# New Research Taints Image of Desert Fox Rommel



## v2 (May 23, 2007)

Gentleman warrior, military genius. The legend of Erwin Rommel, the German Field Marshal who outfoxed the British in North Africa, lives on. But a new TV documentary seeks to correct that image by arguing that his victories nearly brought the Holocaust to the Middle East.

more: World War II: New Research Taints Image of Desert Fox Rommel - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News


----------



## evangilder (May 23, 2007)

Interesting, but following the logic of that article, then every German officer would be guilty of perpetrating the holocaust, or at least being an accessory to it. I personally don't agree with that premise. I find it difficult to believe that all German officers were fully aware of what was going on. Sure, there were some that were, but certainly not all of them.

Besides, as a soldier, you are a soldier first and foremost. If your objective is to take the land, that is your job. What happens in those lands after you have taken them is not necessarily within your control.


----------



## Erich (May 23, 2007)

well believe it or not ladies/gents many a Landser on the Ost front and civilians did not have a clue what was going on in the camps or even knew they existed. Even after the war those that did not see first hand were doubting the Allies thinking it must have been a cover up. I have to dear friends, he served on the Ost front from 41 till wars end...............when he finally got home at the end of 45 after being held briefly by the English he heard and saw pics. He had such a hard time talking about it stating that he could not believe that his own homeland and fellow Germans could be that barbaric ~ he was so ashamed and so was she...........


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 24, 2007)

That is true Erich. My Grandfather was captured at Stalingrad and held in a POW camp. He was fortunate to return after the war and was forced to walk through a Camp. He could not believe how anyone could do this. This was the first time that he had seen this. He said that they had heard rumors of it but they were dismissed as false rumors because no one could do something like that. After seeing it he said that they were all going to go to hell because of this mad man.


----------



## Negative Creep (May 24, 2007)

I was always under the impression Rommel had little interest in Nazi doctrine and racial politics. They mention what was bieng set up behind the lines, but how much of this would Rommel have overseen directly? Hitler or Himmler would have had the final say in such matters, I don't think Rommel got involved. As Evan said, he was far mote preoccupied with winning territory in the first place, not what went on afterwards. He certainly had respect for captured soldiers, treated French POWs, technically partisans as France had surrendered and the Axis didn't recognize De Gaulle, with full rights afforded to British or American prisoners


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 25, 2007)

I have nothing but respect for Rommel but of course now rogthedodge or someone else is going to say that I support or want to glorify Nazis because of it.


----------



## machine shop tom (May 25, 2007)

Rommel died because he was involved in a plot to kill Hitler. Hardly the actions of a man who would advance the Nazi cause to the end.

tom


----------



## Soundbreaker Welch? (May 28, 2007)

Anyway, Rommel never got to Egypt or Africa. Maybe if Hitler had tried harder, he could have with propaganda gotten the Muslims to do the Holocaust for him before Rommel got there., but the British would have stopped it I can bet.


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 28, 2007)

Rommel never got to Africa or Egypt? Since when? He commanded the Afrika Korps.

Sorry if I misunderstood you but are you implying that he never was in Africa?


----------



## 102first_hussars (May 28, 2007)

Soundbreaker Welch? said:


> Anyway, Rommel never got to Egypt or Africa. Maybe if Hitler had tried harder, he could have with propaganda gotten the Muslims to do the Holocaust for him before Rommel got there., but the British would have stopped it I can bet.





They pushed all the way to Tobruk which was at the Lybia-Egypt Border, but i didnt think Rommel made into Egypt, I could be wrong


But I do know that the Italians made it into Egypt though


----------



## FLYBOYJ (May 28, 2007)

Had Rommel captured Palestine, it's hard to say what would of been done with the Jews there, but based on what Hitler did in other parts of Europe, it's anyone guess. How far Rommel would of been brought into SS activities, again any one's guess, but we all know he was a soldier first. It is a fact that the Grand Mufti would of helped Nazi Germany in rounding up Jews, and eventually his influence would form the groundwork for Iraq's Baath Party.

I think the article has many holes and "what ifs."


----------



## DerAdlerIstGelandet (May 28, 2007)

102first_hussars said:


> They pushed all the way to Tobruk which was at the Lybia-Egypt Border, but i didnt think Rommel made into Egypt, I could be wrong
> 
> 
> But I do know that the Italians made it into Egypt though




No Rommel drove all the way into Egypt. El Alamayn is in Egypt and that is where the 1st and 2nd Battles of El Alamayn were fought.

The Battle of Alam el Halfa was also fought in Egypt by Rommel.

Below is a pick of the El Alamayn area to show you where in Egypt it is and then another pic of Rommel in N. Africa.

For copyright reasons I downloaded the pic of Rommel here:
Image:Rommel in Africa1941.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


----------



## Jackson (Jun 7, 2007)

I wonder why they never bombed palestine?


----------



## Gnomey (Jun 7, 2007)

Wouldn't of gained them much. If they were to bomb anywhere they would of been better off targeting targets/cities in Egypt (Alexandria/Cairo etc) as well as the Allied armies.


----------

