[522] According to Marshall, Rommel sharply protested the Jewish policies and other immoralities and was an opponent of the Gestapo. In the latter case, the government would claim that he died a hero and bury him with full military honours, and his family would receive full pension payments. [210], On 15 June Axis forces reached the coast, cutting off the escape for the Commonwealth forces still occupying the Gazala positions. While it was perfectly true that the German troops in North Africa fought with great distinction and gallantry, (...) it was fortunate for their subsequent reputation that the SS murderers that followed in their wake did not have an opportunity to get to work.". [684], Rommel was an ambitious man who took advantage of his proximity to Hitler and willingly accepted the propaganda campaigns designed for him by Goebbels. The 90th Light Division veered off course and were pinned down by South African artillery fire. Encyclopedia of Race and Racism: Primary Sources, Index. [279] Finally, Rundstedt, who only respected Rommel grudgingly (he called him Field Marshal Cub),[280][281] intervened and supported Rommel's request for being made a commander. [314][315][316][317] This conversation occurred about a month before Rommel was coerced into committing suicide. Depending on the case, Hitler manipulated or exacerbated the situation in order to benefit himself,[402][716][N 28] although he originally had no intent of pushing Rommel to the point of destruction. The chain of command was convoluted: the airforce and navy had their own chiefs, as did the South and Southwest France and the Panzer group; Rommel also needed Hitler's permissions to use the tank divisions. The Germans then hold a meeting to decide the deployment of Jewish forced labour, with the significant authority being Rahn, Rauff and Nehring. [283][656] In May 1944 the German newsreels reported on Rommel's speech at a Wehrmacht conference, where he stated his conviction that "every single German soldier will make his contribution against the Anglo-American spirit that it deserves for its criminal and bestial air war campaign against our homeland." [243] In addition, Mussolini diverted supplies intended for the front to his garrison at Tripoli and refused to release any additional troops to Rommel. In Desert Warfare", "Paris stürzt sich auf Rommels Erinnerungen", "Der Mythos vom Wüstenfuchs: Wie "ritterlich" kämpften Deutsche und Briten wirklich? This forced labour was used in extremely dangerous situations near targets of bombing raids, facing hunger and violence. [58][51] The regiment was involved in quelling riots and civil disturbances that were occurring throughout Germany at this time. Rolf-Dieter Müller comments that the war in North Africa, while as bloody as any other war, differed considerable from the war of annihilation in eastern Europe, because it was limited to a narrow coastline and hardly affected the population. [419][420][421], For his leadership during the French campaign Rommel received both praise and criticism. Lieb: Of course, Rommel did not conceive all these devices himself ... His engineer general Wilhelm Meise once called Rommel 'the greatest engineer of the Second World War. [231] Rommel knew that a British convoy carrying over 100,000 tons of supplies was due to arrive in September. That went against Schirach's express wishes. ", "The masks he wore reflected the genuine plurality of the man", Martin Kitchen: "Early biographies, such as that by Desmond Young, were positively adulatory. [247] The British offensive began on 23 October. Für „schlachtentscheidendes Verhalten“ im Februar 1945 wurde er einen Monat vor Kriegsende noch mit dem Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes dekoriert. [275], On 4 November 1943, Rommel became General Inspector of the Western Defences. [318], According to a post-war account by Karl Strölin, three of Rommel's friends—the Oberbürgermeister of Stuttgart, Strölin (who had served with Rommel in the First World War), Alexander von Falkenhausen and Stülpnagel—began efforts to bring Rommel into the anti-Hitler conspiracy in early 1944. Rundstedt had confided to Rommel that it was for propaganda purposes only. [349][350] Peter Hoffmann reports that he also attracted into his orbit officials who had previously refused to support the conspiracy, like Julius Dorpmüller and Karl Kaufmann (According to Russell A. Hart, reliable details of the conversations are now lost, although they certainly met. Dort wurde er Pokalsieger, Meister und zog in … [97] On 26 September Rommel returned to Berlin to set up a new headquarters for his unit in the Reich Chancellery. [335] Butler, using Ruge's recollections, reports that when told by Hitler himself that "no one will make peace with me", Rommel told Hitler that if he was the obstacle for peace, he should resign or kill himself, but Hitler insisted on fanatical defense. While Rommel was at Kasserine at the end of January 1943, the Italian General Giovanni Messe was appointed commander of Panzer Army Africa, renamed the Italo-German Panzer Army in recognition of the fact that it consisted of one German and three Italian corps. Sein leidenschaftlicher und hochemotionaler Kommentar hat großen Anteil an der Legende des Wunders von Bern. [602] His position on the matter of POWs did not show effect on the way they were treated in camps though. [286] Undeterred, Rommel had millions of mines laid and thousands of tank traps and obstacles set up on the beaches and throughout the countryside, including in fields suitable for glider aircraft landings, the so-called Rommel's asparagus. Bei eBay finden Sie Artikel aus der ganzen Welt. On one occasion, he was forced to order the shooting of a French lieutenant-colonel for refusing to obey his captors. [154], On 4 April, Rommel was advised by his supply officers that fuel was running short, which could result in a delay of up to four days. Jetzt online gedenken. 23 to 28 November according to Mellenthin. [204] On 2 June he demanded surrender of French soldiers at Bir Hakeim, threatening to "exterminate" them if they did not comply. The atrocities, according to Martin S. Alexander, included the murder of 50 surrendering officers and men at Quesnoy and the nearby Airaines. [233] Expecting an attack sooner rather than later, Montgomery fortified the Alam el Halfa ridge with the 44th Division, and positioned the 7th Armoured Division about 15 miles (24 km) to the south. According to the documentary Rommel also requested proof of "Aryan descent" from the Italian boyfriend of his illegitimate daughter Gertrud. [687] (Even when informed of Rommel's involvement in the plot, hurt and vengeful,[29] Hitler at first wanted to retire Rommel,[717] and eventually offered him a last-minute chance to explain himself and refute the claims, which Rommel apparently did not take advantage of. [402][N 8], Rommel is praised by numerous authors as a great leader of men. [119], On 24 May, Generaloberst (Colonel General) von Rundstedt and Generaloberst von Kluge issued a halt order, which Hitler approved. [26][63] This was followed by his defence of Schwäbisch Gmünd, again bloodless. [237], Montgomery had made preparations to cut the Germans off in their retreat, but in the afternoon of 2 September he visited Corps commander Brian Horrocks and gave orders to allow the Germans to retire. ... Rommel did not approve of Jewish clannishness, and he was suspicious of Jews for the wealth they had acquired", but was more focused on his family and career than this issue[86] Searle comments that Rommel knew the official stand of the regime, but in this case, the phrase was ambiguous and there is no evidence after or before this event that he ever sympathised with the antisemitism of the Nazi movement. [287](The Allies would later counter these with Hobart's Funnies)[288] In April 1944 Rommel promised Hitler that the preparations would be complete by 1 May, but by the time of the Allied invasion the preparations were far from finished. Neue Kontroverse um den "Wüstenfuchs" Erwin Rommel", "Drug Use in the Third Reich: Q&A with Author Norman Ohler", "Der Krieg um Hitlers Lieblingsgeneral Erwin Rommel", "Erwin Rommel, Held der 'sauberen Wehrmacht, "Erwin Rommel stand auf der Seite des Widerstandes", "Ausstellung entzaubert "Wüstenfuchs" Rommel", "Erwin Rommel – Bitte mehr Sachlichkeit! [478] Robert Forczyk considers Rommel a true great captain with chivalry. He also writes that "Some accusers have twisted a remark in Rommel's own account of the action in the village of Le Quesnoy as proof that he at least tacitly condoned the executions—'any enemy troops were either wiped out or forced to withdraw'—but the words themselves as well as the context of the passage hardly support the contention. When Rommel was being considered for appointment as Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the summer of 1942, Goebbels wrote in his diary that Rommel "is ideologically sound, is not just sympathetic to the National Socialists. [388][389][390][391] To strengthen the story, Hitler ordered an official day of mourning in commemoration of his death. His reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interest of the West German rearmament and reconciliation between the former enemies—Britain and the United States on one side and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. [594] According to Robert Rozett and Georges Bensoussan, from 1938 (when Italian anti-Jewish legislation was introduced), most of the harsher measures against Libyan Jews were prevented because they had a powerful protector in Italo Balbo, the Governor. [372], Historian Peter Lieb considers the memorandum, as well as Eberbach's conversation and the testimonies of surviving resistant members (including Hartmann) to be the three key sources that indicate Rommel's support of the assassination plan. [744] The book contributed to the perception of Rommel as a brilliant commander; in an introduction, Liddell Hart drew comparisons between Rommel and Lawrence of Arabia, "two masters of desert warfare". [620][621] Claudia Hecht also explains that although the Stuttgart and Ulm authorities did arrange for the Rommel family to use a villa whose Jewish owners had been forced out two years earlier, for a brief period after their own house had been destroyed by Allied bombing, ownership of it was never transferred to them. [198] The British had 900 tanks in the area, 200 of which were new Grant tanks. [115] That night, the French II Army Corps was shattered and on 17 May, Rommel's forces took 10,000 prisoners, losing 36 men in the process. [734] Already in September 1944, the officer Heinz Eugen Eberbach (later a leading figure in the Bundeswehr) anticipated that the Allied victors would have to turn to Rommel and men like him, because he was accepted by both the old regime and the working class, whom the English would not be able to win over by telling them: "The entire previous system is rotten to the core". [696], Messenger argues that Rommel's attitude towards Hitler changed only after the Allied invasion of Normandy, when Rommel came to realise that the war could not be won,[671] while Maurice Remy suggests that Rommel never truly broke away from the relationship with Hitler but praises him for "always [having] the courage to oppose him whenever his conscience required so". "[370][371] Gestapo agents were sent to Rommel's house in Ulm and placed him under surveillance. [103] Rommel received a promotion to a general's rank from Hitler ahead of more senior officers. )[539][540][541] Lieb reports that Rommel felt pity when he saw the suffering of the French in his inspection tour and probably helped to save the lives of thousands of locals. Turek, du bist ein Fußballgott! "[474], In the Normandy campaign both Allied and German troops murdered prisoners of war on occasion during June and July 1944. ", "Zum Traditionsverständnis der Bundeswehr Zurück auf dem Weg zurück in altes militärisches Denken und Handel", "Gerstetter NS-Forscher Proske legt Täter-Buch neu auf", "Persecution and Genocide Under the Nazis 1933 – 1945", "The WWII POW Who Sank A German Ship with a Milk Tin! [501] Scheck believes it may be forever unclear whether Rommel recognized the unprecedented depraved character of the regime. [69] His book Infanterie greift an (Infantry Attacks), a description of his wartime experiences along with his analysis, was published in 1937. Historian Raffael Scheck [de] praises Rommel as a coolheaded and moderate mind, exceptional amid the many takeovers of revolutionary cities by regular and irregular units and the associated massive violence. Zaloga, historian and military technology expert: Rommel and his headquarters developed a variety of obstacles to interfere with landing craft. Furthermore, another witness report describes how Indian and black soldiers were barred from seeking cover in shelters during Allied bombings. ", Desert Fox: The Storied Military Career of Erwin Rommel Munich: Piper, 2004]. [743], Further in 1953 was the publication of Rommel's writings of the war period as The Rommel Papers, edited by Liddell Hart. Although, in segregating the prisoners, it was the Italian side that followed the Geneva Convention which discouraged gathering of prisoners of different races and nationalities. Many, such as General Georg Stumme, who had previously commanded 7th Panzer Division, were impressed with the speed and success of Rommel's drive. [82] Ian F. Beckett writes that by 1938 Rommel drifted towards uncritical acceptance of Nazi regime quoting Rommel's letter to his wife in which he stated "The German Wehrmacht is the sword of the new German world view" as a reaction to speech by Hitler. Look at North Africa, the Arab-Israeli wars, and all the rest of them. The last Rommel offensive in North Africa was on 6 March 1943, when he attacked Eighth Army at the Battle of Medenine. Many of these traits seemed to manifest even at a very young age. He pressed an attack on the heavily fortified town of Mersa Matruh, which Auchinleck had designated as the fall-back position, surrounding it on 28 June. [235][236] Under heavy fire from British artillery and aircraft, and in the face of well prepared positions that Rommel could not hope to outflank for lack of fuel, the attack stalled. [495], Some authors cite, among other cases, Rommel's naive reaction to events in Poland while he was there: he paid a visit to his wife's uncle, famous Polish priest and patriotic leader, Edmund Roszczynialski [pl] who was murdered within days, but Rommel never understood this and, at his wife's urgings, kept writing letter after letter to Himmler's adjutants asking them to keep track and take care of their relative. [402], Maurice Remy concludes that, unwillingly and probably without ever realising it, Rommel was part of a murderous regime, although he never actually grasped the core of National Socialism. According to museum Rauff met with Rommel's staff in 1942 as part of preparations for this plan. Pp. [738], The other foundational text was the influential and laudatory 1950 biography Rommel: The Desert Fox by Brigadier Desmond Young. [531][532] Despite this, French civilians and Italian prisoners of war held by the Germans were forced by officials under the Vichy government,[533] the Todt Organization and the SS forces[534] to work on building some of the defences Rommel requested, in appalling conditions according to historian Will Fowler. The nature of the fighting as well diminished the last-ditch, close-quarter actions that are primary nurturers of mutual bitterness. This violence and persecution only came to an end with the arrival of General Montgomery in Tripoli on 23 January 1943. He returned to the 124th when war was declared. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign established his reputation as one of the ablest tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs, "the Desert Fox". [223], Rommel continued his pursuit of the Eighth Army, which had fallen back to heavily prepared defensive positions at El Alamein. [277] He argued that the German armour should be held in reserve well inland near Paris, where they could be used to counter-attack in force in a more traditional military doctrine. [652], Although Rommel then entered a period without a significant command, he remained a household name in Germany, synonymous with the aura of invincibility. [166] He was present for a second failed attack on the city on 30 April. [617], Michael FitzGerald comments that the treasure should be named more accurately as Rauff's gold, as Rommel had nothing to do with its acquisition or removal. Behind the Battle Lines: Italian Atrocities and the Persecution of Arabs, Berbers, and Jews in North Africa during World War II. On 4 May Paulus ordered that no further attempts should be made to take Tobruk via a direct assault. ", Lieb: "Rommel's internal opponents could not hide their satisfaction as the events were unfolding" (. Kesselring was ordered to get control of the air and sea between Africa and Italy. [290][291][292][293], Hitler vacillated between the two strategies. [98] Rommel returned briefly to occupied Warsaw on 5 October to prepare for the German victory parade. [401] If this man, a member of OKW in Berlin, endorsed Rommel's decision after the fact, then the logic behind the decision must have been compelling. After the Röhm Purge, he mistakenly believed that the worst was now over, although there were still restrictions on Jewish businesses and agitation against their community. [147], The British Western Desert Force had meanwhile been weakened by the transfer in mid-February of three divisions for the Battle of Greece. Rommel, as other Wehrmacht officers, welcomed the Nazi rise to power. There was no mention of Rommel's case first being put to the Wehrmacht's Court of Honor, a curious omission if Rommel were indeed being brought to book as part of von Stauffenberg's conspiracy. With the Nazis gaining power in Germany, Rommel gradually came to accept the new regime, with historians giving different accounts on the specific period and his motivations. All POWs had to endure extremely hard living conditions. [232], Improved decoding by British intelligence (see Ultra) meant that the Allies had advance knowledge of virtually every Mediterranean convoy, and only 30 percent of shipments were getting through. [151][152] Gariboldi, who had ordered Rommel to stay in Mersa El Brega, was furious. [83] During his visit to Switzerland in 1938 he reported that Swiss soldiers he met showed "remarkable understanding of our Jewish problem". [768] Maurice Remy and Samuel W. Mitcham both defend his strategic decision regarding Malta as, although risky, the only logical choice. Remy opines that an order in which Rommel, in fact protesting against Hitler's directives, called for no "sentimental scruples" against "Badoglio-dependent bandits in uniforms of the once brothers-in-arms" should not be taken out of context. [669][N 24] On one hand, he wanted personal promotion and the realization of his ideals. Ritchie was not convinced by this display, and left the 4th and 22nd Armoured Brigades in position at the south end of the Commonwealth position. [801] Rommel and Mollin were married in November 1916 in Danzig. Nach der Aufteilung des NWDR in NDR und WDR 1956 entschied sich Herbert Zimmermann trotz seiner rheinländischen Prägung für den Verbleib in Hamburg beim NDR. [113][114] By 16 May Rommel reached Avesnes, and contravening all orders and doctrine, he pressed on to Cateau. [751][752] Perry and Massari note that the majority of historians continue to describe Rommel as a brilliant, chivalrous commander. [62] Instead, Rommel negotiated with the city council and managed to return it to the legitimate government through diplomatic means. [484] Rommel and the Germans acknowledge the Gurkhas' fighting ability, although their style leaned more towards ferocity. The Allies were able to achieve local air superiority, with heavy bombers attacking the 15th and 21st Panzers, who had also been delayed by a sandstorm. [641][650] The press conference was moderated by Goebbels and was attended by both domestic and foreign media. The Museum states that Rommel was certainly aware that planning was taking place, even if his reaction to it isn't recorded, and while the main proposed Einsatzgruppen were never set in action, smaller units did murder Jews in North Africa. The problem was Rommel's fault, as he had not advised his supply officers of his intentions, and no fuel dumps had been set up. [448], Very different, however, was the perception of Rommel by Italian common soldiers and NCOs, who, like the German field troops, had the deepest trust and respect for him. Erwin von Witzleben, who would have become commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht had the plot succeeded, was a field marshal, but had been inactive since 1942. Amid growing doubts and differences, he would remain eager for Rommel's calls (they had almost daily, hour-long, highly animated conversations, with the preferred topic being technical innovations[681]): he once almost grabbed the telephone out of Linge's hand. [41], During World War I, Rommel fought in France as well as in the Romanian (notably at the Second Battle of the Jiu Valley) and Italian campaigns. Juli 2020 um 08:11 Uhr bearbeitet. [287], Rundstedt expected the Allies to invade in the Pas-de-Calais because it was the shortest crossing point from Britain, its port facilities were essential to supplying a large invasion force, and the distance from Calais to Germany was relatively short. While committed by Italian forces, Patrick Bernhard writes "the Germans were aware of Italian reprisals behind the front lines. [162] The commanding officer was Australian Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead.