Rommel

## Skills

Desert Fighting (1)

Crossfire (1)

Armoured Assault (2)

Free Slot, recommend Panzer Leader

Free Slot, recommend Rumour or Inspiration

## **History**

**Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel** was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front. In 1937 he published his classic book on military tactics, Infantry Attacks, drawing on his experiences from World War I. In World War II, he distinguished himself as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African Campaign established his reputation as one of the ablest tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs, "the Desert Fox". Among his British adversaries, he earned a strong reputation for chivalry, and the North African campaign has often been called a "war without hate". He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy.

Rommel supported the Nazi party, although his attitude towards Nazi ideology and level of knowledge of the regime's crimes against humanity remain a matter of debate among scholars. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler. Due to Rommel's status as a national hero, the High Command desired to eliminate him quietly. Rommel was given a choice between committing suicide, in return for assurances that his reputation would remain intact and that his family would not be persecuted following his death, or facing a trial that would result in his disgrace and execution; he chose suicide using a cyanide pill. Rommel was given a state funeral, and it was announced that he had succumbed to his injuries from the strafing of his staff car in Normandy.

Rommel has become a larger-than-life figure in both Allied and German propaganda, and in postwar popular culture, with numerous authors considering him an apolitical, brilliant commander and a victim of the Third Reich. Rommel's reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interest of the German rearmament and reconciliation between the former enemies – France, the United Kingdom and the United States on one side and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. Several of Rommel's former subordinates played key roles in German rearmament and integration into NATO during the 'Cold War' era. The German Army's largest military base, the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, is named in his honour.

## In-Game

Decent Tank general that can become cheap by completing his missions. This is a bit of a paradox as you will need a good tank general to complete his missions. Once you do, you will get the cheapest 6-start panzer general in the game. Although he is overshadowed by other, more expensive generals such as Guderian and Rokossovsky, he still holds a solid place as you’ll often need more than one tank general in later scenarios and missions. His signature ability, desert fighting, allow him to take advantage of desert tiles, making him takes less dmg and deal more dmg while on them. His other skills, Crossfire and Armoured Assault allow him to deal extra damage while both attacking and being attacked. His two free slots allow for him to have greater amour synergy than he already does. You can add whatever you want, but I recommend Blitzkrieg, so your enemies won't fight back, and Panzer Leader, for fatal extra damage when attacking, or Rumour instead of Panzer Leader to make your enemies' morale will go down and their damage will be reduced.