Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German general and military theorist.
The German Army's largest military base, the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf, is named in his honour. == Early life and career == Rommel was born on 15 November 1891, in Heidenheim, from Ulm, in the Kingdom of Württemberg, Southern Germany, then part of the German Empire.
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 and was assigned to the 124th Infantry in Weingarten.
He graduated in November 1911 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1912 and was assigned to the 124th Infantry in Weingarten.
He was posted to Ulm in March 1914 to the 46th Field Artillery Regiment, XIII (Royal Württemberg) Corps, as a battery commander.
His first combat experience was on 22 August 1914 as a platoon commander near Verdun, when – catching a French garrison unprepared – Rommel and three men opened fire on them without ordering the rest of his platoon forward.
For his actions in September 1914 and January 1915, Rommel was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class.
For his actions in September 1914 and January 1915, Rommel was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class.
Rommel was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) and transferred to the newly created Royal Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion of the Alpenkorps in September 1915, as a company commander.
In November 1916 in Danzig, Rommel and Lucia married. In August 1917, his unit was involved in the battle for Mount Cosna, a heavily fortified objective on the border between Hungary and Romania, which they took after two weeks of difficult uphill fighting.
In November 1916 in Danzig, Rommel and Lucia married. In August 1917, his unit was involved in the battle for Mount Cosna, a heavily fortified objective on the border between Hungary and Romania, which they took after two weeks of difficult uphill fighting.
The offensive, known as the Battle of Caporetto, began on 24 October 1917.
For this and his actions at Matajur, he received the order of Pour le Mérite. In January 1918, Rommel was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) and assigned to a staff position in the 64th Army Corps, where he served for the remainder of the war. == Between the wars == Rommel remained with the 124th Regiment until October 1920.
In 1918, Rommel refused an invitation to a prestigious officer training course, and with it, the chance to be promoted to general.
In 1919 he was briefly sent to Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, where he restored order by "sheer force of personality" in the 32nd Internal Security Company, which was composed of rebellious and pro-communist sailors.
For this and his actions at Matajur, he received the order of Pour le Mérite. In January 1918, Rommel was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) and assigned to a staff position in the 64th Army Corps, where he served for the remainder of the war. == Between the wars == Rommel remained with the 124th Regiment until October 1920.
Brighton notes that while both believed in the Stab-in-the-back myth, Rommel was able to succeed using peaceful methods because he saw the problem in empty stomachs rather than in Judeo-Bolshevism – which right-wing soldiers such as Hitler blamed for the chaos in Germany. On 1 October 1920 Rommel was appointed to a company command with the 13th Infantry Regiment in Stuttgart, a post he held for the next nine years.
He was then assigned as an instructor at the Dresden Infantry School from 1929 to 1933, and during this time was promoted to major, in April 1932.
He was then assigned as an instructor at the Dresden Infantry School from 1929 to 1933, and during this time was promoted to major, in April 1932.
He was then assigned as an instructor at the Dresden Infantry School from 1929 to 1933, and during this time was promoted to major, in April 1932.
In October 1933 he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and given his next command, the 3rd Jäger Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, stationed at Goslar.
While at Dresden, he wrote a manual on infantry training, published in 1934.
Here he first met Hitler, who inspected his troops on 30 September 1934.
In September 1935 Rommel was moved to the War Academy at Potsdam as an instructor, for the next three years.
In 1937 he published his classic book on military tactics, Infantry Attacks, drawing on his experiences in that war.
His book Infanterie greift an (Infantry Attacks), a description of his wartime experiences along with his analysis, was published in 1937.
It became a bestseller, which, according to Scheck, later "enormously influenced" many armies of the world; Adolf Hitler was one of many people who owned a copy. Hearing of Rommel's reputation as an outstanding military instructor, in February 1937 Hitler assigned him as the War Ministry liaison officer to the Hitler Youth in charge of military training.
He had been promoted to Oberst (colonel), on 1 August 1937, and in 1938 he was appointed commandant of the Theresian Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt. In October 1938, Hitler specially requested that Rommel be seconded to command the Führerbegleitbatallion (his escort battalion).
Schirach appealed directly to Hitler; consequently, Rommel was quietly removed from the project in 1938.
He had been promoted to Oberst (colonel), on 1 August 1937, and in 1938 he was appointed commandant of the Theresian Military Academy at Wiener Neustadt. In October 1938, Hitler specially requested that Rommel be seconded to command the Führerbegleitbatallion (his escort battalion).
Beckett writes that by 1938 Rommel drifted towards uncritical acceptance of Nazi regime quoting Rommel's letter to his wife in which he stated "The German Wehrmacht is the sword of the new German world view" as a reaction to speech by Hitler. During his visit to Switzerland in 1938, he reported that Swiss soldiers who he met showed "remarkable understanding of our Jewish problem".
Rommel would have known this, having commanded Hitler's army protection detail in 1939.
In World War II, he distinguished himself as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France.
In a letter to his wife he claimed after several days of blockade of movement and exposure to danger in the ruined city, the inhabitants were now rescued. === France 1940 === ==== Panzer Division commander ==== Following the campaign in Poland, Rommel began lobbying for command of one of Germany's panzer divisions, of which there were then only ten.
Upon taking command on 10 February 1940, Rommel quickly set his unit to practising the maneuvers they would need in the upcoming campaign. ==== Invasion of the Netherlands, Belgium and France ==== The invasion began on 10 May 1940.
He feared the piecemeal commitment of their armoured forces would cause them to become caught in a battle of attrition which they could not hope to win. The notion of holding the armour inland to use as a mobile reserve force from which they could mount a powerful counterattack applied the classic use of armoured formations as seen in France 1940.
This invasion was later cancelled, as Germany was not able to acquire the air superiority needed for a successful outcome, while the Kriegsmarine was massively outnumbered by the Royal Navy. === North Africa 1941–1943 === On 6 February 1941, Rommel was appointed commander of the new Deutsches Afrika Korps (DAK), consisting of the 5th Light Division (later renamed 21st Panzer Division) and of the 15th Panzer Division.
Rommel appointed Heinrich Kirchheim as commander of 5th Light Division on 16 May, became displeased and replaced him with Johann von Ravenstein on 30 May 1941. In August, Rommel was appointed commander of the newly created Panzer Army Africa, with Fritz Bayerlein as his chief of staff.
Rommel opposed him with the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions with a total of 260 tanks, the 90th Light Infantry division, five Italian infantry divisions, and one Italian armoured division of 278 tanks. Auchinleck launched Operation Crusader, a major offensive to relieve Tobruk, on 18 November 1941.
The Allies kept up the pressure, and Rommel was forced to retreat all the way back to the starting positions he had held in March, reaching El Agheila in December 1941.
Between December 1941 and June 1942, Rommel had excellent information about the disposition and intentions of the Commonwealth forces.
The court included Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Keitel, Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt, Generaloberst Heinz Guderian, General der Infanterie Walther Schroth and Generalleutnant Karl-Wilhelm Specht, with General der Infanterie Karl Kriebel and Generalleutnant Heinrich Kirchheim (whom Rommel had fired after Tobruk in 1941) as deputy members and Generalmajor Ernst Maisel as protocol officer.
The Bardia garrison surrendered on 2 January and Halfaya on 17 January 1942.
The British had retaken almost all of Cyrenaica, but Rommel's retreat dramatically shortened his supply lines. ==== Battle of Gazala and capture of Tobruk ==== On 5 January 1942 the Afrika Korps received 55 tanks and new supplies and Rommel started planning a counterattack.
Between December 1941 and June 1942, Rommel had excellent information about the disposition and intentions of the Commonwealth forces.
Bonner Fellers, the US diplomat in Egypt, was sending detailed reports to the US State Department using a compromised code. Following Kesselring's successes in creating local air superiority around the British naval and air bases at Malta in April 1942, an increased flow of supplies reached the Axis forces in Africa.
In addition, 240 Italian tanks were in service, but these were under-gunned and poorly armoured. Early in the afternoon of 26 May 1942, Rommel attacked first and the Battle of Gazala commenced.
Erwin von Witzleben, who would have become commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht had the plot succeeded, was a field marshal, but had been inactive since 1942.
While Rommel was at Kasserine at the end of January 1943, the Italian General Giovanni Messe was appointed commander of Panzer Army Africa, renamed the Italo-German Panzer Army in recognition of the fact that it consisted of one German and three Italian corps.
It included the Italo-German Panzer Army under Messe (renamed 1st Italian Army) and the German 5th Panzer Army in the north of Tunisia under General Hans-Jürgen von Arnim. The last Rommel offensive in North Africa was on 6 March 1943, when he attacked Eighth Army at the Battle of Medenine.
The fighting there continued on for another two months, until 13 May 1943, when General Messe surrendered the Armeegruppe Afrika to the Allies. === Italy 1943 === On 23 July 1943, Rommel was moved to Greece as commander of Army Group E to counter a possible British invasion.
On 16 August 1943, Rommel's headquarters moved to Lake Garda in northern Italy and he formally assumed command of the group, consisting of the 44th Infantry Division, the 26th Panzer Division and the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler.
When Italy announced its armistice with the Allies on 8 September, Rommel's group took part in Operation Achse, disarming the Italian forces. Hitler met with Rommel and Kesselring to discuss future operations in Italy on 30 September 1943.
On 21 November, Hitler gave Kesselring overall command of the Italian theatre, moving Rommel and Army Group B to Normandy in France with responsibility for defending the French coast against the long anticipated Allied invasion. === Atlantic Wall 1944 === On 4 November 1943, Rommel became General Inspector of the Western Defences.
The relationship seemed to go significantly downhill after a conversation in July 1943, in which Hitler told Rommel that if they did not win the war, the Germans could rot.
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German general and military theorist.
He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944. With the Nazis gaining power in Germany, Rommel gradually came to accept the new regime, with historians giving different accounts on the specific period and his motivations.
In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler.
On 21 November, Hitler gave Kesselring overall command of the Italian theatre, moving Rommel and Army Group B to Normandy in France with responsibility for defending the French coast against the long anticipated Allied invasion. === Atlantic Wall 1944 === On 4 November 1943, Rommel became General Inspector of the Western Defences.
It was granted on 15 January 1944, when "much valuable time had been lost." He set out to improve the fortifications along the Atlantic Wall with great energy and engineering skill.
Undeterred, Rommel had millions of mines laid and thousands of tank traps and obstacles set up on the beaches and throughout the countryside, including in fields suitable for glider aircraft landings, the so-called Rommel's asparagus.(The Allies would later counter these with Hobart's Funnies) In April 1944 Rommel promised Hitler that the preparations would be complete by 1 May, but by the time of the Allied invasion the preparations were far from finished.
By D-Day on 6 June 1944 nearly all the German staff officers, including Hitler's staff, believed that Pas-de-Calais was going to be the main invasion site, and continued to believe so even after the landings in Normandy had occurred. The 5 June storm in the channel seemed to make a landing very unlikely, and a number of the senior officers were away from their units for training exercises and various other efforts.
On 17 July 1944, as Rommel was returning from visiting the headquarters of the I SS Panzer Corps, a fighter plane piloted by either Charley Fox of 412 Squadron, Jacques Remlinger of No.
These papers, accidentally discovered by historian Christian Schweizer in 2018 while doing research on Rudolf Hartmann, include Hartmann's eyewitness account of a conversation between Rommel and Stülpnagel in May 1944, as well as photos of the mid-May 1944 meeting between the inner circle of the resistance and Rommel at Koßmann's house.
According to Hartmann, by the end of May, in another meeting at Hartmann's quarters in Mareil–Marly, Rommel showed "decisive determination" and clear approval of the inner circle's plan. According to a post-war account by Karl Strölin, three of Rommel's friends—the Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart, Strölin (who had served with Rommel in the First World War), Alexander von Falkenhausen and Stülpnagel—began efforts to bring Rommel into the anti-Hitler conspiracy in early 1944.
On 15 April 1944 Rommel's new chief of staff, Hans Speidel, arrived in Normandy and reintroduced Rommel to Stülpnagel.
He thus decided to offer Rommel the chance to take his own life. Two generals from Hitler's headquarters, Wilhelm Burgdorf and Ernst Maisel, visited Rommel at his home on 14 October 1944.
Klaus Schmider comments that the writings of Lieb and others succeed in vindicating Rommel "both with regards to his likely complicity in the July plot as well as his repeated refusal to carry out illegal orders." In the Normandy campaign both Allied and German troops murdered prisoners of war on occasion during June and July 1944.
The truth behind Rommel's death became known to the Allies when intelligence officer Charles Marshall interviewed Rommel's widow, Lucia Rommel, as well as from a letter by Rommel's son Manfred in April 1945. Rommel's grave is located in Herrlingen, a short distance west of Ulm.
Rommel's son Manfred Rommel stated in documentary The Real Rommel, published in 2001 by Channel 4 that his father would "look the other way" when faced with anti-Jewish violence on the streets.
These papers, accidentally discovered by historian Christian Schweizer in 2018 while doing research on Rudolf Hartmann, include Hartmann's eyewitness account of a conversation between Rommel and Stülpnagel in May 1944, as well as photos of the mid-May 1944 meeting between the inner circle of the resistance and Rommel at Koßmann's house.
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