His father was a school teacher and his mother was the daughter of the former president of the Württemberg government. Erwin had two brothers: Karl and Gerhard. Carl went on to become a successful dentist and Gerhard an opera singer. In addition, he had a sister, Helen, whom he loved very much. Subsequently, she became a teacher of art and needlework at the Waldorf School in Stuttgart.
Rommel's son Manfred was Mayor of the city from 1974 to 1996.
Erwin's childhood was not just stormy, but violent. He constantly set himself difficult tasks and achieved success. As a child, he dreamed of becoming an aeronautical engineer, but his father, a pedantic German, objected to him: “There is no support in the air,” and put him before a choice between the profession of a teacher and military service. Military service seemed to Rommel more preferable, and he chose it.
Carier start
In 1912, Rommel fell in love with the twenty-year-old Walburga Stemmer. He seriously thought about marriage, but did not have such an opportunity. At that time, an officer had to pay a deposit of 10,000 marks upon marriage. This amount far exceeded his financial capabilities.
When his father found out about this connection in 1913, he immediately demanded that Rommel break it off. Erwin Rommel refused. Walburga was by then already in her fifth month of pregnancy. His father never found out about this - in December of the same year, Rommel Sr. died.
While studying at the officers' school, he met his future wife, Lucy Mollen. They officially married in 1916. Their only child, son Manfred, was born on Christmas Eve 1928.
World War I
An episode is known that is evidence of the courage and heroism of the young Erwin Rommel. So, on August 22, 1914, during the rapid advance of the Germans on Paris, which went down in history as the battle on the Marne River, Rommel, together with a platoon subordinate to him, conducted reconnaissance. There was thick fog when he and three of his soldiers approached a small village held by the French. Walking around the farmer's house, Rommel came face to face with twenty enemy soldiers on the road. And although the enemy did not suspect an ambush because of the thick fog, Erwin did not hesitate to order to open fire on them. While the shootout was going on, a platoon subordinate to Rommel arrived in time. The attack on the village, carried out without the sanction of the battalion commander, was successful. While half of the soldiers set fire to houses and barns, the other half attacked the French, eventually forced to retreat. In this battle, for the first time, Rommel's courage and his penchant for adventurous actions appeared.
Interwar period
The Second World War
French campaign
By the end of 1941, when the offensive capabilities of the German forces were exhausted, the British managed to gain a foothold in Benghazi. In December 1941, using the weakness of supplies and the fatigue of parts of the Africa Panzer Group, the British army, which had a significant advantage in manpower and equipment, launched a well-planned offensive, forcing Rommel's troops to leave Cyrenaica and retreat to their original positions, to the borders of Tripolitania. Nevertheless, Rommel managed to avoid the trap prepared for him and prevent the encirclement of his units, while retaining most of the military equipment. After that, the nickname "Desert Fox" was firmly entrenched in him. Winston Churchill, speaking in the House of Commons, said: "We have before us a very experienced and brave opponent and, I must confess, despite this devastating war, a great commander" ("We have a very daring and skillful opponent against us, and, may I say across the havoc of war, a great general").
The British commander-in-chief of the forces of the Middle East, General Auchinleck, issued the following unique order in the summer of 1941, which has no analogues:
To all commanders and chiefs of staff
From: Commander-in-Chief Development is going faster
There is a real danger that our friend Rommel will become a sorcerer or scarecrow for our soldiers.
Too much is already being said about him. He is by no means a superhuman, although he is very energetic and has powers. Even if he were superhuman, it would be highly undesirable for our soldiers to believe in his supernatural power.
I want you to dispel in every possible way the notion that Rommel is anything more than an ordinary German general. For this, it seems important do not name Rommel when we talk about the enemy in Libya. We should mention "Germans" or "Axis" or "enemy", but in no case focus on Rommel.
Please take steps to implement this order immediately and bring to the attention of all commanders that, from a psychological point of view, this is a matter of the highest importance.
C. J. Auchinleck
The brightest moment of his military career came on June 20, 1942, when Rommel commanded the Afrika army in the battle for the city of Tobruk, which at that time was the most fortified fortress in Africa. It was believed that it was impossible to take it. It was the main bridgehead of the allies and, although it had been blocked before, it was stormed many times, it was not possible to knock out the defenders from the fortress. On the morning of June 20, Ju-87 Stuka dive bombers dropped bombs on the minefield, sappers cleared the passage, and hundreds of tanks rushed into the hole right on the defensive lines. On the night and morning of June 21, the last pockets of resistance in the outlying districts of the city were crushed. After Tobruk was taken, the situation changed in favor of Germany, and Erwin Rommel got into the pages of British newspapers.
Without letting the enemy come to his senses, Rommel launches a daring counteroffensive against superior British forces, called "Aida", and by July 1942, parts of his army were already near El Alamein, just 100 kilometers from Alexandria and the Nile Delta. In two weeks of rapid advance, Rommel drove the superior British army back to its original positions in the Nile Delta region. For the British troops, this was one of the most difficult moments of the entire war. On June 22, 1942, Rommel was promoted to the rank of Field Marshal.
At the same time, due to the acute shortage of fuel and the lack of reinforcements in manpower and materiel, the offensive of Rommel's army gradually stopped. Until the end of October 1942, a precarious balance was established in North Africa: the German-Italian forces did not have fuel for their motorized units, and the British were accumulating forces at the expense of fresh colonial divisions and the latest military equipment arriving from the United States. The situation was aggravated by the fact that Rommel developed an acute form of amoebic dysentery, and he was forced to fly to Germany for hospitalization. Therefore, when the British launched their offensive, the field marshal had to urgently return to Africa without finishing his treatment, but he arrived after the battle of El Alamein had been lost. In less than two weeks, the Panzer Army "Africa" was thrown back a thousand kilometers back to Tunisia.
January 6th, 2013
This is General of the Nazi Army Erwin Rommel, one of the participants in the inhuman fascist regime in Germany and a Nazi criminal. But like any person, he has his own story. I found her quite interesting.
Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel (German Erwin Eugen Johannes Rommel, November 15, 1891 - October 14, 1944) was a German field marshal general (1942) and commander of troops in North Africa. For the successful command of the fighting in the desert, he received the nickname "Desert Fox" (German: Der Wustenfuchs).
Erwin Rommel was born on November 15, 1891 in Heidenheim an der Brentz, near Ulm, Wurttemberg. His father was a simple school teacher, and his mother was the daughter of the former president of the Württemberg government. Rommel planned to become an engineer, but, in July 1910, he enlisted in the army. He joined his local infantry unit, the 124th (6th Württemberg) Infantry Regiment as an officer cadet. After three months of service, Rommel received the rank of corporal, and after another 6 - sergeant.
In March 1911 he entered the officer's military school in Danzig (today Gdansk). After leaving school, in January 1912, Rommel returned to his unit. While studying at the officer's school, he met his future wife, Lucie Maria Mollin. They officially married in 1916. Their only child, son Manfred, was born on Christmas Eve 1928. From 1912 until the end of World War I, Rommel served as a regimental officer and was responsible for recruiting recruits at Weingarten. On August 2, 1914, the Rommel regiment "I was sent to the front, while Rommel himself joined him a few days later, having completed all his business in Weingaarten.
Lieutenant Erwin Rommel and an unknown officer during the First World War
From the beginning of his combat career, Rommel showed himself to be a brave officer, fearlessly attacking the enemy's trenches. In September 1914, Rommel was wounded in the leg while fighting three Frenchmen with a bayonet at once, as he ran out of ammunition. After returning to the front (near Argonne), in January 1915, Rommel received the first award for his bravery - the Iron Cross First Class. In September/October Rommel was transferred to mountain units for training. At the end of 1916, Rommel was sent to the Eastern (Carpathian) Front, to the Siebenburgen region, where he fought the Romanians. In May 1917, he was transferred to the Western Front, to the Hilsen Ridge area, and in August of the same year again to the Carpathian Front, where he took part in the assault on Mount Cosna and Caporetto.
For his selfless actions during the assault on Caporetto, Rommel was presented to the "Pour le Merite" and promoted to captain. Rommel was one of only a few young officers to receive the "Pour le Merite" award. Usually it is awarded exclusively to generals. A short time later, Rommel left for the distribution center for young officers, where he remained until the end of the war. In mid-December 1918 he was assigned to his old regiment at Weingaarten. In the summer of 1919, Erwin Rommel became commander of the internal security company in Friedrichshafen, and in January 1921, commander of an infantry regiment in Stuttgart. Rommel remained in Stuttgart until October 1929, when he was assigned as an instructor to an infantry school in Dresden. At the same time, Rommel wrote his book "Infantry Attacks" ("Infanterie greift an"), which was based on his personal experience gained during the First World War.
In October 1933, Rommel was promoted to major and posted to Goslar, where he commanded a mountain battalion. In October 1935, Rommel became a lieutenant-colonel and received an appointment to teach at the military academy in Potsdam. In November 1938, Rommel became the head of the military academy at Wiener Neustadt, when there was very little time left before the start of the Second World War. In September 1939, Rommel was promoted to major general and became Adolf Hitler's bodyguard commander for the duration of the Polish campaign. At the same time, Rommel realized the full potential of panzer divisions and blitzkrieg tactics. After the Polish campaign, Hitler allowed Rommel to choose his next assignment and he asked for a tank division under his command. On February 15, 1940, Rommel became commander of the 7th Panzer Division, despite the fact that he had no practical experience in a tank war.
In preparation for the German invasion of small countries and France (codenamed Fall Gelb), the 7th Panzer Division Rommel "I became part of the 15th Panzer Corps, located in the center of the invasion line. The 15th Panzer Corps was commanded by General Hoth. May 10 Germany invaded Western Europe on May 12, 1940. On May 12, 1940, the 7th Panzer Division reached Dinant and, after heavy fighting, crossed the Meuse River on May 13. On May 15, Rommel actually reached Philipiville and continued its advance to the West, passing Avesnes , Le Cateau and reached Arleux by May 20. Rommel's plan was to bypass Arras from the south and then turn north towards Lille. On May 21, Rommel reached the Arras region, where his forward units were attacked by two British tank regiments (70 tanks). After the British tanks had inflicted heavy casualties on the German infantry and anti-tank gun crews, their advance was halted with just a few 88mm. Flak anti-aircraft guns located behind the German battle formations.
This was the first time 88mm anti-aircraft guns were used against ground targets, and soon they became famous and feared "tank killers". In preparation for the offensive in central France, which began on June 5, 1940, Rommel's 7th Panzer Division was located near the coastline, in the town of Abbeville. On June 8, Rommel reached the outskirts of Rouen (Rouen), and on May 10 came ashore La Channel near Dieppe (Dieppe). On June 17, Erwin Rommel reached the southern outskirts of Cherbourg (Cherbourg), and on June 19, the city garrison surrendered to him. On June 25, 1940, the battle for France was over. During the battles for France, the 7th Panzer Division Rommel " I got the nickname "Ghost Division" because no one knew where it was at the moment, including the German High Command and the headquarters of Rommel himself. The success of the 7th Panzer Division in France, first of all, was based on speed and maximum distance covered by it.
As commander of the 7th Panzer Division, Rommel was the undisputed military leader with unique command methods. Rommel used to lead his units from the front line, as he felt the importance of having a commander close to his soldiers. Almost always, Rommel went ahead, along with his reconnaissance units, sometimes for a long time without getting in touch with the High Command, as he did not want to be interfered with. Rommel realized for himself that the High Command really did not understand anything about the conduct of a tank war, so he simply cut off the connection and explained himself later. His staff criticized Rommel for this behavior and was sometimes unable to determine where Rommel was at the moment. In his letters to his wife, Erwin Rommel wrote that the French campaign was "a pleasure trip through France."
After the capture of France, Rommel worked on his war diary, which described the events of May-June 1940. In January 1941, Rommel was promoted to lieutenant general, and in early February he was called to Berlin. In Berlin, Rommel is given command of the Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Afrika Korps) and ordered to depart for Tripoli on 12 February. Deutsches Afrika Korps consisted of two divisions and was sent to North Africa to help the German-Italian troops in the fight against the British. From December 1940 to January 1941, the British drove the Italian troops out of Egypt back into Libya. On February 14, the first units of the 5th Light Panzer Division, together with their commander, Erwin Rommel, landed in Tripoli and joined up with the 15th Panzer Division in early May. Immediately upon arrival, Rommel found the Italian units completely demoralized as a result of the defeats inflicted on them by the British.
On February 27, 1941, the Afrika Korps had its first combat encounter with British troops at El Agheila (Libya), and on March 31, a successful attack was carried out on British positions at Mersa Brega. Rommel used the blitzkrieg tactics so well established in France, which were completely unexpected by the British. The "Afrika Korps" continued to push the retreating British units to the east. Rommel marched non-stop from Tripolitania through Libya to Cyrenaica and captured Benghazi. On April 13, Rommel captured Bardia and Sallum, and by April 15, 1941, reached the western border of Egypt. Rommel's offensive "I forced the British troops and their allies to retreat behind the fortified defensive line around Tobruk. The first time Rommel tried to break through the defensive line of Tobruk on April 11. The attack continued until April 13, but bogged down. The second attempt, made from April 30 to May 2, 1941 , also proved unsuccessful. Around this time, Rommel "I was nicknamed" Desert Fox "(both allies and opponents), as he constantly improvised in his actions and came up with various tricks to deceive the enemy. At the same time, Rommel becomes a field marshal. Thus, Rommel became the youngest German field marshal - he received this title when he was 50 years old. From mid-April to mid-June 1941, the British attempted a counteroffensive several times, but each time they were driven back with the help of 88mm anti-aircraft guns, which were used as anti-tank guns.
Erwin Rommel set up his 88 mm anti-aircraft guns behind U-shaped sand banks and dug them into the ground. Moreover, they were dug in so deep that the trunk rose only 30-60 cm above the sand level. They dug in due to the fact that they did not have wheels, and the profile was very high and noticeable to the enemy. Then, around each gun position, a light awning was stretched to match the color of the sand, so that even with binoculars it was impossible to determine the firing positions in the sand. When the British saw many of these sand dunes, they were not worried, as they did not know of any German heavy weapons with such a low silhouette. And then Rommel sent his light tanks in a dummy attack on the British positions. The British cruiser tanks, sensing an easy victory, rushed towards them, while the German light tanks turned around and retreated behind the line of 88mm guns. When the distance was reduced to a minimum (artillery crews possessed truly iron restraint), the trap slammed shut and the guns opened fire.
In June 1941, neither side attempted an offensive, but only strengthened its defensive positions. At the same time, Erwin Rommel became very popular in the Arab world and was hailed by him as a liberator from English rule. In Germany, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also used Rommel's popularity among soldiers and civilians to create the image of the invincible Volksmarschall, the people's marshal. Africa) was reorganized and Rommel became the de facto commander of all allied forces in North Africa (the Afrika Korps and five Italian divisions). At the same time, the 5th Light Panzer Division was renamed the 20th Panzer Division, and the newly arrived 90th Light Division joined the Afrika Korps. Rommel urged to send ammunition and ammunition, but received only a small part of what was requested. In October, Rommel began planning a new offensive, and further reorganization and leveling of defensive positions continued until November 1941. On November 17, 1941, in order to blow up the headquarters of Rommel "I and kill him himself, the British sent a special commando unit. But the mission was unsuccessful, since Rommel" I was not there.
On November 18, 1941, the British began their offensive under the code name "Crusader". The attack was aimed at breaking through the encirclement of Tobruk. When the British were stopped (November 22 and 23), Rommel counterattacked and withdrew his units behind the British lines. At the same time, the British reached the environs of Tobruk and, on November 29, broke into the city.
By December 7, 1941, the Afrika Korps was forced to retreat through Cyrenaica and by January 6, 1942, rolled back to El Agheila in Libya. From January 2 to January 17, the German-Italian troops were defeated at Halfaya Pass, Bardia and Sollum. In mid-January, Rommel regrouped his units and decided to launch a new offensive.
At the beginning of 1942, Italian transports, despite the active actions of British aviation, managed to deliver from 50 to 100 (according to various sources) tanks to exhausted troops by sea, which turned out to be sufficient (!!!) for a new crushing offensive of the African Corps. At the end of January 1942, Rommel launched his new offensive, recapturing Benghazi and forcing the British to retreat behind the defensive line of Gazala. In early February, both sides took up defensive positions to straighten their ranks.
On March 27, 1942, Rommel strikes the British with such a sudden and powerful blow that it forces them to roll back to the Egyptian border. A month later, his troops captured Tobruk, a key point of the British defense, which was considered impregnable, capturing 33,000 (!) Of its defenders, nicknamed "Tobruk rats" for their courage and resistance shown in the environment. The day after this, perhaps the most outstanding success of the Wehrmacht in Africa, Rommel was awarded the rank of Field Marshal. The most incredible thing is that the "Desert Fox" made this amazing throw, with only 280 German and 230 Italian tanks and self-propelled guns against almost 1000 British fighting vehicles! In two weeks of rapid advance, the Afrika Korps drove the British 8th Army back to their original positions in the Nile Delta region. For the British troops, this was one of the most dramatic moments of the entire war.
On 21 June Rommel captured Tobruk and decided to continue his advance east into Egypt, and by 30 June had reached the British defensive positions at Marsa Matruh. Pursuing the retreating British units, Rommel reached the defensive fortifications at El Alamein, which were located 96 km from Alexandria and 240 km from Cairo. But by this time, the German-Italian troops were completely exhausted, had only 50 tanks at their disposal and were kept only on trophy supplies. From the beginning of July to the end of August, the British concentrated their efforts on destroying the remnants of the Afrika Korps, but their attempts had little success. Erwin Rommel continued to insist on the delivery of ammunition, fuel and provisions to him, but at that moment all the efforts of the German military machine were directed to the Eastern Front, so Rommel "got only crumbs from the requested support. On August 30, Rommel launched another offensive aimed at Rommel attacked the rear of the British over the Alam Halfa ridge, but very quickly found himself without supplies and outnumbered Allied forces forced him to retreat to his original positions.From September to October 1942 there was another period when both sides refrained from any kind of offensive action, and only occupied themselves with strengthening their defensive positions.In October, ill and in need of treatment, Erwin Rommel left for Germany.On October 23, the British launched their offensive with the aim of regaining lost territory and destroying the German Italian forces in North Africa.
Immediately after the start of the British offensive, Rommel was again recalled to Africa and arrived at his headquarters on 25 October. The British, having an overwhelming superiority in manpower and equipment, quickly defeated the German-Italian forces standing at El Alamein, and by November 12, pursuing scattered enemy forces, they reached Tobruk and captured it. The situation was further worsened by the Anglo-American invasion of Northwest Africa, which began on November 8, 1942 - Operation Torch. The British continued their offensive and, on November 19, they recaptured Benghazi, and then, on December 17, El Agheila. Erwin Rommel, due to the almost complete lack of supplies, was unable to either establish a strong enough defensive position or counterattack, and decided to retreat to the German bridgehead in Tunisia. British troops continued to drive the "Desert Fox" and, on January 23, 1943, captured Tripoli. On February 19, 1943, Rommel launched his last offensive in North Africa. On 20 February he recaptured Kasserine, but on 22 February his attack was halted by overwhelming Allied forces. On the same day, Rommel was appointed to command the newly formed Army Group Africa, which was made up of all the remaining German units in North Africa. But he refused to take command.
On February 23, 1943, Rommel still had to take command of the newly formed Army Group Africa, but after a while he handed over the reins of command to General von Arnim. On March 6, 1943, Rommel left for Germany to report to Adolf Hitler about the hopelessness of the German presence in North Africa. In fact, upon arrival in Germany, he was ordered to "treat" and all Rommel's hopes to return to Africa collapsed. On March 11, 1943, Rommel personally received the "Knight's Cross" from Hitler with "Oak Leaves, swords and diamonds." At that time, Rommel was already physically and mentally exhausted and a shadow of his past glory Two months later, on May 13, 1943, all German-Italian forces in North Africa were completely surrounded and surrendered to the British (200,000 people).
From March to July 1943, Erwin Rommel enjoyed his treatment, spending time with his wife and less often with his son. On July 10, Rommel was appointed military attache in Greece, but very soon recalled back to Germany. In November, he was appointed military attache to Italy, but again, after a short time, he was replaced by General Albert Kesselring. At the end of November 1943, Rommel was sent to France. On December 31, 1943, he received Army Group B under his command and was directly subordinate to Field Marshal von Runstedt. Rommel was in charge of a huge area from Holland to Bordeaux and organized coastal defenses against the expected invasion of the Allied forces. He was also appointed Inspector General, and the "Atlantic Wall" was included in his scope of work. In the course of preparing Western Europe for defense, Rommel developed special anti-amphibious and anti-landing barriers, called "Rommel-Spargel" (Rommel's Asparagus), along with many other structures.
After the successful landing of the Allies in Normandy, in June 1944, Rommel realized that the war was irretrievably lost and that all calls by Hitler to continue it were irresponsible. Wounded during an air raid on July 17, 1944, Rommel could not personally participate in the assassination attempt on Hitler that followed three days later (July 20, 1944). But he was deeply involved in this conspiracy (Rommel's role in the assassination attempt on Hitler has not yet been clarified, and causes heated debate among historians). After the failure of the conspiracy, one of the dying in agony participants named Rommel's name, as a result of which the fate of the commander was a foregone conclusion. Rommel's opposition to Hitler was kept secret because of the great popularity of the former. On August 8, Rommel "I was transferred from the French hospital to Herrlingen, where he was placed under house arrest. Rommel" was given the opportunity to commit suicide so that his death could be passed off as a consequence of past injuries. The alternative was a public trial as a traitor to the nation, which entailed great danger to his family and loved ones.
On October 14, 1944, Rommel was admitted to a hospital in Ulm. Hitler sent two officers to Rommel, giving him the choice of killing himself or facing trial. "I'll be dead in fifteen minutes," Rommel told his wife and took the poison. Hitler ordered to be buried with full military honors. On October 18, Rommel was buried with full military honors, and Hitler personally declared this day a day of national mourning.
Overall, Rommel was an outstanding and undisputed military leader with unique command methods. Rommel was one of the few commanders not involved in any war crimes. He was highly respected by his opponents on the battlefield, and was considered the last of the knights. During the fighting in North Africa, Rommel often cut the water ration for his soldiers so that the prisoners were always provided with it. His personal papers and notes were collected together by his wife Lucie-Maria Rommel and Fritz "em Bayerlein under the title "Rommel's Papers" ("Krieg ohne Hass") and first published in 1950. They describe all the battles of Rommel "I and his personal experience . In the post-war years, the son of Erwin "and Rommel" I, Manfred, rose to the rank of major in Stuttgart.
sources
http://armor.kiev.ua
http://www.chrono.ru
http://www.nazireich.net
The name of one of the youngest and most famous field marshals of the Third Reich, who undoubtedly was an outstanding commander of the Second World War, Erwin Rommel has always been surrounded by many different secrets and unsolved mysteries. It is worth recalling at least the mysterious story with the so-called "Rommel treasures" looted by the SS during the period of hostilities by the expeditionary corps under the command of the field marshal.
It was not in vain that Hitler stopped his eyes precisely on Erwin Rommel when he was choosing which of the commanders of the Third Reich to put at the head of the expeditionary force sent to North Africa to rescue the Italians, who got great from the allies. Mussolini then personally turned to Hitler for help, and hysterical notes sounded in his voice: - We are facing a catastrophe!
The Fuhrer promised to send his soldiers to North Africa as soon as possible. But who should be appointed to command them? Hitler chose Erwin Rommel. The general was considered experienced, daring, very lucky and cunning. An excellent strategist and subtle tactician, Rommel enjoyed the well-deserved love of his subordinates, he was respected by officers and almost idolized by soldiers. And the full confidence of the troops in their commander during heavy fighting already meant half the victory.
February 6, 1941
On February 6, 1941, Hitler appointed Erwin Rommel as commander of the newly created Afrika Korps and tasked him with:
I want you to drive the damned English back to Egypt!
Yes, my Fuhrer! Erwin Rommel answered.
Not having time to land and deploy the battle formations to the end, he immediately began the battle, boldly advancing on the British and inflicting very sensitive blows on them. On March 21, he defeated parts of the British General Archibald Wawel near El Agheila and moved to Tobruk, which protected the path to the Nile. Only at the end of the year did the British manage to somewhat stabilize the situation. In early 1942, Hitler promoted Rommel to the rank of Colonel General.
Already in the middle of the same year, for the successes near Tobruk, the capture of more than thirty thousand British and other victories in Africa, nicknamed the "Desert Fox" Erwin Rommel became Field Marshal. His troops were already only a hundred kilometers from the Nile Delta and ancient Alexandria.
And yet, at the cost of incredible efforts, the British managed to stop the unstoppable advance of the Germans: this happened in October 1943. The British were helped a lot in this by the difficulties of the Germans with the supply of their troops in North Africa, the lack of reserves and the absence of Rommel himself - he flew to Germany for treatment.
Duce of Italy Benito Mussolini
During his absence, the battle of El Alamein, which later became famous, took place in the theater of operations, which the German troops shamefully lost. Churchill even sent a special film about the British victory in North Africa as a gift to Joseph Stalin. But who knows how events would have turned out if Field Marshal Rommel had remained with his troops?
However, Rommel was not in Africa: he returned after the German troops were driven back by the British for more than a thousand kilometers. On March 9, 1943, by Hitler's personal order, Field Marshal Rommel was recalled from Tunisia and returned to Germany.
No step back! Victory or death! called the Fuhrer.
But the situation on the fronts continued to deteriorate. There was a terrible defeat at Stalingrad, then at the Kursk Bulge. Soon they had to leave North Africa. Rommel was appointed commander of Army Group B in Northern Italy.
You showed yourself in Africa,” Hitler told him wearily. - Now I want the almost impossible from you: to prevent the surrender of the Italian troops and to repel the offensive of the British and Americans. The situation is very dangerous, Rommel!
The situation really became extremely dangerous not only for the Italians, but also for the German units. General Field Marshal Rommel, the "Desert Fox", did everything he could, however, he was by no means God and he was not strong enough to radically turn the tide in favor of the Wehrmacht. Italy capitulated and withdrew from the war.
A very intelligent man and an experienced military leader, Field Marshal Rommel also possessed enviable courage. He decided to personally meet with Hitler and directly told him that everything was going to the possible and very soon defeat of Germany in World War II! All the knowledge and experience of a combat general spoke for this. He called on the Fuhrer, before it was too late, to take at least some steps to prevent a possible catastrophe and save science and the country.
If the Germans are not able to win the war, they must disappear from the face of the earth, - an enraged Hitler replied.
Rommel clearly understood: any calls for any reasonable military or political way out of the war would not find any response and support from the Fuhrer. In all likelihood, this was a very bitter discovery and a strong shock for the Field Marshal, who, in his own way, sincerely rooted for the fate of Germany.
The threat of an Allied landing in France forced Hitler to appoint Rommel as commander of the army group in the north of the country - this happened in January 1944. Here, the functions of the Field Marshal also included the command of the western defensive line. Even before the landing of the Anglo-American troops, in Normandy twice, with a short break, on June 17 and 29, Rommel and von Rundstedt met with Hitler. The generals tried to persuade him to stop the war immediately, while Germany still had significant military forces and could count on fairly honorable conditions when concluding peace. They conjured the Fuhrer not to destroy the country and the nation, everything turned out to be in vain.
For the sake of justice, it should be noted that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, with all his abilities and military talents, was a typical German military man. He hated and feared the Russians, dreamed of quickly concluding a separate peace agreement with the Anglo-Americans and together with them to act as a united front against the Red Army moving further and further towards the center of Europe. In his opinion, the unification of the forces of the Wehrmacht and the Western allies could inflict a decisive defeat on the Russians and "save Western civilization from the Bolshevik barbarians."
On July 6, Anglo-American troops landed in Normandy and opened a second front in Europe against the Nazi army. Erwin Rommel, as an experienced military leader, understood perfectly well that this was the beginning of a terrible end! From July 6, events in his life took off at a gallop, bringing both him and Germany closer to an inevitable tragic denouement.
Not even a week had passed since the landing of the troops of the Anglo-American allies, and Rommel had repeatedly reported personally to Git-
Leru that the armies of the enemy who landed in Normandy are advancing much faster than the necessary reinforcements are coming to the Wehrmacht units trying to hold back the Anglo-Americans! It couldn't go on like that for a long time.
Hold on, Rommel! - the Fuhrer repeated to him like a spell from Berlin. But the reserves still did not arrive!
By this time, another and very serious conspiracy against Hitler had acquired real features. Most likely, it was during this period that Rommel met his old friend, a man whom the Field Marshal trusted - the mayor of Stuttgart Karl Strellin.
Strellin was aware of the Generalfeldmarschall's negative attitude towards Hitler and had some idea of Rommel's fruitless attempts to persuade the Führer to pull Germany out of the war before the final collapse came. Therefore, the mayor quite openly informed his old friend about the existing conspiracy and asked permission to use the name Rommel, which was very popular in Germany and the German army, to create a government in a country liberated from Hitler. It was supposed to physically eliminate Hitler, to eliminate with the help of the Wehrmacht units of the SS, units of the RSHA, SD, Gestapo and other Nazi special services.
Rommel, although he was a soldier to the core, did not agree to the physical destruction of Hitler - he believed that in this way he could simply turn him into a martyr, and this would not lead to anything good. The field marshal proposed to try the Fuhrer for his crimes against the nation. Erwin Rommel was never a political figure and an active participant in the July 20 conspiracy, but nevertheless he agreed to join the conspirators. They intended, if successful, to make the famous "Desert Fox" the head of the government of the new Germany. However, fate decreed otherwise for him.
July 17th
On July 17, the car in which Rommel was traveling was fired upon by a British attack aircraft and the field marshal was injured. He was sent first to the hospital and then home to Ulm for treatment.
On July 20, there was an unsuccessful attempt on Hitler's life in his field headquarters in East Prussia "Wolfschanze" - the Fuhrer miraculously survived. Arrests, executions and interrogations began immediately. Rommel's name did not appear in any lists, however, according to the researchers, the Field Marshal General was betrayed by one of the conspirators, who was dying in agony: he called the name "Desert Fox". The shocked executioners reported this personally to the Fuhrer.
Damn him! Hitler swore. - He is the favorite of the army and the nation! By order of the Fuhrer, Rommel's name was never mentioned anywhere - Hitler did not want to drop himself completely, showing everyone that even the famous and legendary Rommel went against him. But Adolf never forgave or forgot anything to anyone. He did not forget about the "Desert Fox". The fateful hour struck for Rommel almost three months later.
On October 14, 1944, Rommel's villa, located near Ulm, received a call from the Fuhrer's headquarters.
The Führer's adjutants Wilhelm Burgsdorf and General Ernest Meisel will arrive to you now.
Perhaps I won’t be here in the evening,” Rommel said to his son after hanging up the phone.
The arrivals offered the field marshal on behalf of the Fuhrer a choice: either commit suicide or stand trial.
I don’t have complete confidence that everything will work out right away with a pistol, ”the field marshal sighed sadly.
We have a poison that acts very quickly, Burgsdorf replied. - A few seconds and it's all over.
Rommel chose poison.
He said goodbye to his wife, got into the car and drove away from the villa. The envoys of Hitler and the driver who accompanied him left the field marshal alone. When they returned a few minutes later, Erwin Rommel was already dead. The driver straightened his fallen cap and saluted the field marshal's body.
Hitler
Hitler officially offered his condolences to the widow of Field Marshal General, who "died on a combat post from English bullets." In his eulogy, von Runstedt said:
Ruthless fate snatched him from us. His heart belonged to the Fuhrer.
On the grave of the hero of the battles in North Africa, the famous and legendary "Desert Fox", Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a monument was erected in the form of a German iron cross. The funeral took place with all the required military honors.
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Desert Fox. Field Marshal Erwin Rommel
If you are going to enjoy yet another praise in honor of the Third Reich's illustrious commander, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, you can put this book aside right away. Nor can it be of any interest to those who dream of the remilitarization of the German spirit.
While working on this book, the author and the publishing house set themselves fundamentally different tasks: firstly, to exhaustively highlight the mysterious background and mysterious circumstances of Rommel's forced suicide, which are still not known to the general public of the German public. We consider it our civic duty to declare that we are dealing with an undisguised political assassination.
Secondly, we wanted to look at the world and the war through the eyes of a soldier who had gone through a difficult path from a sincere supporter of the ideas of National Socialism (who, nevertheless, not only did not wear a gold Nazi badge, but was never a member of the NSDAP!) to opponent and staunch opponent of Adolf Hitler. In a military direct and decisive Rommel called the Fuhrer "the misfortune of the German people."
Thirdly, for us it has become the most important task to return a good name to a person who has suffered the right to enlightenment, repentance and purification. On the difficult path of spiritual renewal of the German nation, the feat of life of Field Marshal Rommel should become our moral guide. The fate of the marshal symbolizes the tragedy of a multi-million nation, it reflects the fate of several generations of Germans like in a mirror.
Reflecting on the difficult fate of his hero and the entire German people, Thomas Mann wrote heartfelt words in his novel Doctor Faustus:
- ... Reverent awe and sacred delight seize me every time I reflect on the tragic fate of the great German people. With all the passion of the rebellious German spirit, he rushes to the heights of human existence, in order to plunge himself into the abyss of despair and chaos in blind zeal. I believe in him and I know that he will find enough strength in himself to renounce the bloody past, reject false idols, and for the umpteenth time will embark on the path of spiritual rebirth and exaltation...
... Yes, we are birds of a different flight - we are an unpredictable people with a mysterious Germanic soul. We worship fate and follow our destiny even to the abyss of hell...
Comprehension of the last months of life and the tragic fate of the German patriot, his heroic efforts to overthrow the power of Hitler and rescue the German people from the darkness and chaos of the Third Reich, will help our country find its way to a new bright future. He gave the most precious thing for the happiness of his people - life!
Rommel was deceived, like millions of his compatriots and many millions of people around the world, who believed the demagogic assurances and promises of the "Führer of the entire German people." He managed to escape from the tenacious embrace of lies, overcome circumstances and rise up against the tyrant, but Hitler's bloody executioners cut his life short...
We think about the future, so we want to know the truth about the past...
"ROMMEL'S AFFAIR"
Was Rommel a "party general" or a conspirator and revolutionary? What secrets did the mysterious soul of the “military genius” and “the greatest commander of all time” keep? What brought him into the ranks of the officer opposition - an understanding of the initially controversial, and later openly criminal foreign and domestic policy of the dictator, or the pressure of circumstances? What did the field marshal general have to do with the events of July 20, 1944? If Rommel was indeed part of the group of Witzleben, Beck, Stauffenberg, Goerdeler and Leischner, how did he imagine the post-war future of Germany? What did the marshal dream about - about the necessary respite for a "new throw to the East" and a separate peace in the West, or about preventing a national catastrophe and fundamental democratic changes in the country?
There is an unabated interest in the recent past in society, and over the past few years many people have asked me many such and similar questions. Taking the most direct part in the preparation of this publication, I set myself the task of filling in the "blank spots" in Rommel's biography and paying tribute to the memory of the German patriot. “The Case of Field Marshal Rommel” allows us to see the processes hidden from prying eyes that took place in the depths of the National Socialist dictatorship, and to “dignify” assess the negative impact that Adolf Hitler had on the German armed forces during the six years of the war.
In the media, the question of the notorious "guilt of the generals" is increasingly being raised. In this literary study, I will try to answer this and many other questions. The large-scale figure of Marshal Rommel, who is the only one of all the German commanders of the last war who went through the thorny path of moral quest and civic development, standing in the center of the story, makes it possible to comprehensively highlight such an important problem as “Hitler and his generals”.
So the curtain is up! The demonic Fuhrer plunged the peoples of Germany, Europe and the whole world into the chaos of war ... Next to Rommel, extraordinary figures and other German field marshals appear: Model, Kluge, Rundstedt, Kesselring and Keitel - and each of them played a role in the fate of the "desert fox". The generals are represented by the names of Fritsch, Beck, Halder, Guderian, Zeitzler and Jodl, but they are all just extras, appearing from time to time in the scenes of a bloody drama, in which Erwin Rommel plays the main role ...!
I happened to become a participant in many events of the last war, so the book is largely based on experiences and information received from trustworthy sources. For various reasons, access to many archives of the last decade is still limited, some documents are irretrievably lost, while others continue to wait for an inquisitive researcher. In my creative search, I was guided solely by the interests of truth and used various sources of information: from the memoirs of allied military leaders to transcripts of telephone conversations, imperial archives and minutes of the War Crimes Commission. All available publications, statements of eyewitnesses and participants in the events were repeatedly checked and rechecked. At the same time, I am fully aware that the personality of Field Marshal Rommel would sparkle with new unexpected facets if, in the course of working on the book, I managed to find even more archival documents and eyewitness accounts of those dramatic events.
Marked by Shakespearean pathos of tragedy, the life and fate of Marshal Rommel are inextricably linked with the grandiose drama of the entire German people. I want to talk about that inescapable feeling of national guilt, which at all times, in the most paradoxical way, is always shared by both the executioners and their victims. In the sense in which Albrecht Haushofer wrote about it in his beautiful sonnet "Guilt":
Yes, I am guilty, but not in the same way as you ...
I should have started earlier
Call dishonor dishonor.
I have condemned myself and am not afraid of rumors.
I am in rags, with a guilty head ...
I tried to fool my conscience.
Only repentance can restore honor to me.
To win a final victory over Nazism and Nazi ideology, routine phrases and superficial judgments are absolutely not enough. Slogans and appeals will not replace a serious study of the reasons for Hitler's rise to power, the methods of retaining power, the terror unleashed in the country (the dictator's favorite expression is "not to be afraid of the consequences"), the strategy and tactics of the bloodiest war in the history of mankind. Germany, Europe and the whole world paid too high a price for their "beautiful spirit" in the 1930s. It is no coincidence that fascism and National Socialism marked the entire first half of the 20th century with their diabolical stamp - and here one cannot do without a serious analysis of the socio-economic, religious-philosophical, geopolitical and all other prerequisites for the appearance of the "brown plague".
The dictatorial regimes of Europe supported the stirrup, put into the saddle and sent the Führer's apocalyptic horsemen into a furious gallop. Like a fiery whirlwind, they swept through three continents, sowing death, destruction and fear. It took the combined efforts of the entire civilized world to knock them out of the saddle and throw them into the abyss of nothingness...
Rommel opposed himself to the depravity of the dictator and his system. Crowned with glory, surrounded by universal love and honors, he has always been the "people's marshal" for the Germans. Even his opponents, with whom he met on the battlefield, treated him with respect and highly appreciated his military skills and professionalism. Germany and the whole world have a rare opportunity to look at the large-scale figure of the commander from a somewhat unexpected angle and discover a completely new person, with an unusually developed sense of civic responsibility, an ardent patriot of Germany. The path of spiritual development of a person and the tragic fate of a soldier is a silent reproach to those who are still not ready to get rid of the heavy legacy of the past in their souls.
Even in his youth, Rommel chose a career as a professional military man and as a person he took place in the army. In peacetime, he was engaged in military training and patriotic education of the younger generation, and during the war years he performed his professional soldier's duty on the fronts of two continents. The routine of the barracks and the everyday life of the front were the main content of his life for a long time. In the ranks of the armed forces, he embarked on the thorny Path of liberating consciousness, rethinking the past and ascending to the heights of the human spirit. The traveler walking this long and arduous Path is waiting for the severity of losses, the pain of loss and the bitterness of disappointment. Rommel was not the first to stumble, fall and take two steps back after a timid forward! But without a doubt, he was the only representative of the top military leadership of the "Third Reich", who fiercely and uncompromisingly fought for the integrity of "his" inner world.
Only "upstarts from military history" who had no idea about the realities of the front-line life of the commander-in-chief of the army group could accuse him of using the most aggressive and combat-ready divisions of the Waffen SS under the command of Sepp Dietrich in the European theater of operations during the reflection of the allied invasion operation. Incompetent politicians reproached him for indecisiveness and inconsistency, forgetting about the limited capabilities of the army "conspirator". Even his friends, who today publicize confidential conversations in a narrow circle, do not understand that he was forced to appear in front of them in the mask of a “loyal General Field Marshal of the Wehrmacht.” We should not forget that Rommel was a living person, and not a walking virtue, therefore, in a dispute between established barracks habits and newfound inner freedom, the “spirit” did not always triumph over the “flesh”!
Opponents accuse him of "everything was done too late." At first glance, these peremptory words, uttered on the empty stage of a deserted auditorium, may seem bold and spectacular. Personally, I think such a formulation of the question is speculative and useless. It is not for us, his contemporaries, to judge him - let our descendants do it!
As a matter of fact, this question has lost its relevance and passed into the category of purely “academic” ever since the Casablanca conference, when the Allies made public their unequivocal demands to the Axis governments for “full and unconditional surrender”. The last, illusory hope of the internal German opposition for political support from outside has melted away, because not a single people, not a single statesman, and even more so an officer, will agree to capitulate unconditionally.
The figure of Erwin Rommel is interesting for us because initially he was not among such conceptual opponents of National Socialism as Beck, Witzleben, members of the Kreisau group, Ambassador Hassel or even Reck-Malecheven ... From Saul he became Paul! A nation of millions has awakened from its hypnotic slumber and is horrified as it looks back at its recent past. Words of repentance and renunciation of false ideals were spoken...
The personality of one of the outstanding commanders of Germany continues to arouse close attention of military historians. Recently, several monographs devoted to the German field marshal have appeared abroad. The image of Rommel carries a great educational value: he proved to the Germans that spiritual cleansing is not only possible, but also a necessity.
There was no word "impossible" in his vocabulary! He proved this even during the 1st World War, when he fought in the Alpine Battalion. The Medal of Merit, which was awarded to Lieutenant Rommel, was awarded by the command only to the best of the best. His talent to make the impossible possible, and to turn defeat into victory, fully manifested itself during the African campaign. In his book "The Infantry Advances", which was translated into many European languages and made his name known in military circles, Rommel formulated his professional and life credo - never capitulate! His perseverance and perseverance in achieving the goal have always been incomprehensible to people who are cautious, prudent and ready for a “reasonable compromise”. A proud and independent person, he did not simply follow in the wake of his destiny, he rose above the circumstances and became his own destiny! Truth was not for him something bestowed from above or acquired in a moment of insight, the true was that which was born in pain, leaving raw and bleeding wounds. Only relatives and friends could guess about the moral quest of the field marshal, but they saw only the very tip of the iceberg. Rommel struggled painfully with himself, but outwardly remained impeccable within the framework of his traditional "general" behavior. Even for his comrades-in-arms, this fierce internal struggle remained invisible, not to mention those with whom the orbit of his life intersected by chance.
On my desktop are two photographs from the military chronicle archives. An impartial "chronicler" captured on one of them Rommel's "model of 1942" - this is optimism, purposefulness, attack! I see a person for whom the word "impossible" does not exist. The next picture was taken two years later, in 1944 - and in front of me is a completely different person: aged, haggard, with deep wrinkles in the corners of his eyes, but still not retreating and not giving up!
I spent three front-line years next to Rommel, first in Africa and then in Europe. After the end of the war, I worked for another three years, collecting material about the outstanding commander. Six years of studying the "Rommel problem" allows me to say that I got to know this man and the motives behind his actions quite well. The turning point of his life was Normandy: Rommel was suffocating from lack of time - attempts to keep the front bursting at the seams, instinctive rejection of the dictator at the level of reflexes, anti-government sentiments and opposition to invading armies were woven into a tight ball.
The final disappointment in the military and political leadership of the country occurred in Gerlingen, where he received treatment after being wounded. In the course of conversations with his wife, conversations with his closest friends, reflections during long walks in the forests around Gerlingen, he understood more and more clearly what Hitler and his henchmen had turned Germany into. Mindful of the fate of the participants in the events of July 20, he did not expect mercy for himself. "Too late" - these words were inscribed in fiery letters on his fate. There were no divisions of his that he could bring forward against the hated dictator. The new appointment promised by Hitler turned out to be another hypocritical lie, and the faint light of hope that had dawned went out, and the life of the field marshal died out after him.
What lessons should we, the surviving contemporaries of Erwin Rommel, learn? You can never take what you wish for reality and be content with what lies on the surface, therefore only the tirelessly “searching” is given to penetrate into the very essence of phenomena. It is impossible to make a deal with conscience, so as not to turn life into an endless string of unfulfilled obligations and unfinished business. Only universal participation in state politics can prevent unscrupulous people from coming to power. We must put an end to racial hatred, dictatorship, violence, persecution of dissidents once and for all...
Within the framework of a renewed Europe and the establishment of a new, just world order, humanism and tolerance must become the most important laws.
Before starting a tragic story about the life and fate of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, I considered it my duty to express my attitude to the events described and to identify the priority topics of literary work.
Queckborny Bielefeld, March 1949.
Lutz Koch
Chapter 1
FORMATION
When on October 15, 1944, all radio stations in Germany broadcast a message about the sudden death of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, millions of Germans in the rear and at the front froze in mournful silence. Rommel's name and the Wehrmacht's military operations under his leadership during the French campaign, in North Africa and against the allied invasion front in the European theater of operations were among the brightest pages in the military history of the Third Reich and World War II. In the midst of the fiercest battles on the fronts of three continents, his great victories and chivalrous methods of warfare were legendary both by his brothers in arms and by his mortal enemies!
The nightmare of the "three thousand-kilometer death march" - a retreat from El Alamein lying 104 km from Alexandria to Tunisia, which, contrary to Rommel's will, became the "Stalingrad of the Desert" - is also associated with his name. But even defeats could not cast a shadow on the impeccable reputation of the "People's Field Marshal." It was reminiscent of ancient mysteries, and after clarifying all the circumstances of the death of the marshal, it became obvious that the German people did not create a false idol for themselves - Rommel really was worthy of the love and respect of his compatriots.
The sincere grief of the inconsolable nation was shared by admirers of his military talent all over the world. The world heard the sad ringing of funeral bells and fell silent for a moment ... Field Marshal Montgomery, who opposed Rommel on the battlefields from El Alamein to Normandy, highly appreciated the German commander for his chivalrous attitude towards the enemy, for his unparalleled courage and for the ingenious audacity of his strategy, which allowed him not only to oppose the interests of the British Empire in North Africa, but also to win victories over the English army for a long time. After the surrender of Germany, he told reporters:
- I sincerely regret that I did not find Field Marshal Rommel alive and cannot shake his honest and courageous hand ...
The story of Manfred Rommel, the eldest son of the Field Marshal, caused a wide public outcry. General de Lattre de Tassigny, commander-in-chief of the French occupation army in Germany, as a sign of deepest respect for the memory of his great father, Erwin Rommel, released from the filtration camp a lanky teenager, drafted into the Luftwaffe in early 1945:
- Go, young man, you are unlikely to learn anything behind barbed wire. Enter one of the oldest universities, where the outstanding philosophers of Germany studied (we were talking about the University of Tübingen), and constantly think about everything that happened to you and your country. No one forces you to renounce what the Germans are rightly proud of. Try to make a sound judgment about the misanthropic ideology that brought your Motherland to its current state ...
After some time, General de Tassigny invited Manfred Rommel to the headquarters of the French occupation forces in Baden-Baden and told him that France would never forget the name of Field Marshal Rommel, who did not recognize any codes other than the knightly code of honor, and all French would always be respectful refers to the memory of his father.
The famous English military writer Liddell Hart expressed his point of view in the book "The other side of the hill" ("The other side of the hill"):
– Beginning in 1941, the figure of Rommel became the most prominent among the generals of the Wehrmacht. He is the only one of all who succeeded in such a stunning "jump" from hauptmanns to field marshals. Such success cannot be explained only by Rommel's personal qualities, apparently, we are dealing with a well-thought-out and carefully planned military career by Hitler ... Rommel was to become the "Conqueror of Africa", and Eduard Ditl - the "Hero of the Arctic". Both started as loyal executors, and as a military leader, Rommel lived up to the hopes placed on him to a greater extent than Dietl. As for loyalty, here the Supreme Commander made a clear mistake: when it became completely clear to Rommel that Hitler and Germany were incompatible, he chose in favor of the latter and spoke out against his master ... "
Montgomery, de Lattre de Tassigny and Liddell Hart, each to the extent of their competence and depth of penetration into the “Rommel problem”, expressed a subjective point of view on the marshal and his role in the history of German society. Common to these and a great many similar statements by other authors was that they all noted his personal eccentricity, inner decency and high professionalism.
Even if his opponents do not hide their admiration and respect, then we Germans can only bow our heads low before the blessed memory of the hero who gave his life for the bright future of his people!
Erwin Rommel was born on November 15, 1891 in Heidenheim, near Ulm (Baden-Württemberg) in the family of a gymnasium teacher. After successfully completing the gymnasium course, he chose a career as a professional military man and in the summer of 1910, with the rank of a fanenjunker, he was admitted to the King Wilhelm infantry regiment of the Württemberg Army (6th Zürttemberg Infantry Regiment, 124), stationed in Weingarten.
After a course of combined arms training, he entered a military school in Danzig and in 1912 was promoted to lieutenant. His comrades nicknamed him "the cheerful lieutenant from Weingarten." He enjoyed authority among the soldiers and was in good standing with the command. Young Rommel was not only a good soldier "with a bright head" and a quick reaction, but also an excellent athlete - hardened, strong, agile, hardy. The military training of the newly minted lieutenant was abruptly interrupted in 1914. The 1st World War began.
Lieutenant Rommel took his first fight when he was 23 years old. Soon the regiment was talking about his courage and determination. He became the first of the lieutenants of his regiment, who was awarded the "Iron Cross" 1st degree. Rommel received a high award in January 1915, and shortly before that, at the end of September 1914, immediately after the outbreak of hostilities, courage and courage brought him the coveted award of all German front-line soldiers - the Iron Cross 2nd degree. In the summer of 1915, he was promoted to lieutenant and appointed company commander.
The military career of Oberleutnant Rommel changed dramatically after the appearance of a mountain infantry battalion in the Württemberg army, whose formation began in Münsingen in October 1915. The solution of the specific combat missions facing the Alpine units requires from each mountaineer that measure of initiative, independence and self-sufficiency, which is not needed or even harmful in other branches of the military. Merge with the harsh and majestic alpine nature, dissolve in ice and rocks - and suddenly attack the enemy. It was Rommel's element!
As a military commander, Rommel took place in the mountain troops of Baden-Württemberg, surrounded by his compatriots, leading bloody battles on the fronts of the 1st World War. He took command of the 2nd company of the Württemberg Mountain Infantry Battalion, earning the love and respect of all the ranks of his new company. Everyone, without exception, admired the young company commander. According to the memoirs of colleagues, he was "strict and demanding in the service, sociable and friendly outside the barracks." The spirit of soldierly mutual assistance and camaraderie reigned in the company. After comprehensive combined arms training and no less thorough special ski training in the Arlberg (Rommel became a fan of this military-applied sport and a first-class skier for the rest of his life), the mountain battalion was sent to the front. The baptism of fire took place at the end of 1915 in the Vosges, in battles with the French Alpine riflemen and selected enemy units. As an experienced sculptor, the oberleutnant gradually “sculpted from raw material” one of the most combat-ready units of the Württemberg army. During the Romanian campaign, the mountain battalion did not disgrace the honor of the battle banner in the battles near Valaria, Odobeshti and Koshna. Rommel temporarily acted as battalion commander and distinguished himself during the assault on Koshna. Despite being wounded, he remained at the forefront and continued to lead the troops storming enemy fortifications. In those distant autumn days of 1916, Rommel's special gift was manifested in full use of military cunning in battle. Already at that time, the future commander knew how to covertly transfer reserves, skillfully bypass the enemy from the flanks, break through to the rear, surround, dismember and destroy the enemy unit. Filled with fighting passion, he could personally lead a battalion of mountain rangers, storming the enemy’s battle formations, if the logic of battle required it. The essence of his commanding talent was the ability to find a paradoxical and unexpected for the enemy, but logically flawless solution to a combat mission of any degree of complexity. At the front, another stunning facet of his military talent appeared: the ability to find the most vulnerable spot in the enemy’s defense and, leaving him no time to think, attack contrary to all and sundry orthodox canons of military art - when the most important trump card becomes ... the absence of trump cards!
The campaign in Italy, which began immediately after the completion of the Romanian campaign, became another, even more difficult test of strength for the mountain battalion of the Württemberg army. The hardest mountain battles tempered Rommel's character and strengthened his spirit, now the young officer had no doubt that he had made the right choice in life - the army became his destiny forever. The more complex and confusing the operational situation became, the more inventive the twenty-four-year-old "prodigy" acted. Many of Rommel's combat operations during the Italian campaign have already been marked by genius - he began to achieve tactical successes unheard of at that time, based on the number of units under his command. On December 10, 1917, for the capture of the settlement of Mont Matajour, which decided the outcome of the entire battle, Erwin Rommel was awarded the highest German award for bravery - the Medal of Merit. The breakthrough near Tolmein, Longaron and Piav glorified the young officer and the mountain infantry of Baden-Württemberg! Not sparing either himself or the enemy, going ahead, Rommel even managed to be captured when, in the heat of hand-to-hand combat, he pursued the retreating enemy and far broke away from his soldiers. Luck did not leave him - very soon he managed to escape and return to the location of the German troops. A brilliant young commander, an ideal infantry officer, he once again proved to everyone that the word "impossible" does not exist for him.
The appearance of weapons of mass destruction and the latest means of warfare already during the years of World War I threatened to turn the ancient art of war into a bloodthirsty habit of killing one's neighbors. And only high in the mountains, where the latest weapons systems were not used, the warring parties followed the rules of the game and fought according to the unwritten code of knightly honor. Here, each fighter felt like a person, and not a nameless cog in a soulless killing machine. In the mountains, everything was different than in Flanders or in the trenches of Verdun, when thousands of soldiers and officers were waiting for inevitable death during a massive artillery strike on the squares or after a ruthless gas attack. The monumental grandeur of mountain peaks directed to the sky, peace and sublime harmony of nature remained forever in the heart of Rommel. Probably, he more than once recalled his fighting youth and the snow-white peaks of distant mountains, when a quarter of a century later, fate threw him into the boundless ocean of African sands.
