Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Guess which day it is today? 14 october 2004 and what happend exactly 60 years ago? correct, the famous feldmarschall Rommel was forced to commit suicide.

Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel (November 15, 1891–October 14, 1944) was one of the most distinguished German Field Marshals and commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps in World War II. He is also known by his nickname The Desert Fox (Wüstenfuchs).

Early life and career

Rommel was born in Heidenheim , approximately 50 km from Ulm, in the state of Württemberg. The second son of a Protestant Headmaster of the secondary school at Aalen, Erwin Rommel the elder and Helene von Luz, a daughter of a prominent local dignitary. The couple also had three more children, two sons, Karl and Gerhard, and a daughter, Helene. Later recalling his childhood, Rommel wrote that "my early years passed very happily". Young Erwin considered becoming an aeronautical engineer, but on his fathers insistence joined the local 124th Württemberg Infantry Regment as an officer cadet in 1910, and was soon sent to the Officer Cadet School in Danzig.

In 1911, at Danzig, Rommel met his future wife, Lucie Mollin, whom he married in 1916. In 1928, they had a son, Manfred, later the mayor of Stuttgart. Scholars Bierman and Smith argue that Rommel also had an affair with Walburga Stemmer in 1912 and that relationship produced a daughter named Gertrud (1 p. 56 ). Graduating from school in November 1911, Rommel was commissioned as a lieutenant January 1912.

World War I

During World War I, Rommel served in France, as well as on the Romanian and Italian fronts, during which time he was wounded three times and awarded the Iron Cross - First and Second Class. He also became the youngest recipient of Prussia's highest medal, the Pour le Mérite, which he received after fighting in the mountains of north-east Italy, specifically at the Battle of Longarone .

Inter-War years

After the war Rommel held battalion commands, and was instructor at the Dresden Infantry School (1929-1933) and the Potsdam War Academy (1935-1938). His war diaries, Infanterie greift an (Infantry Attacks), published in 1937, became a major textbook, which also attracted the attention of Adolf Hitler. In 1938, Rommel, now a colonel, was appointed commandant of the War Academy at Wiener Neustadt. He was removed after a short time, however, and placed in command of Adolf Hitler's personal protection battalion (Führer-Begleitbattalion). He was promoted again to Major General just prior to the invasion of Poland.

World War II

France 1941

In 1940 he was given command of the 7th Panzer Division , later nicknamed the "Ghost Division" (for the speed and surprise it was consistently able to achieve), for Fall Gelb, the invasion of the west. He showed considerable skill in this operation, and in reward was appointed commander of the German troops, the 5th Light and later the 15th Panzer Division , which were sent to Libya in early 1941 to aid the defeated Italian troops, forming the Deutsches Afrika Korps. It was in Africa that Rommel achieved his greatest fame as a commander.

http://www.all-science-fair-projects...Africa1941.jpg

Rommel in Africa - Summer 1941


Africa 1941-43

Rommel spent most of 1941 building his organization and re-forming the shattered Italian units, who had suffered a string of defeats at the hands of the British under Major General Richard O'Connor. An offensive pushed the British forces back out of Libya, but it stalled a relatively short way into Egypt, and the important port of Tobruk was still held by Allied forces behind the Axis lines. The British Commander-in-Chief General Archibald Wavell swapped commands with the Commander-in-Chief of India, General Claude Auchinleck. Auchinleck launched a major offensive to relieve Tobruk which eventually succeeded. However, when this offensive ran out of steam, Rommel struck.

In a classic blitzkrieg, British forces were comprehensively outfought. Within weeks they had been pushed back into Egypt. Rommel's offensive was eventually stopped at the small railway halt of El Alamein, just 60 miles from Cairo. The First Battle of El Alamein was lost by Rommel because he was suffering from the eternal curse of the desert war, long supply lines. The British, with their backs against the wall, were very close to their supplies, and had fresh troops on hand. Rommel tried again to break through the British lines during the Battle of Alam Haifa . He was decisively stopped by the newly arrived British commander, Lieutenant General Bernard Montgomery.

With British forces from Malta interdicting his supplies at sea, and the massive distances they had to cover in the desert, Rommel could not hold the El Alamein position forever. Still, it took a large set piece battle, the Second Battle of El Alamein to force his troops back. After the defeat at El Alamein, despite urgings from Hitler and Mussolini, Rommel's forces did not again stand and fight until they had entered Tunisia. Even then, their first battle was not against the British Eighth Army, but against the US II Corps. Rommel inflicted a sharp reversal on the American forces at the Battle of the Kasserine Pass.

Turning once again to face the British forces in the old French border defences of the Mareth Line , Rommel could only delay the inevitable. He left Africa after falling sick, and the men of his former command eventually became prisoners of war.

Some say that Rommel's withdrawal of his army back to Tunisia against Hitler's dreams was a much greater success than his capture of Tobruk (in sharp contrast to the fate suffered by the German 6th Army at the Battle of Stalingrad under the command of Friedrich Paulus).

http://www.all-science-fair-projects..._color_210.jpg http://www.all-science-fair-projects...gnify-clip.png
Rommel in Africa


France 1943-1944

Back in Germany, Rommel was for some time virtually "unemployed". However, when the tide of war shifted against Germany, Hitler made Rommel the commander of Army Group B , responsible for defending the French coast against a possible Allied invasion. After his battles in Africa, Rommel concluded that any offensive movements would be impossible due to the overwhelming Allied air superiority. He argued that the tank forces should be kept in small units as close to the front as possible, so they wouldn't have to move far and enmasse when the invasion started. He wanted the invasion stopped right on the beaches.

However his commander, Gerd von Rundstedt, felt that there was no way to stop the invasion near the beaches due to the equally overwhelming firepower of the Royal Navy. He felt the tanks should be formed into large units well inland near Paris, where they could allow the Allies to extend into France and then be cut off. When asked to pick a plan, Hitler then vacillated and placed them in the middle, far enough to be useless to Rommel, not far enough to watch the fight for von Rundstedt. Rommel's plan nearly came to fruition anyway.

During D-Day several tank units, notably the 12th SS Tanks (the elite Hitler Jugend) were near enough to the beaches and created serious havoc. The overwhelming Allied numbers and Hitler's refusal to unleash the tank forces in time, made any success unlikely however, and soon the beachhead was secure.

The plot against Hitler

On July 17, 1944 his staff car was strafed by an RCAF Spitfire, and Rommel was hospitalized with major head injuries. In the meantime, after the failed July 20 Plot against Adolf Hitler, Rommel was suspected of connections with the conspiracy. Bormann was certain of Rommel's involvement, Goebbels was not. The true extent of Rommel's knowledge of, or involvement with, the plot is still unclear. After the war, however, his wife maintained that Rommel had been against the plot as it was carried out. It has been stated that Rommel wanted to avoid giving future generations of Germans the perception that the war was lost because of a backstab, the infamous Dolchstoss theory, as it was commonly believed by some Germans following WWI. Instead, he favored a coup where Hitler would be taken alive and made to stand trial before the public. Due to Rommel's popularity with the German people, Hitler gave him an option to commit suicide with cyanide or face dishonour and retaliation against his family and staff. Rommel ended his own life on October 14, 1944, and was buried with full military honours.

After the war his diary was published as The Rommel Papers. He is often remembered not only for being a great tactician, but also for his chivalry towards his enemies.


source: http://www.all-science-fair-projects...a/Erwin_Rommel


Death of a German Hero

Rommel's son, Manfred, was 15 years old and served as part of an antiaircraft crew near his home. On October 14th, 1944 Manfred was given leave to return to his home where his father continued to convalesce. The family was aware that Rommel was under suspicion and that his chief of staff and his commanding officer had both been executed. Manfred's account begins as he enters his home and finds his father at breakfast:

…I arrived at Herrlingen at 7:00 a.m. My father was at breakfast. A cup was quickly brought for me and we breakfasted together, afterwards taking a stroll in the garden. 'At twelve o'clock to-day two Generals are coming to discuss my future employment,' my father started the conversation. 'So today will decide what is planned for me; whether a People's Court or a new command in the East.'

'Would you accept such a command,' I asked.

He took me by the arm, and replied: 'My dear boy, our enemy in the East is so terrible that every other consideration has to give way before it. If he succeeds in overrunning Europe, even only temporarily, it will be the end of everything which has made life appear worth living. Of course I would go.'

Shortly before twelve o'clock, my father went to his room on the first floor and changed from the brown civilian jacket which he usually wore over riding-breeches, to his Africa tunic, which was his favorite uniform on account of its open collar.



At about twelve o'clock a dark-green car with a Berlin number stopped in front of our garden gate. The only men in the house apart from my father, were Captain Aldinger [ Rommel's aide], a badly wounded war-veteran corporal and myself. Two generals -Burgdorf, a powerful florid man, and Maisel, small and slender-alighted from the car and entered the house. They were respectful and courteous and asked my father's permission to speak to him alone. Aldinger and I left the room. 'So they are not going to arrest him,' I thought with relief, as I went upstairs to find myself a book.

A few minutes later I heard my father come upstairs and go into my mother's room. Anxious to know what was afoot, I got up and followed him. He was standing in the middle of the room, his face pale. 'Come outside with me,' he said in a tight voice. We went into my room. 'I have just had to tell your mother,' he began slowly, 'that I shall be dead in a quarter of an hour.' He was calm as he continued: 'To die by the hand of one's own people is hard. But the house is surrounded and Hitler is charging me with high treason. ' "In view of my services in Africa," ' he quoted sarcastically, 'I am to have the chance of dying by poison. The two generals have brought it with them. It's fatal in three seconds. If I accept, none of the usual steps will be taken against my family, that is against you. They will also leave my staff alone.'

'Do you believe it?' I interrupted. 'Yes,' he replied. 'I believe it. It is very much in their interest to see that the affair does not come out into the open. By the way, I have been charged to put you under a promise of the strictest silence. If a single word of this comes out, they will no longer feel themselves bound by the agreement.'

I tried again. 'Can't we defend ourselves…' He cut me off short. 'There's no point,' he said. 'It's better for one to die than for all of us to be killed in a shooting affray. Anyway, we've practically no ammunition.' We briefly took leave of each other. 'Call Aldinger, please,' he said.

Aldinger had meanwhile been engaged in conversation by the General's escort to keep him away from my father. At my call, he came running upstairs. He, too, was struck cold when he heard what was http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/rommel03.jpghappening. My father now spoke more quickly. He again said how useless it was to attempt to defend ourselves. 'It's all been prepared to the last detail. I'm to be given a state funeral. I have asked that it should take place in Ulm. [a town near Rommel's home] In a quarter of an hour, you, Aldinger, will receive a telephone call from the Wagnerschule reserve hospital in Ulm to say that I've had a brain seizure on the way to a conference.' He looked at his watch. 'I must go, they've only given me ten minutes.' He quickly took leave of us again. Then we went downstairs together. We helped my father into his leather coat. Suddenly he pulled out his wallet. 'There's still 150 marks in there,' he said. 'Shall I take the money with me?'

'That doesn't matter now, Herr Field Marshal,' said Aldinger.

My father put his wallet carefully back in his pocket. As he went into the hall, his little dachshund which he had been given as a puppy a few months before in France, jumped up at him with a whine of joy. 'Shut the dog in the study, Manfred,' he said, and waited in the hall with Aldinger while I removed the excited dog and pushed it through the study door. Then we walked out of the house together. The two generals were standing at the garden gate. We walked slowly down the path, the crunch of the gravel sounding unusually loud.

As we approached the generals they raised their right hands in salute. 'Herr Field Marshal,' Burgdorf said shortly and stood aside for my father to pass through the gate. A knot of villagers stood outside the drive…

The car stood ready. The S.S. driver swung the door open and stood to attention. My father pushed his Marshal's baton under his left arm, and with his face calm, gave Aldinger and me his hand once more before getting in the car.

http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/images/rommel04.jpgThe two generals climbed quickly into their seats and the doors were slammed. My father did not turn again as the car drove quickly off up the hill and disappeared round a bend in the road. When it had gone Aldinger and I turned and walked silently back into the house…

Twenty minutes later the telephone rang. Aldinger lifted the receiver and my father's death was duly reported.

It was not then entirely clear, what had happened to him after he left us. Later we learned that the car had halted a few hundred yards up the hill from our house in an open space at the edge of the wood. Gestapo men, who had appeared in force from Berlin that morning, were watching the area with instructions to shoot my father down and storm the house if he offered resistance. Maisel and the driver got out of the car, leaving my father and Burgdorf inside. When the driver was permitted to return ten minutes or so later, he saw my father sunk forward with his cap off and the marshal's baton fallen from his hand."

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

here we go again :rolleyes:

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

This is very interesting and all, Donitz, but... why?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Its a memorial to remember Rommel since he commited suicide exactly 60 years ago and since he is one of the most famous, well repected and best commanders of history i think that the man deserves some honour don't you?

May he rest in peace.

Oh and if you are wondering why i have a fetish on rommel (and dönitz): he was a true hero, he was a genius and a great militairy leader. If the attack on Hitler had just succeeded (the briefcase bomb attack on hitler by Claus von Stauffenberg) then the miliairy could have seased power and made peace, the war would have ended in 1944.

Oh and for those who care, he is the song the played at his funeral:
Ich Hatt Einen Kameraden (Rommel's Funeral)

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Thanks for all the info Donitz, I agree you do have a fetish, but your Dutch! :p
I haven't really heard much of the Hitler plot but thanks for the detailed info :)

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Rest in piece Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, a visionary of tactics and military icon for the rest of time.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Yes, Erwin Rommel was a great field marschall and one of the greater military master minds ever. It's too bad he was on the 'wrong' side during the war, so he often doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Field Marshall Rommel was a great general. He was super-good. There were others, like Guderian and Patton, but no one had the ability to make something out of nothing like Rommel did.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Rommel is overated by the Western allies, especially because he knew of the plot.

And about him not receiving the recognition he deserves... I think it could easily be the opposite, he is probably the only German general most Americans have heard of.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

God bless you and your clean method of fighting, Herr Rommel. Your behavior is an inspiration; no matter what the circumstances us human beings are capable of retaining our honor.

Yes, I just addressed a long-dead hero. Got a problem? I don't care.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

I read the other day that Hitler was going to send Waffen SS units to North Africa to help fight and Rommel used every bit of persuasion he had to keep them out.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

You read wrong. Hitler did not provide Rommel with any of the supplies needed to hold the front, and did not plan to send the Waffers into North Africa.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

damn moof we agree again
best german general
no one could do what he did
he was a great man
this makes me want to nazi bash
for hitler making rommel killing himself
i will go play some COD
bye

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

For those possibly interested in what they are singing in the song.

German:

Ich hatt' einen Kameraden,
Einen bessern findst du nit.
Die Trommel schlug zum Streite,
Er ging an meiner Seite
|: In gleichem Schritt und Tritt. :|

Eine Kugel kam geflogen:
Gilt's mir oder gilt es dir?
Ihn hat es weggerissen,
Er liegt vor meinen Füßen
|: Als wär's ein Stück von mir :|

Will mir die Hand noch reichen,
Derweil ich eben lad'.
"Kann dir die Hand nicht geben,
Bleib du im ew'gen Leben
|: Mein guter Kamerad!" :|


English Translated:

In battle he was my comrade,
None better I have had.
The drum called us to fight,
He always on my right,
|: In step, through good and bad. :|

A bullet it flew towards us,
For him or meant for me?
His life from mine it tore,
At my feet a piece of gore,
|: As if a part of me. :|

His hand reached up to hold mine.
I must re-load my gun.
"My friend, I cannot ease your pain,
In life eternal we’ll meet again,
|: And walk once more as one." :|

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

That was very interesting! Herr GroBadmiral, I would like to see a biography as good as that about Karl Donitz! I don't know much about him exept essential facts and i'm sure many people here don't know him much.. that would be very interesting. Now we should take a moment to think of Rommel and acknowledge is greatness (wow, i think i exagerated a bit there...). Anyway a great general he was.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Very nice informative information on Rommel, Donitz.

Rest in Peace Rommel.

You were among some of the best generals Germany had to offer. You proved your worth through incredible comradeship to your men and staff, through times of extreme difficulty. Most importantaly, you demonstrated the definition of war that could be fought without needless discrimination and hate.

I definitely would like to see a mini-bio/rememberence on Dönitz & Hans von Luck.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

http://uboat.net/men/doenitz.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_D%F6nitz
http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionar...arl%20D%F6nitz

Just do a google, i found some intresiting sites (all on page 1) along time ago using keywords such as "karl dönitz/doenitz/donitz" etc.

Or you could wait until 24 Dec (dönitz died on 24 Dec, 1980) :p


I hate it that he got killed my the nazis (more or less) :mad: If only briefcase bomb attack would have succeeded, maybe we would have streets called after Claus von Stauffenberg and Erwin Rommel then (together with the famous allied commanders). I would love to leave in the "(Fieldmarshal)Rommel street" (or something simular), too bad that that ain't gonna happen :( .

note that i didn't wrote those two articles myself i just did a search for two well written articles. I might write an article on dönitz myself (ofcourse not 100% written by myself or i could sell it in book format :p but a nice artcile with a good deal of self written/added content. Wait until december i think?)

60 years ago... it feels a bit unreal, like a story where one of the main heros dies near the end of it all :(. If he just would have had the opertunity to flee or to desert to the british. Man would it be awesome to see books written by hi or tv interview after the war. I wonder what wouldnt happend to him as soon as the war ended? would he get kicked out of the army? be trialed in the nuremberg trials? sent to jail?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

good soldier but on the wrong side :(

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

He wouldn't look as cool in those "less-better looking" ( :P ) british uniforms. The atvantages of being on the german side are the cool languages (jawohl!) and ofcourse the uniforms (and of course their armor but that doesnt really apply to an officer/commander so).

They should have succeed in there briefcase bomb attack and put Rommel in charge as Oberbefehlshaber (der armee) or even make him the second führer (like dönitz did became, the succesor) -he would ofcourse have to make peace immidiatly and disband the nazi party and turn germany in a democraty again-.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Rommel was cool but my fav is Guderian. "If the tanks succed, victory follows - Heins Guderian" If anyone remeber I used to have that quote in my sig ;).

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Bear in mind that Rommel was Hitler's favorite General, after all it was Hitler that granted Rommel the command over the 7nd Panzer in France. Also, Rommel did receive some of the latest weapons in 1943, including Tigers, after he went to Berlin in order to ask for additional support. However, the Nazis never had any idea what to do with North Africa, but Rommel's success over there were useful to downplay the problems they encountered in Russia...

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

great General or not, he was still a thug who fought for the Nazis and was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Allied Servicemen. why do you hero worship someone like this?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Because without him the nazi war machine would have been nothing more then a small wind up car........

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Same could be said for any of the allied commanders. They were also responsible for the deaths of thousands of Axis servicemen. Does that make them any better than rommel, because they killed germans, instead of british and american servicemen? (if you awnser yes, you retarded and need to shut up.)

There are no heroes in war.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

no, JP, that's crap. The Allies were defending against aggression. the Nazis & their man Rommel were the agressors. therefore, Allied Commanders did what they had to to end the war and stop Hitler's war machine from dominating Europe.

that is the very real difference between Axis & Allies. the reason why they fought.

i answered yes, and i justified that answer. stop being a prick and making remarks like this.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Well, at least the allied countries didn't go around killing jews.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

neither did Rommel so your point is moot.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

No, but nazi germany did, and he fought for nazi germany.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Axis would be japan, italy, germany, hungary etc etc, while only the german SS were the ones killing the jews, so you can't say the axis were, because it was only a small percent of the german army who had nothing to do with the regular army, thats why Donitz was not hung for war crimes, and if given the chances rommel would not have been either.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Yeah I know so I'll edit it to Germany ;) He didn't do anything to the jews, no, but he was the one fighting for those who did.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Isn't it the job of the army to follow orders? if bush would have a secret camp where he shot/killed/gassed/tortured irabic (muslims) would you expect the miliairy to say "sorry commander in chief, we cant obey your orders since you murder!" yes it would be a noble thing to do but its not only almsot im possible to dismiss the entire army but the army also has to follow the orders of the commander in chief. The generals con not say "sorry mr bush we wont go to war no matter what, fire us and the entire army" . The army is ment to follow heir CiC even when they know tha it is wrong. Rommel knew it was wrong what hitler did but he had to obey his CiC (hitler). Also note that most of the generals had a prusian background and the people there had this unwritten rule that "befehls ist befehl!" (order are orders!) meaning that orders had to be carried out wether one agree with them or not. The only way to stop the army from fighing was to remove hitler, and that they tried several times (all failed, so did the latest atempt with the briefcase bomb attack in the highcommand room in the wolfsschanze/wolfslair).

Rommel knew of this plan to kill hitler, this time he disobeyed orders (one ofcourse had to tell hitler of this planned attack on his life, rommel did not however). When hitler found out that rommel knew of the plot he was furious, for this high-treason there was only one punishment: death. And so came it that rommel had to option of either ending his life by taking a cyanide pill or him, his family and staff being shot. Rommel decide to spare the lifes of the others and ended his life by taking the cyanide pill.

Its far too simple to just say "they should not have listened to yhis madman, they should have killed them on the spot" not only where lots of people obsesed with hitler but it was also not part of the culture to disobey orders and even then it would be near impossible to dismiss dismiss the entire army and send all soldiers home. Like i said above the only way to stop this war was to either remove hitler (and put somebody of the army in charge) or to get defeated by the allies. Unfortunatly the war ended with this later solution which claimed far more victems on all sides : civilians, "untermenschen" and both axis and allied soldiers. War is a horrible and complicated thing :( . Bless the souls of all those who have fallen

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

How would he be a bad guy if he was only serving his nation?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

i'm going to have to agree with the person you quoted, Mihail. Rommel, due to his position must have known about the Holocaust.

serving 'masters' capable of such things makes one just as bad. he should have, in fact, all who served in the German Armed Forces, should have refused to fight.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Ahem. There is no justification for killing whether you are a good or [/i]bad[/i] guy.

Rommel supported "fair play" in war, and his actions in North Africa bring up great examples. There is plenty of information from books to know this. For example, Hans von Luck's Panzer Commander goes into great detail on how british and german forces had actual respect for each other.

It is a shame wars aren't fought as such nowadays. It's already worse enough that humans kill each other for fleeting causes.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

He was?


I hope you are just making an exaggerated remark in an attempt of comedy :uhm:

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

The allies(Britian and France) were the ones who declared war on Germany after Poland refused to give over 'rightful' German land known as the Danzig corridor.

The same allies whom didn't declare war on USSR on 17 September.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Did he do any War crimes like the SS and Hitler? If not then he would have been spared the trials and then we could have had the interviews and stuff. Odd though why the nazies killed him. Maybe so they could fight on? Or he had sensetive info that they did not want to fall into the british?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Ahem, that's why he was killed if you are forgetting, he was in on a plot to knock off hitler. I doubt rommel was in on the plot because he thought hitler was too nice, or too smart, I even doubt it was because rommel wanted to take his place.

it was exaggerated, but not far from the truth, countless times rommel was the only person stopping the americans and british from advancing into italy and france.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

yeah, i know. they declared in Defence of Poland. what were they to do? sit back and let Hitler steam roller across Europe?

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

The Danzig corridor was taken from Germany as part of a larger punishment for their role in World War I, and given to Poland. Germany signed an agreement, complying with all the terms in the Treaty of Versailles, so that land was 'righfully' Polish.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

azh you are forgetting that you simple can not say "i won't fight" not only will it get you shot it won't matter too: you will be replaced in an instance. Hitlers generals who asked too many questions where simply fired and replaced by onces who supported hitler or simply didn't asked questions (well some did but they did not dare to question hitler in public fearing to be fired, court marschalled or shot). It is near impossible to let a whole army go on a strike and refuse to fight. It would also be very difficult who you could trust: some soldiers supported hitler (very fantically), others where indifferent/neautral and some hated hitler. All man had to fight however wether you supported hitler or not you where forced to serve your country, to serve hitler.

The only moment that the army could have refused to fight was when they invaded chechoslowakia (sp?) and later poland. Back then the war did not start yet (it did after the invasion of poland). BUT there where no concentrationscamps back in 1939. Yes the jews and other subhumans (untermenschen) where discrimiated and arrested but they where not send to concentrationcamps. Those appeared around 1940-1942, So in 1939 the army still suported hitler, they did not know that the jews would be sent to deathcamps. They where only asked to follow orders to invade their neighbours, and this was of course quite exiting. When the truth came to light about the deathcamps it was too late: the war was well on its way, the army was full of pupput officers and fanatic soldiers (although they rather joined the waffen SS) it was very hard to tell who you could trust and who you couldn't. Liek i said earlear: the only wat that they could have stopped the war after it was well on its way (1940's and alter) was too remove hitler. Amd again that they tried several times.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

i'm not forgetting shit. i fully understand the implications of saying 'no', but i am also fully aware of the implications of supporting Hitler. 8 or so million Jews, unfortunately, are not...

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Czechoslovakia, they are now broken up are are known as the Czech republic and the republic of Slovakia.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

this is where i strongly disagree with you and thus critisise your adoration of dönitz (and rommel for that matter).

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

I agree with donitz, You do as your told. And they make sure you do, because if you have a army full of greenhorns who don't listen worth jack you have a ineffective army. The first thing any army does in the world is they train you to listen to orders.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

...and that would have been preferable to an army which enabled Hitler to maintain control of Europe & persecute those who he wished.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

Hitler had the SS which enabled to allow hitler to maintain control. The SS were hand selected.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

perhaps but he didn't only use the SS to invade the whole of continental europe...

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

True, but the SS were the Top of the Top, The Regular army had no control over the SS, even though the SS had control over the army.

Re: Rommel - 1891-1944
 

your point being?