Erwin Rommel - The Legendary German Field Marshal of World War Second

 Erwin Rommel- The Desert Fox

15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944 (aged 52)

   

Early Life, carrier and First World War

Erwin Rommel one of the greatest generals in military history was born in Heidenheim, Germany, on 15th November, 1891. Rommel wanted to study engineering but his father was not interested so in 1910 he joined the Genman Army.

When the First World War started in a very short duration Rommel won the Iron Cross for bravery in the field where despite being injured and running out of ammunition he attacked three French soldiers hidden in woods. In 1917 Rommel served on the Italian Front and where he captured 150 Italian officers, 9000 soldiers with 81 guns. He was promoted to captain and awarded pour le merite.

Carrier after First World War

After the war Rommel remained in the German army and in 1929 he was appointed an instructor at the Infantry School in Dresden. He is promoted to Major in 1933 and later to Colonel in 1937 while teaching at the War College.

Rommel was an excellent teacher; Rommel’s lectures were published as a book on infantry tactics in 1937. The book was read by Adolf Hitler. After reading book Hitler was greatly impressed by Rommel's ideas so Hitler arranged for him to command his HQ staff in Austria and Czechoslovakia. The following year he did the same job in Poland.

Second World War

Erwin Rommel was given command of the 7th Panzer Division that invaded France in May, 1940. Rommel's troops moved faster and farther than any other army in military history settling a world record after moving 150 miles in one day. During the six week campaign, Rommel's force alone captures nearly 100,000 French prisoners and 450 enemy tanks losing in the process less than 42 tanks. French campaigns earned his division nicknamed “Ghost Divison” because of the speed and surprise. On 27^th may 1940 during the battle of Arras Erwin Rommel was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

 As a result of his exploits in France he was promoted to the rank of general. When Benito Mussolini asked for help in North Africa Adolf Hitler sent Rommel to command the new Africa Corp and successfully drove the British 8th Army out of Libya. In 1942 At 49, he attains the rank of Field Marshal - the youngest in the Wehrmacht. In his first encounter with U.S. forces that land in North Africa, Rommel inflicts losses of 6,000 men, 183 tanks, and 200 artillery pieces at a cost to his force of 1,000 men and only 20 tanks. He moved into Egypt but was defeated at El Alamein because the combined Anglo-American enemy grows ever more powerful in numbers and logistics while the supply of the Afrika Korps was falling. With the USA Army landing in Morocco and Algeria, his troops were forced to leave Tunisia. During his North African Campaign He wan nicknamed “The Desert Fox”.

In 1944, Rommel was sent to Normandy in France with responsibility for defending the French coast against the long anticipated Allied invasion. Unable to halt the Allied troops during Operation overload (the codenamed the battle of Normandy) on 15th July, 1944, Rommel warned Hitler that Germany was on the verge of defeat and encouraged him to bring the war to an end.

Plot to assassinate Adlof Hitler

On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made by Lieutenant Colonel Stauffenberg to assassinate Adlof Hitler inside his Wolf’s Lair field headquarters near Rustenburg, East Prussia. Stauffenberg kept the bomb inside his briefcase and placed his briefcase under the table around which Hitler and more than 20 officers had gathered. The bomb detonated, demolishing the conference room. Three officers and the stenographer were seriously injured and died soon after. Hitler survived but his trousers were singed and tattered and he suffered from a perforated eardrum.

After the failed 20^th July plot to assassinate Hitler, many conspirators were arrested and the dragnet expanded to anyone even suspected of participating.

Erwin Rommel’s Death

 In the autumn of 1944 Hitler discovered that Rommel was plotting against him. After discussing the matter with General Keitel, Hitler decided to offer Rommel a chance to commit suicide. On 14th October, 1944, Rommel was visited by two generals Wilhelm Burgdorf and Ernst Maisel who had been sent by Hitler with an ultimatum: suicide with a state funeral and protection for his family and staff, or trial for high treason by People’s Court. Rommel decided to suicide and bid farewell to his wife and son and was driven off in an army car after swallowing the capsule. Rommel was buried with full-military honors and given a hero's farewell. Officially it was stated that he had died of a brain seizure.