Erwin Rommel: war or propaganda hero?

The accomplishments and legacy of the Desert Fox 

After his rise to power in 1933, Hitler took notice of Rommel thanks to the latter’s reputation as an instructor. The two men quickly developed a mutually appreciative relationship. Hitler considered Rommel a kindred soul, since both of them were World War I veterans and neither came from the traditional Prussian military background. Rommel, in turn, fell under Hitler’s personal charisma and, like many Germans, was impressed by how the Führer united Germany and gave it a new sense of purpose. It is unknown just how much Rommel was aware of the darker side of Nazi ideology. He was not a member of the Nazi Party, and he did seem to stick to an apolitical attitude shared by many military officers. It seems possible that Rommel did believe at least some of the anti-Jewish propaganda of the time, but he also considered many parts of Nazi ideology rubbish. He was definitely very naive in some ways, and once suggested that Jew be made Gauleiter (district governor) to prove to world opinion that Germany was not anti-Semitic.

Rommel participated in the invasion of France in 1940, leading from the front as was his habit. During one battle, he personally manned a machine gun to stave off a French counterattack, then he waded into a river to help engineers lash together a pontoon bridge. On May 17, he captured 10,000 French soldiers, while only losing 36 of his own. He was surprised to learn that he accomplished this remarkable feat with only his vanguard, as the rest of the forces could not keep up with him. In fact, he was so far ahead of everyone else that German High Command had lost track of him. His speed and his tendency to disappear from High Command earned his unit, the 7th Panzer Division, the nickname Gespensterdivision (“Ghost Division”).

Once back in Europe, Rommel helped disarm the Italian army after the country surrendered to the Allies and quickly joined them. His next big posting, however, was in Normandy, where the Atlantic Wall, the supposedly invincible defenses of the continent, were being built. Rommel was discreetly told that the coastal defenses were only there for propaganda purposes and had no real military value, since any Allied landings were supposed to be stopped further inland. Furthermore, some sources claim he had no official authority to give actual order about the construction of defenses.

The attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20 failed, and the conspirators were captured and executed. The resulting investigation eventually linked Rommel to the conspiracy. On October 14, he was at home with his family getting ready for lunch, when two generals showed up in a car. They took him aside and gave him a choice. He could go to Berlin and explain his involvement to Hitler in person. He could stand trial at a kangaroo court where the death sentence was practically guaranteed. Or, lastly, he could take his own life.

Rommel’s myth also made him a popular figure in film, and he has appeared in several movies. The best-known of these is The Longest Day, in which he was portrayed by German actor Werner Hinz. More recently, Rommel’s figure appeared as an old war hero in The Man in the High Castle, an alternate history TV series based on Philip K. Dick’s 1962 novel, in which Germany won the war and where he became the first Reichsmarschall of Nazi America.