How should history judge the life and career of Erwin Rommel, the most famous German general of the Second World War, 70 years after his death on 14 October 1944? In his own time and in the years immediately after the war his reputation as a great and chivalrous commander grew to the point where it took on almost legendary proportions, and the legend is still with us today.
His support for the plot to remove Hitler from power in 1944 and the manner of his death, committing suicide in order to protect his family from Nazi retribution, further enhanced his image as an honorable, professional soldier. But does he deserve this legendary status? Can his exploits as a soldier and commander and his conduct of the war be separated from the aggressive aims of Hitler and the Nazis whom he and the German army served?
These are among the key questions Ian Beckett and his team of expert contributors seeks to answer in this stimulating and timely study of Rommel and his legacy.
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel...
Related Scanning WWII dates...
- 06 Feb 41: Lt Gen Rommel appointed commander of the Afrika Korps
- 12 Feb 41: Rommel arrives in Tripoli with his Afrika Korps
- 19 Mar 41: Hitler tells Rommel not to expect reinforcements in Libya until May
- 24 Mar 41: Rommel begins his North African offensive
- 15 Aug 41: Panzer Group Afrika is activated with Rommel in command
- 17 Nov 41: British mission to kill Rommel fails because he is away in Rome
- 22 Jun 42: Rommel is promoted to the rank of Field Marshal
- 03 Nov 42: Hitler orders Rommel's Afrika Korps to stand and fight
- 09 Mar 43: Rommel leaves North Africa for reasons of health
- 11 Mar 43: Rommel receives Diamonds to his Knight's Cross medal
- 12 Dec 43: Rommel takes command of northern coastal defenses
- 15 May 44: Rommel invited to anti-Hitler meeting, but does not attend
- 05 Jun 44: Rommel goes back to Germany for his wife's birthday
- 29 Jun 44: Rommel urges Hitler to pursue peace, which he rejects
- 15 Jul 44: Rommel writes to Hitler, again urging he sue for peace
- 17 Jul 44: Rommel is wounded when his staff car is strafed
Related WWII Store items...
- Rommel:
A Reappraisal - The Desert Fox:
DVD, 1951 - Patton And Rommel:
Men of War in the Twentieth Century
