Erwin Rommel

Erwin Rommel was appointed instructor at the Infantry School in Dreseden in 1929. In October 1935 he became a lieutenant colonel and began teaching at the Postdam War Academy. In 1937 his lectures were published in a book on infantry tactics. Even today, his book is required reading for tank commanders. This book caught the attention of Adolf Hitler. Rommel then became commander of Hitler’s headquarter staff in Austria and Czechoslovakia and a year later, in Poland. Pretty soon, he became one of Hitler’s favorite men. By 1940 he was the commander of the 7^th Panzer Division that invaded France. He was then promoted to general and then appointed commander of the Afrika Corps in 1941 by Hitler. Rommel did a lot of work in North Africa and that is what he is most remembered for. He drove the British 8^th Army out of Libya, but he was defeated at El Alamein in Egypt. Then, in 1944 he was the commander of the defenses of the Atlantic Wall. He defense was at France’s channel coast and the purpose was to ensure that Western Europe was secure against all possible allied invasions. He then joined a conspiracy against Hitler because he believed that Germany was on the verge of defeat and he wanted Hitler to end the war. Rommel is one of the most remembered men of WWII and well known for his victories in North Africa.