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Onikage108 — Erwin Rommel Demotivational
Published: 2012-12-04 20:38:56 +0000 UTC; Views: 7077; Favourites: 36; Downloads: 93
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Erwin Rommel; the original Magnificent Bastard (see here [link] ), the "Desert Fox" of WWII. In the Greatest Tank Battles Episode "The Battle of 73 Easting" (watch here [link] ), Rommel is mentioned at least twice; once by the fact of the tactics the US forces used, and the second time by a captive prisoner remarking about the picture in the back of the Bradley.Rommel has been admired and respected for years even today; most likely because Rommel combined military genius with humane actions; he spared various Jews that he found against Hitler's orders.
See him here too: [link]
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Comments: 32
Can we agree that both Rommel and Guderian we great soldiers. Guderian did create blitzkrieg, and Rommel put the tactics to very good use.
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"The Battle of 73 Easting" link does not work any more. The YouTube page has been removed.
Yes he was an honorable man. Stopped battles in order to clear the wounded of both sides. Allowed medics to return to there lines. Provided for the POW's as best he could. More than a little evidence shows he did not know of the holocaust until shortly before his suicide. He was a great General. That over simplifies things. He was still close friends with Hitler and hated by most of the General staff and the Nazi's. How did he make it to such heights. Please do some reading it is an involved story.
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Erwin Rommel: Overrated
Heinz Guderian: Underrated (And keep in mind, this is the guy who perfected Blitzkrieg - a tactic that even Rommel used - and is the father of modern warfare.)
Reason: After 1943, when returning to service after being fired in 1941, Guderian was mostly an 'administrator' and 'manager', being the General Inspector of Armoured Units, and then member of OKW. Rommel basically was a German version of Bernard Law Montgomery - except that he was actually efficient, while Monty was just a joke.
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I think they made a similar conclusion in Girls Und Panzer
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agreed on all of the above.
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kind of true, kind of not. hitler didn't let guderian do as he wished, where as hitler let Rommel do what he saw necessary. guderian may have pioneered blitzkrieg tactics, but Rommel did perfect them. I think people remember Rommel more because he actually refused orders, and was tied to thebomb plot on hitler's life where as guderian was made a desk jockey pretty much, and didn't do the honorable things Rommel did. although he did help to create the current german armed forces...
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Guderian also refused certain orders- that's why he was fired for two years from commanding. And Rommel didn't perfect Blitzkrieg, he just used it - Guderian took all the principles of the Lightning War and turned it into something.
And do not forget, Guderian was the only German Officer in Oberkommando des Herres who had the balls to openly quarrel with Fuhrer - and survived, nonetheless.
I do not deny Rommel was a good commander, though still - If the 7th Panzer Division was named 'Ghost Division' because nobody ever knew where they were, imagine what a nightmare it had to be to deliver supplies to them. And just think about what if they had to deal with the enemy much eager to fight with them - Like Poles. They could figure this out, cut them off supplies, and then... the entire Panzer Division would be effectively wiped out. Nobody addresses this?
And let's be honest here - Did he really need all this tabloid fame? At least Monty and Patton were MySpace whores of the era (Patton at least was a commander, while Monty was just a pretender), but Rommel? Seriously?
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first off Rommel used blitzkrieg tactics with soldiers during ww1. as I have found a single person did not create blitzkrieg as a tactic. and secondly Rommel and guderian were two different people with 2 different views. Rommel was an honorable man by refusing to kill people, guderian (from what I know) refused orders that didn't particularly effect human life. comparing the 2 is kind of like comparing apples and oranges, they are both fruit, but that's about it. Rommel and guderian were both important, but in different respects. even if Rommel was the worst commander ever (which we can both agree he wasn't the worst, Montgomery was, at least in ww2) he had almost god status amongst troops around the world. the british troops in Africa, his own troops. and his tactics were reckless, agreed, but they worked. he would generally dive straight in to enemy formations and flank around the sides, which demoralized the enemy reducing loss of life on both sides. but again oranges and apples. I think Rommel is more visible due to things which weren't even related to be a commander. guderian is most well known for developing the panzer formations (and fixing them due to hitler's idiocy, but it still wasn't what guderian wanted, but hitler put his foot down) and Rommel is most well know for the DAK. plus he helped in Normandy and ACCURATLY predicted the Normandy invasion mind you where as people including guderian thought it was going to be palais. he also sacrificed his life due to the failed bomb plot. if nothing else, he is better for trying to help take down hitler. guderian didn't. if I could have both of them as commanders in my army I would, no doubt. they both deserve fame. sorry this was so long....
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Infantry alone cannot use Blitkreig tactics. There are a part of them but a blitz is a combined use of force including infantry, motorized infantry, tanks, reconnaissance, artillery, engineering support and air cover as a single force. Force a penetration at a single point and then exploit that by destroying lines of communication and supply and just run rampant in the enemies back field causing panic and demoralization. Foot soldiers alone are not capable of that, only very small local skirmishes.
Rommel's fame in the desert was because of propaganda and Winston Churchill. Yes Rommel took prisoners, but not enough to matter. Yes he took real-estate but so what it was useless dessert. What Rommel did have was the chance to use blitz tactics free from rivers, trees, hills, and refugees. The trade off was supplies, water and transportation. On the British side Churchill was adamant that the Germans be fought somewhere. Rommel was lucky enough to be hated by many of the other staff officers and happily sent to Africa. Approved by Hitler of course. This is over simplified but that is basically what happened. The campaign in Greece and the far east not withstanding.
A lot of Rommel's tactics were aided by the British who were bent on the Calvary charge. The Germans would sucker them into what looked like a tank fight then turn and run. The British would charge after them and straight into the muzzles of waiting German anti-tank guns.
Correct, consolidation of force has been around for hundreds of years.
Montgomery was not the worst commander in WWII. If he was he would not have chased Rommel out of Africa. No matter what his tactics and strategy were, he did case Rommel out of Africa so he had something going for him (mostly American industrial power). The worst General is open to debate but I think Gen. Lloyd Fredendall USA who gave us the defeat at Kasserine while hiding in a custom made bunker 60 miles from the front was most likely the worst. Followed by Omar Bradley, both of them had America's industrial might and still could not beat the Germans. Unless of course you count Eisenhower's decision to back Montgomery instead of Patton in 1944 that gave us that great "victory" in Holland called market-Garden. When Patton had nothing to stop him from going to Berlin but empty gas tanks.
Rommel had nothing to do with the final of some 40 plots on Hitler's life. Hitler demanded Rommel come to see him and explain himself. Because of his recent wounds Rommel could not make the trip and would most likely died if he tried. Hitler saw this as an excuse and paramount to an admission of guilt. In order to save the reputation of one of his most famous Field commanders Hitler offered to let Him kill himself for propaganda purposes. Rommel did it because of the promise to leave his wife and son alone, one of the few promises Hitler ever kept.
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false. Rommel didn't actually do anything in the plot, but he did conspire, his name was thrown out by one of the captured conspirators, and Rommel didn't fight back when brought for questioning. this much is known from Rommel's own journals, and from his son.. and the argument wasn't wether Rommel was good or bad or who the worst general was. it was about why is Rommel more well known than guderian, please keep that in mind.
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There were 46 known assassination attempts on Hitler's life involving dozens of people, the last being in June of 1944. (How on earth did that many people miss the target that many times?) In none of the earlier plots has Field Marshall Rommel's name ever been brought up as a conspirator. He is mentioned only in that he could hopefully be recruited by organizations such as the Kreisau Circle and the White Rose. However these underground organizations did little to help any of the plots. Nor is there any evidence that they ever had any direct contact with Rommel. Niether is Rommel mentioned by Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, before June 20th. Although there is mention of several others from Field Marshall and Admirals down to lieutenants. Care had to taken when speaking to Rommel because it was well known that he and Hitler were friends on a personal level.
Rommel owes his supposed involvement in the last plot on Hitler to five main things. First a lot of people dropped a lot of names in an attempt to save there own necks. The evidence from these testimonials is questionable at best, given the circumstances. Second the plotters, namely Lieutenant Colonel Cesar von Hofacker the adjutant to General Karl von Stulpnagel who was the military Governor of France. Hofacker talked with Rommel sometime around the 9th of June. Afterwards Hofacker stated that Rommel was 'flame and fire on our side' to other conspirators. Hofacker's testimony about Rommel was later brought up at the trails, it is also untrue. Hofacker implicated a lot of people in his testimony. After that meeting in June Rommel stated to his entire staff that Hofacker was a strange chap. What was he after? Could not make heads or tails of him. Rommel had no idea what Hofacker was trying to say. it was only after the attempt on the 20th that Rommel realized what Hofacker had been trying to say. Third was Rommel's wife Lucie. She had picked a fight with the wife of Rommel's first Chief of Staff in France, General Alfred Gause. Because of this Rommel had Gause transferred out of the nice cozy job in France. When the questioning and trials came around Gause's wife was happy to say anything to cause Lucie Rommel grief and save her own husbands neck. Fourth was Rommel's second Chief of Staff General Hans Spiedel. He was very involved in the last plot and blamed Rommel for everything. In reality the last plot was almost entirely run by Chief's of Staff from different organizations like Stauffenberg who was Chief of staff to General Fromm of the Reserve Army. Fromm was put on trial because he was Stauffenbergs boss, no matter if he actually knew anything! Several people were falsely accused or found guilty by association during this episode, yes including Field Marshall Guderian. Some implicated others because they knew they were in for the noose so they took enemies with them. Rommel had a lot of enemies in both the Army and the Party. Fifth Hitler ordered Rommel to see him and clear this whole mess up. Rommel's reason for not seeing Hitler can be debated. One is that he refused because of his wounds, the trip would have killed him. The other is he had learned of Spiedels involvement and tried to save him. It is sadly ironic that Rommel tried to save Spiedel's life by forfeiting his own, when it was Spiedel that damned Rommel.
In the end some 35-40 people both military and civilian were killed for direct involvement in the June 20 plot. Nobody will ever know how many others where implicated directly or indirectly and sentenced to death with or without a trial all across Germany, perhaps as many as 3,000.
What journal did Rommel write in stating his involvement? There are a lot of authors out there that have done a lot of research into the man and they need to know about this!
Rommel threw himself into the defense of the French cost and was on inspection tours almost everyday. There is little chance he could have been involved with or known about the last plot, he was to busy.
As far as his Manfred Rommel goes he has made different statements in different interviews over the years. Fact is Manfred and his father hardly saw each other during the war years. It is not likely that Rommel would have mentioned anything to his son even if he did know. If for no other reason than to protect his son.
A very good book on just this is titled 'The Trail of the Fox' by David Irving. There are at least three other works that are very good reading. The romantic notion that Rommel even knew about the plot is doubtful at best. This is a case of dogma that will not die.
As far as good/bad Generals go, you, Sky-Commander, are the one that said that Montgomery was the worst General of WWII, and that is just not true there are dozens of Generals worse than him. My comment was in answer to your comment, please keep that in mind.
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meh, I don't care anymore, I got bigger things to worry about right now, no offense. its just I am trying to avoid homelessness and get a job, that old story.
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Well good luck on finding a job, my hopes are with you. When you get your feet on the ground check out that book by David Irving I mentioned. It has a lot good stuff in it from Rommel's start in the German Army until his death. I think it was printed in the late 1970's and is on its tenth printing last time I saw a copy.
No offense.
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Germany: Being smarter then you forever.
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"Why do you have a picture of your WW2 enemy?"
"Shut up! if you had paid attention to his tactics you wouldn't be in the back of my track!"
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One of the worst greatest tanks episodes I´ve seen that episode, both facts and what happened is incorrect and way too much propaganda. According to it the iraqis didnt even managed to shot a single round even if the american tanks were straight ahead but oh well xD
The part with the photo is true and can understand why, but the master and creator of armoured warfare USAs tactics is built on is from Heinz Von Guderian, Rommel saw him as his master even in tanks tactics and was teached by, in france he was even under Guderians command
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I'm not in charge of the show.
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I loved the sergeants comment, "Well if you fking read about him and his tactics you wouldn't be sitting in my IFV" or somthing along those lines.
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Greatest Tank Battles; great show.
It's funny while the Germans ultimately lost, their tactics, engineering, and ingenuity survived.
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I guess that shows that technical achievements can outlast the evil their originators may do...
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i agree. while i dont not support fascism, the Germans were quite impressive on alot of things during that time period.
i remember making my first German tank model and just being blow away by the sheer "outta the box" beauty in there engineering.
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No, technically it's PRUSSIAN efficiency!
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Just remember that Prussians were known for efficiency. They were considered 'an army with a state' than 'a state with an army' as it were... and since Poland argued with the Prussians a lot since the times of the Teutonic Knight Order back in the day, they had a 'no-bull' aura around them. They've been the best in ground warfare, and rightly so... and that tradition became part of the German Empire when the little German States unified.
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