World History

Last edited Sun Apr 15, 2012, 02:32 AM - Edit history (1)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel

Some highlights of his career:

-WW 1 awarded Iron Cross 1st and 2nd class plus Pour le Merite, Prussia's highest award
-commanded 7th Panzer in France 1940, known as 'Ghost Division' for their rapid advances
-commanded Afrika Korps resulting in a pitched campaign over three years with limited forces and supplies
-commanded German forces at Normandy. His prediction that the allies would invade there resulted in many fortifications that seriously delayed the break out. Although by the time of the invasion, he believed Pas-de-Calais would be the landing site so forces were not fully deployed to defend the Normandy beaches

Throughout the war he fought honorably, earning the respect of the allies. Although he commanded Hitler's escort force during the Poland campaign, he refused to follow Nazi orders to deport Jews, or execute commandos and civilians for the duration of the war. By the end of the war he supported overthrowing Hitler but wanted him arrested rather than assassinated to prevent Hitler from becoming a martyr.