Description

Born in Heidenheim, Wurttemberg in 1891 son of a school master, Rommel entered the German Army Officers Training School in 1910 and joined the 124th Infantry Regiment in 1912. Serving with distinction in World War I on many battle fronts, Rommel was awarded the “Pour le Merite” for his service in the battle of Caporetto in 1917. In the between war years Rommel performed a variety of roles which included Infantry School instructor, wrote a book on tactics, commanded a jeager battalion and was in command of the unit that protected fuhrer Adolph Hitler.

In 1940 Rommel took over command of the 7th Panzer Division which played a key role in the defeat of France. In 1941 he was given command of the German Africa Corps based in Libya, where he earned the title “Desert Fox” among friends and foes for his brilliant and skillful direction of the Axis forces in North Africa.

March 1943 saw his return to Europe from Africa where he commanded Army Group B. Rommel supervised the strengthening and building of the German Atlantic Wall defenses in France.

Wounded by an air attack and unfairly blamed for not stopping the Allied invasion forces in June 1944, the disillusioned Rommel became implicated in the unsuccessful plot on Hitler’s life. Given the choice of standing trial or taking his own life Rommel committed suicide by taking poison.

Because of his great popularity with the German people Hitler’s regime gave him a state funeral falsely claiming he died of his wounds.

Rommel was one of the greatest generals of WWII. He was admired and respected by the Allies as well as his Axis mentors.