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Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel
This man in the picture is a great man in my eyes, he is Erwin Rommel, popularly known as the "Desert Fox" and in some cases The Last True Knight of Germany, as well as being a great tactician and commander.
"He seemed to know just what the enemy were like and how they would probably react. His plans were often startling, instinctive, spontaneous and not infrequently obscure." ~ Theodor Werner
During World War 1 he fought in France aswell as Romania and Italy, being known for using flanking tactics under the cover of night.
During World War 2 he is known for fighting in Afrika and such.
Rommel would treat his prisoners of war well believing "that all prisoners of war should be well looked after and not abused."
One story told at the time was that Italian troops took from British POWs’ their watches and other valuables. When Rommel found out, he ordered that they be returned to their owners immediately. To many British ‘Desert Rats’, Rommel epitomised a gentleman’s approach to a deadly issue – war.
He was part of a plot to kill Hitler which failed and since the public had this idea of a hero to the people Hitler chose to have him kill himself rather than publicly kill him, Hitler covered this up saying his car was strafed and he was buried with full military honours.
Overall I think of this man as a role model and although he was affiliated with the Nazis he was most definitely not one.
Thank you for reading.
tom8686
My son studied him at West Point. It was a requirement, possibly because he went into the armor division after graduating.
inagarten
Thank you so much for adding some much needed history to imgur!
willywheat
Its skewed, whitewashing history..
puppyfart
Hey thanks gunna use this for my history report- some high schooler probably
ThompsonwithaP
How true is all of this? Any historians hanging around?
haltwenty13
Only significant Nazi war hero.
DukeofKMS
Manstein was even better as a general. And Guderian came up with the tactics Rommel made famous
questionableanswers
von Manstein, Guderian, von Manteuffel, Galland, Kesselring, Model, von Saucken, von Kleist, von Rundstedt, von Kluge? Rly the only one?
DukeofKMS
Mölders, Marseile, Kretschmer, Prien, Wittmann, and so fuckin on...
RenardLeBlanc
Emphasis on the fox
damnitfilch
I mean, he still had no problem conquering land for the nazis, and he probably wasn't blind to what happened in occupied territories.
willywheat
He allowed the SS to round up and kill Jews in Tunisia and promised to support them in Palestine once he conquered that land.
samthebarbarian
No, this is Erwin.
Kosmokat16
well now I actually want the sauce on this.
ordohereticusinquisitor
Girls und Panzer.
suplexbear
Girls und panzer its on crunchy roll and other sites I don't know
ButterfaceTaintClown
Omg. You're a Nazi too.
MrMcCookieMuffin
He was merely a man who served his nation, like any other man of the allied/axis powers.At least he wasn't a completecunt like someotherstoo
willywheat
Except that he was complacent in war crimes. Many Jews in Tunisia died because of him and he promised to help the SS in Palestine to kill..
willywheat
and round up Jews there as well..
ChristopherFlying
He was an over promoted brigadier general who only advanced his career thanks to a personal relationship with Hitler.
blobtron
He wasn't merely a man! He was an exceptional man! I get your view though
GasBandit
Yeah, here are a hundred nazis worse than Rommel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDk1zGnEwgE
thorr97
Rommel was a Nazi. And he idolized Hitler. He was a highly aggressive commander but that cost Germany North Africa & then Italy.
theshadowrealmyugiboy
One of the only people who ignored Hitlers orders. Upon entering africa he ordered an attack. It was successful but he had orders to hold.
TheWombatStrikesAgain
Yeah, Hitlers officers tended to be more successful, the more they were able to ignore his orders.
Savvz
The Afrika campaign was never meant to be an offensive. Rommel was to hold with the Italians. Instead he attacked and lost everything.
JeanClaudeVanDammeWithARainbowColouredAfroAndASackOfCripsyCream
He was an offensive commander. He knew his strengths and weaknesses. If he had stayed still, he would had been obliberated
TessHM
"lmao what even are supply lines?" - Rommel 1940
Savvz
He wasn't even a good offensive commander. He outran his supply lines like it was his job, forgetting that tanks need fuel to move.
11111111111111111111
The more you know: Here in Northrhine-Westfalia there is a casern which was named in honour of Erwin Rommel in 1961.
DukeofKMS
It's one of the biggest ones we've got in the whol of Deutschland, init?
LukeohDog
In my opinion, he was not as good a general as he is often portrayed. Particularly in Africa he made some silly tactical mistakes.
LukeohDog
Nazi propaganda however reported to a great extent on him and stylized him into something he definitely wasn’t, at least not to this extent.
OmaHans
He most likely was no part of the plot to kill Hitler. He knew of it , but refused to get involved.
pantsinabucket
Rommel never opposed Hitler himself. He hated the fact that he was being manipulated by Goering, Himmler, Bohrmann, etc.
Wekovski
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel#Plot_against_Hitler Well. The more you know.
ElPoloDiablo
Knowledge was enough to have him sentenced though. Quite a few officers had knowledge of the plot and got sentenced for it.
OmaHans
True. You could say thats the bill he had to pay for being undecisive. Either support the attempt or report it.
OmaHans
In Gefahr und größter Not bringt der Mittelweg den Tod.
Azhrael
The people behind Operation Valkyrie thought wanted to use Rommel to plant the bomb but he was wounded by a dive bomber in france before he
Azhrael
was able to answer. Oh and btw his son was a long time mayor for Baden-Württembergs capitol Stuttgart.
GuyNamedSean
Though, if he refused to get involved and eat them out, would that not be an indicator that he supported the actions?
tevyethemad
He didn't get involved because he knew his family would be targeted and tortured or killed. He hated the nazis, but loved his family more.
roonic86
Well I mean, they're just downright rude for not thanking him after he ate them out.
aintnobodygottime4dat
I'm glad someone knows History on here. +1
mbghost
He did refuse to turn jewish pows over to hitler.and besides, opposing Hitler's rise would have been suicide.
willywheat
Yet Tunisian Jews still died because Rommel allowed SS to work behind the lines to round them up. Rommel even promised to give aid to SS..
willywheat
in Palestine to rounding up the Jews there once he conquered that area..
MrPeterCapaldi
No, it wouldn't have. He is in large part one of the reasons Hitler was able to rise to power and was gleeful about his proximity to Hitler.
aintnobodygottime4dat
I agree. Also they were killing folks for "Defeatism" all the way to the end.
Narushima
The man was a Nazi, you bloody apologist.
DukeofKMS
Yeah he was. But he and some of his superiors came up with the style of warfare, tge US uses ever since. So he's somewhat like von Braun.
Narushima
Who was also a Nazi. They both were terrific at what they did, but that doesn't change what they were.
DukeofKMS
I do think the same. They were more than good in what they did.... but they did it on the wrong side.
Wastyvez
Actually he wasn't, he never joined the NSDAP, he wanted nothing to do with the Waffen-SS, he directly opposed Hitler's orders, and his 1)
Wastyvez
Afrikakorps was never tried for war crimes due to the lack of racial issues and minimising civilian casualties. 2)
Narushima
Yes, I'm sure his being a general of a Nazi army was just a misunderstanding.
Wastyvez
Do you understand the basic difference between the Waffen-SS and the Wehrmacht? The army is supposed to be inherently neutral. It's a 1)
Wastyvez
nation's tool to be used according to the desires of those that have been voted into power. In this case that was the Nazi party. Does 2)
Wastyvez
that mean it makes every Wehrmacht soldier a Nazi? No, and you're ignorant to believe it does. 3)
DukeofKMS
C'mon dude.... he actively supported a war, wich was a crime in itself. Das musst du schon einsehen.
CitizenDickbag
He openly admired Hitler.
Wastyvez
Actually it was the other way around. Hitler admired Rommel, who in turn used his relationship with Hitler to further his own career.
Wastyvez
Rommel was favourable towards Hitler's dictatorial rule, but not towards National Socialism in general.
ordohereticusinquisitor
He acted as a liason between the Hitler Youth and army https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rommel_myth#Relationship_with_National_Socialism
Wastyvez
That still doesn't make him a Nazi. Rommel was part of a brand of Germans with a militaristic mentality, common among officers back then.
Wastyvez
In fact if you had bothered to read the article you linked, it explicitly says he wanted to disconnect the Hitler Youth from NSDAP control.
Wastyvez
He saw the rise of an authoritarian ruler like Hitler good for his career and for Germany, but wasn't an aherent of Nazi ideology.
ordohereticusinquisitor
Sure he wasn't a party member, but given his closeness to upper leadership he clearly endorsed the party, he actively supported them.
Wastyvez
He only supported the regime in such a way that it served his interests. In essence he manipulated the NSDAP to advance his own career.
Wastyvez
Apart from Hitler and Goebbels, his relationship with the Nazi leadership was hostile, and he was openly critical of Himmler and Goering.
Wastyvez
the Nazi propaganda machine that depicted him as a national hero, but denounced the efforts to depict him as an early party member. 2)
Wastyvez
But ideologically he was not a Nazi. He did not commit or endorse any war crimes, and in fact showed disgust towards them. He welcomed )
MrPeterCapaldi
Yeah, but he was still a Nazi, supported Hitler during his rise to power, and was onboard with invading everyone else from the get go.
willywheat
and regardless, many Jews in Tunisia died because of Rommel conquering for Nazi Germany. Rommel even promised his men to help the SS round..
willywheat
up Jews and other undesirables in Palestine once he reached that land.
Muny300
Because I'm sure it's that black and white.
bloodybunny009
Yes he was an admirer of Hitler, but evidence suggests he wasn't a Nazi. According to surviving records he never joined the Nazi party.
willywheat
Many Jews and more civilians still died in Tunisia behind the lines because of him conquering for Nazi Germany..
bloodybunny009
I'm not saying he is absolved from his acts in the war, but calling him a Nazi is false information.
willywheat
Dude. He is wearing at least two swastikas in those above photos.. and he promised the SS help in rounding up Jews in Palestine.
Wastyvez
Many military officers supported Hitler in the early days for militaristic reasons, not ideological reasons. They believed Germany needed 1)
Wastyvez
a strong leader to become relevant again after being completely stripped of power after WWI and the ensuing 'Diktat von Versailles'. 2)
Wastyvez
Rommel was one of those people, but he was also one of those people who quickly became desillusioned by Hitler and the NSDAP's methods. 3)
shitpost345
Poland had it coming. Waving it's unprotected lands around. She was practically begging to be invaded
throughthoughtthough
Yea just look what they were wearing, they were asking for it.
mibango
Why do the polish never forget how they almost defeated russia once?
newworldtraveller
Poland secretly wanted it
shitpost345
I mean. I didnt hear her say no
iLoveItWhenMyFingersSmellLikePussy
And I heard that "no" sometimes actually means "yes"
TheWombatStrikesAgain
I wouldn't say they had it coming, but they were an asshole dictatorship. They were just weaker than the asshole dictatorship next door.
shitpost345
Never be weaker then the asshole next door. Unless uncle Sam backs u up
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newworldtraveller
Mexico?
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Can you say how many officers are 'genuinely onboard with invasion' as opposed to knowing they just want to look out for their men?
MrPeterCapaldi
No, but Rommel absolutely was.
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Was it anything to do with the '20 year armistice' Treaty?
MrPeterCapaldi
Rommel supported Hitler from the beginning so yes-ish. Because of it, but went beyond it. Can't get into the intricacies in an Imgur comment
abeaverisjustakindofrodentgetoveritalready
Fair enough – and thanks for clarification, I should look into this myself. Have a nice day/evening, also, fellow imgurian.
Ghostwish
1. The Nazi party did not start off yelling about gassing jews and starting wars. It looked like a great idea for many desperate germans.1/2
cyberspork
No, you are incredibly wrong. It definitely DID start off about getting rid of the jews. Learn your history before spouting drivel
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Ghostwish
It's why I said this tactic is being used again.. Poorly, but it's being used.
ChristopherFlying
Have you actually read Mein Kampf or any of the early Nazi testimonials?
cyberspork
He clearly hasn't and likes to talk out of his ass
Ghostwish
2. And so did Hitler. You really think he rose to power preaching racism and genocide? And finally 3. WW2 was inevitable. We -shat- on 2/3
cyberspork
Yes, it was. Mein Kampf is almost entirely about getting rid of the "Jewish Menace" to make way for a pure aryan nation
Ghostwish
germany after WW1. So of course he was okay with invading. It's around the time the holocaust kicked off her started going against Hitler.
MrPeterCapaldi
He didn't turn on Hitler because of the antisemitism, he turned on Hitler because he thought he was losing them the war.
Ghostwish
Supposition. Anyone who claims to know his thoughts is a fool. We only know roughly when he acted against Hitler.