Historians

[barrett.t]

In El Alamein 1942 Rommel was beaten by a better general no but by quantity. Rommel knew he was losing so he decoded to withdraw. Hitler said fight to the last man. Rommel's son Manfred says he went to Hitler's headquarters to plead to take the Afrika corp to Italy. Hitler threw him out. Rommel's secretary Rolf Munninger states that Rommel broke with Hitler over El Alamein. He had no compassion for his troops. He took them to Tunisia against Hitler's orders. Rommel wrote a farewell letter to his wife possibly thinking Hitler would have him shot. In it he says "I pray to the lord I lay awake at night with open eyes and rack my brain to find a way out from this misery for my troops. When Hitler sent him on leave probably worried about shooting a German hero. Rommel said "the war is as good as lost unfortunately the people at the top are fanatical to the point of madness." In my opinion historians want to come out with a new slant. Lets get a few facts and make stories around them. From the evidence I have written here his thoughts and feelings are not that of a psychopath. I have never read once where Hitler showed that much compassion for his own troops. There are those who criticise Rommel he wasted human life for his ambition and career but they come across to me as envious of his military talent.

[Hagen]

Originally Posted by barrett.t

From the evidence I have written here his thoughts and feelings are not that of a psychopath. I have never read once where Hitler showed that much compassion for his own troops. There are those who criticise Rommel he wasted human life for his ambition and career but they come across to me as envious of his military talent.

Hello barrett

I've never heard anyone before say that Rommel was a psychopath. And as for wasting the lives of his troops it seems to me he was always on Hitlers "black list" for trying to do all he could for his troops. In Normandy as in North Africa he would get into arguments with Hitler because he would want to pull back to more defensible positions, instead of leaving them out on a limb as Hitler wanted.

[barrett.t]

You are right the point really was Hitler was a psychopath. I refuse to believe without incontrovertible evidence that Rommel condoned or agreed or took part in the genocide of terrified men, women and children.

[barrett.t]

You are right the point really was Hitler was a psychopath. I refuse to believe without incontrovertible evidence that Rommel condoned or agreed or took part in the genocide of terrified and defenceless men, women and children. I sometimes get so passionate about what I am writing I forget where I am putting my posts and end up in the wrong place. This is the case here, it should be somewhere else. Klaus who really knows his stuff came across a documentary implying Rommel condoned or agreed or was part of the planning or instigating of genocide. Rommel is a hero of mine and from what I know of him these rumours are unjustified unwarrented and probably a director trying to make a name for himself rather that being objective concerning the evidence. Some times people try to get the evidence to fit their theory. Instead of the other way around.

[MAGNA]

Rommel was fortunate at El Alamein in that Kesselring visited and gave the order to withdraw. He then gave Hitler valid reasons for the withdrawal. He was good at presenting his arguments and usually even Hitler could see the value in them. Rommel probably thought he was going to be in trouble for it anyway but by the time Kesselring had put his views and explained that the withdrawal was already taking place it was too late for Hitler to argue.

The mediterranean theatre was not a place where genocide etc was rife so it is hard to make a case against any of the commanders in that theatre. I don't know why some people have to twist things just to make a dollar.