commander, an ideal infantry officer, he once again proved to everyone that for him the word “impossible” does not exist.
The emergence of weapons of mass destruction and the latest means of warfare already during the First World War threatened to turn the ancient art of war into a bloodthirsty habit of killing one's fellow men. And only high in the mountains, where the latest weapons systems were not used, did the warring parties follow the rules of the game and fight according to the unwritten code of knightly honor. Here, each fighter felt like an individual, and not a nameless cog in a soulless killing machine. In the mountains everything was different than in Flanders or in the trenches of Verdun, when thousands of soldiers and officers awaited certain death during a massive artillery attack on the squares or after a ruthless gas attack. The monumental grandeur of the mountain peaks reaching into the sky, the peace and sublime harmony of nature remained forever in Rommel’s heart. He probably recalled more than once his military youth and the snow-white peaks of distant mountains when, a quarter of a century later, fate threw him into the vast ocean of African sands.
The Wehrmacht generals who managed to survive World War II without being hanged for war crimes devoted the rest of their lives to writing memoirs designed to explain the reasons for their defeat.
These memoirs are rather monotonous and represent an attempt to prove that “the brilliant Wehrmacht was destroyed exclusively by the Russian frost and a madman Hitler who made suicidal decisions."
One of the best German military leaders did not have to make excuses. Erwin Rommel, who has earned respect and recognition from himself Winston Churchill, did not live to see the defeat of Germany, becoming a victim of the regime that he served faithfully.
Teacher's son
He was born on November 15, 1891 in Heidenheim. His father was a simple teacher, who, however, succeeded in his personal life, marrying the daughter of the former president of the government of Württemberg, a kingdom that was part of the German Empire.
Erwin had two brothers and one sister. Karl Rommel became a successful dentist Gerhard Rommel- famous opera singer. Erwin's sister Helen, with whom he was very close, became an arts and crafts teacher.
Erwin grew up purposeful, ambitious and stubborn. True, he was unable to insist on his dream of becoming an aircraft engineer - his father, an equally stubborn man, rejected this idea.
Erwin was given a choice - either he becomes a teacher, like his father, or a military man. Rommel chose a military career.
In 1912, Erwin Rommel, a graduate of the Danzig Military School, received the shoulder straps of a lieutenant. But instead of a military career, the young officer began to think about marriage. He fell in love with a 20-year-old Walburga Stemmer. The problem was that, according to the laws of the German Empire, an officer had to pay a deposit of 10,000 marks when getting married. Erwin didn't have that kind of money.
The news of the affair angered the father, who demanded that his son get the nonsense out of his head. But Erwin showed character by refusing his father’s demand. The father, who died soon, never found out that Erwin’s beloved was already pregnant by that time.
The marriage between the young people was never consummated, and they separated. Rommel found solace in his military career.
Young hero
During the First World War, the young officer showed his best side. During the First Battle of the Marne in August 1914, Rommel, who was scouting an enemy-controlled village with three soldiers, came across a detachment of two dozen Frenchmen. The French were unable to detect the Germans due to thick fog, and then Rommel ordered to open fire on them. Rommel’s entire platoon approached the scene of the ensuing firefight, and the Germans occupied the village with a swift attack.
Rommel later fought in the Alpine Battalion, stationed in the mountainous region on the border with Italy. During the battles at Mount Caporetto, Rommel captured important strategic positions, forcing the surrender of superior Italian forces and capturing a large number of captured weapons. For this brave maneuver, the young officer received Germany's highest military award - the Order of Pour le Merite.
The war, a failure for Germany, turned out to be a successful period for Rommel. He received awards more than once, was promoted to the rank of captain, and in 1916 finally succeeded in his personal life, marrying Lucy Mollen, with whom he had a long affair by this time.
Erwin Rommel, 1917. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Next to the Fuhrer
After Germany's defeat, Rommel remained in military service. Over time, he rose to the position of commander of an infantry regiment, taught at military schools, and published the book “The Infantry is Advancing.”
Rommel's book became very popular among the military, and Adolf Hitler, who came to power in Germany in 1933, drew attention to it. Rommel was appointed commander of the Fuhrer's guard battalion.
In 1938, Colonel Rommel became head of the Theresian Military Academy.
On the eve of the Second World War, Rommel was one of the military men who enjoyed Hitler's special trust. Six days before the invasion of Poland, Erwin Rommel became commandant of the Fuhrer's headquarters.
Rommel left this post with the rank of Major General in February 1940, becoming commander of the 7th Panzer Division. In this position, he took a direct part in the defeat of France, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross.
Mission to Africa
At the beginning of 1941, Hitler was forced to save his ally from complete military disaster Mussolini. The Italian army, which fought in North Africa against British forces, was on the verge of complete defeat. The British advance meant that within two months the Italians were driven back more than 600 miles and suffered 130,000 casualties.
Mussolini begged for help. Hitler sent General Rommel, who in February 1941 was appointed commander of the Afrika Korps, to save the situation.
The transfer of forces, however, took time, while it was necessary to act urgently. And here Rommel began to demonstrate his talent as a commander in all its glory.
To begin with, he ordered the construction of mock-ups of tanks in order to mislead the British about the forces that he had at his disposal. Then he completely abandoned attacks on the enemy, giving the British the impression that active hostilities had ended.
The British took the bait and began regrouping their troops, moving their best units to other areas. At the same time, many officers, including the commander of the British army "Nile", received leave.
Using the factor of surprise, Rommel launched a counteroffensive without waiting for the arrival of the main forces. The goals were initially modest - to prevent the complete defeat of the Italian units. However, the German attack was so successful that the British were driven back hundreds of miles.
Erwin Rommel in Africa, 1941. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
"Desert Fox"
Rommel throws new units of the Afrika Korps into battle, and the flight of the British becomes completely chaotic. Chaos reigns in the British units, and they managed to stop the retreat only at the end of 1941, gaining a foothold in Benghazi. Actually, the reason for this was rather the complete depletion of the reserves of the Afrika Korps, the already poor supplies of which became even more scarce with the outbreak of the war on the Eastern Front.
The British launch a counteroffensive, and Rommel has to retreat. He, however, successfully evades all attempts to be surrounded, retains his equipment and keeps his losses to a minimum. After this, the respectful nickname “Desert Fox” was assigned to him.
Winston Churchill himself, speaking in the British Parliament, says about Rommel: “We have before us a very experienced and brave enemy and, I must admit, despite this devastating war, a great commander.”
Rommel's name began to strike fear into British soldiers, so much so that Commander-in-Chief of the British Middle East Forces Claude Auchinleck issued a special order in which it was forbidden to mention Rommel’s name among the troops.
In January 1942, Rommel was promoted to colonel general, and a month later he was appointed commander of Panzer Army Africa. Despite the loud name, the tank army was actually just an army group - the vast majority of the units were Italian (with low combat value), and the Germans had only one tank division in the “army”.
Rommel's tanks in Africa, 1942. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Rommel goes to the Nile
In June 1942 came the brightest moment in his military career. Having very limited forces, inferior to the British in numbers, he stormed the fortress of Tobruk. This citadel, considered the main Allied bridgehead in the African theater of operations, was considered impregnable until Rommel's tanks appeared at its walls.
For the capture of Tobruk, Rommel received the rank of Field Marshal. After the surrender of the fortress, the Germans launched a rapid offensive, reaching El Alamein in July 1942, from which there were no more than 100 kilometers to the Nile Delta. The threat of German capture of Alexandria and Cairo loomed.
The situation for British troops in Africa became critical. They were saved from military disaster by... Hitler. Rommel, who was squeezing everything he could and couldn't from his available forces, asked Hitler for reinforcements and increased supplies of fuel and ammunition, but was invariably refused. The Fuhrer of the Third Reich was concentrated on the Eastern Front, where even those forces that were specially trained for war in the African desert were transferred.
Taking advantage of this, the British hastily transferred new units to El Alamein, and American equipment began to arrive in Africa. The Allies were preparing a large-scale offensive.
Perhaps the “Desert Fox” would have managed to get out again, but just at that moment he was struck down by dysentery, and Rommel was urgently sent for treatment to Germany.
Erwin Rommel and Adolf Hitler, 1942. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The collapse of Army Africa
With the beginning of the British offensive, he was called from the hospital, but by the time Rommel returned to Africa it was all over - the German forces at El Alamein were completely defeated.
In November 1942, the Americans landed in Morocco and Tunisia. Rommel, despite the desperate situation, continued to inflict damage on the enemy, but could not fundamentally change the situation.
In March 1943, Rommel went to Hitler's headquarters to ask him to order the evacuation of German forces from Africa. According to the Desert Fox, it was necessary to save the troops, since it was no longer possible to save the campaign.
But after the disaster in Stalingrad, Hitler did not want to hear about any new retreat. Rommel was removed from his post and never returned to Africa. The remaining German and Italian troops in Tunisia capitulated two months later.
Perhaps at this moment the Field Marshal General, who was considered Hitler's favorite, was completely disillusioned with the leader of the Third Reich.
The rampart that Rommel built
However, the recall from Africa did not mean disgrace: Rommel was appointed commander of Army Group B in Northern Italy with the task of preventing the final defeat of the Italians and the advance of Anglo-American forces. “Desert Fox” coped with this quite well.
In January 1944, Rommel was appointed commander of German forces in Northern France. Anticipating the invasion of the allied forces, he is creating powerful fortifications on the coast. But Rommel’s ideas about the principles of defense of the Atlantic Wall do not find support among Field Marshal von Rundstedt, commander of all German forces in France. Not least of all, these contradictions were the reason why the Allied landing in Normandy on June 6, 1944 was successful.
Rommel in France, 1944. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
The war ended for Rommel on July 17, 1944, when a British plane fired at the field marshal's car. The seriously wounded Rommel was sent to the hospital, and then home to the city of Ulm to continue treatment.
Three days after Rommel was wounded, military conspirators launched an assassination attempt on Hitler, which ended in failure. Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who set off the explosive device, fought in Africa under Rommel.
Sentenced to suicide
Rommel himself, however, was not one of the conspirators, although he sympathized with their goals. Among the conspirators there were many who believed that the authoritative Rommel should join the new German government, and possibly lead it.
After the plot failed, the arrested military men were subjected to severe torture, extracting testimony against their accomplices. During such interrogations, the name of Erwin Rommel was also mentioned with passion.
Hitler, who was informed about this, decided to give his favorite “special honor.” On October 14, 1944, two officers were sent to the field marshal's home and told Rommel the Fuhrer's will - he would either stand trial or commit suicide.
The trial meant a death sentence, and subsequent repressions would also fall on members of the military leader’s family. In fact, the field marshal, who never recovered from his wound, was forced to take poison.
Four days later, Field Marshal General Erwin Rommel was buried as a national hero. On the day of his funeral, national mourning was declared in the Third Reich.
Funeral of Erwin Rommel. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Six months later, Adolf Hitler would share the fate of his favorite, committing suicide. True, instead of honors and mourning, the Fuhrer was faced with a bomb crater in which his body was burned under the volleys of guns from the advancing Soviet troops.
