Erwin Rommel: Hero or Villain?

**~~Bobby Martnen~~** · 07-16-2018, 07:25 AM

Possibly the most controversial figure in all of military history.

**~~Bobby Martnen~~** · 07-16-2018, 07:34 AM

Some of each, in my opinion.

The fact that he fought on the side of the Third Reich and supported Hitler for a lot of the war disqualifies him from being a hero, but the fact that he defied direct orders that would have killed thousands, and refused to commit war crimes means that he is not a villain either, as does his involvement with anti-Hitler activities which cost him his life.

**Kaspias** · 07-16-2018, 10:56 AM

Hero.

**Catarinense1998** · 07-16-2018, 10:57 AM

Waiting for Teutone comments.

**Smeagol** · 07-17-2018, 04:23 AM

German hero 100%.

**~~Kamal900~~** · 07-17-2018, 04:25 AM

Hero obviously. The crimes that so called Nazis had committed are largely exaggerated at best. The Jewish communists had butchered way more than Hitler did.

**Gründig** · 07-17-2018, 04:50 AM

Originally Posted by Toppo900

Hero obviously. The crimes that so called Nazis had committed are largely exaggerated at best. The Jewish communists had butchered way more than Hitler did.

**Mortimer** · 07-17-2018, 05:23 AM

Some of eatch. He wasnt a heroe but neither villain.

**~~Anthony PV~~** · 07-17-2018, 06:01 AM

Why is that guy so famous? What distinguishes him from his colleagues, from the other officers of the Wehrmacht?

**Armenian Bishop** · 07-23-2018, 07:32 AM

Originally Posted by Anthony PV

Why is that guy so famous? What distinguishes him from his colleagues, from the other officers of the Wehrmacht?

What kind of a question is that? Rommel was a brilliant general and a charismatic leader.

In February, 1941, Rommel arrived in North Africa. The Italians were shattered and put to flight, when Rommel arrived. His mission was to salvage the situation, put together the pieces of what was left, and do what he could to prevent the further disintegration of the Italian 10th Army.

Rommel not only rescued and reorganized the remnants of the surviving Italians, but he also turned back the tide of the Allied advance through Libya.

His Afrika Korps was reinforced by crack German units, and they swept through Libya. His offensive gained further momentum in 1942, as Rommel advanced deep into Egypt. The turning point was at El Aleman in November, 1942, where Allied counterattacks overwhelmed his frontline troops.

A few months after he returned to Germany for a conference with Hitler, his Afrika Korps surrendered in Tunisia, in May, 1943. His conference with Hitler was for the purpose of convincing Hitler to withdraw whatever troops could escape from Africa, but Hitler didn't cooperate.