Page 78 - All About History 58 - 2017 UK

HERO
HERO

OR

VILLAIN?
VILLAIN?

Erwin

Rommel

Should we consider the Desert Fox to be a
self-serving Nazi whose military prowess was

greatly exaggerated, or was he really the

white knight of the Wehrmacht?

Written by Peter Price
etter known by his nickname the ‘Desert Red Baron. With this honour, Rommel entered
Fox’, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel is one the interwar years with a high military celebrity
of the more famous and polarising military status, making his ambitious climb through the
commanders of World War II. Instantly ranks much easier.
Brecognisable by his trademark leather jacket From his experiences in World War I, Rommel
and scarf, his command of the German Afrika published a military stratagem named Infantry
Korps in their fight against General ‘Monty’ Attacks in 1937, which gained him the attention Defining
Montgomery and the 8th Army has seen his of another Great War veteran, Adolf Hitler. moment
memory attain legendary status in the public eye. The Führer was drawn to Rommel’s daring Ghost Division
A member of the armed forces under the and aggressive command style and their In the opening months of WWII Rommel
leadership of a powerful eugenicist, he is often friendship would flourish. was given command of the 7th Panzer
held up as one of the few chivalrous men in an Rommel was appointed commander of Division. Utilising ‘Blitzkrieg’, or lightning war,
he cut deep into the French defences and the
otherwise toxic leadership. But do his character and Hitler’s security detachment during the country fell in a matter of weeks. Rommel used
actions reflect this, or has propaganda — both Axis opening months of war when German his tanks to travel vast distances to surprise
and Allied — muddled our view of a power-hungry forces pushed into Poland. This close French defenders and his unit moved so
quickly that both the Allied and Axis
man who was willing to further the schemes of the proximity to the Führer meant that the two high commands couldn’t pinpoint
Nazi regime by any means necessary? became close, impressing each other and their location.
Rommel came out of World War I a respected finding mutual respect. As dismissive as he May — June 1940
and highly decorated infantry commander, was of other high-ranking Nazi officials, Rommel
winning the Pour le Mérite, the highest Prussian seems to have idolised Hitler and separated him
military medal that could be awarded. This was from the rest of the party.
the same honour bestowed on wartime celebrities This mutual respect was also partly based on the
like Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the fact that Rommel did not come from the Prussian

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