The Death of Erwin Rommel, 1944
By all accounts the German general who lost the Battle of El Alamein to Montgomery was an honourable man, but that did not save him from Hitler’s wrath
On 14th October 1944 Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”, was forced to commit suicide, having fallen foul of Adolf Hitler.
Erwin Rommel had a distinguished record as an infantry soldier and officer during World War I, winning two Iron Crosses and the “Pour le Merite” medal, which was the highest gallantry award offered by the German Imperial Army.
In 1937 he published a military textbook which brought him to the attention of Adolf Hitler, who put him in charge of the Führer’s bodyguard, with the rank of major general.
Rommel was active in the invasion of Poland in 1939 and became impressed by the effect that tanks could have in waging war. With Hitler’s support he was able to take charge of the 7th Panzer Division for the invasion of the Low Countries and France.
However, it was the North Africa campaign for which Erwin Rommel is best known. He proved to be a master tactician in desert warfare, but was eventually defeated in October 1942 by the British under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery at El Alamein.
