The Escapades of the Desert Fox
What Made Erwin Rommel Such a Successful General, and What Finally Led to his Defeat?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47611/jsrhs.v11i2.2443Keywords:
Erwin Rommel, Bernard Montgomery, World War Two, strategyAbstract
Erwin Rommel is often identified as one of the most successful and influential generals of his time period. This literature review analyses his strategies and their application in military situations during World War 1 and 2. Furthermore, this paper looks at the strategy of Bernard Montgomery, often regarded as Rommel’s military counterpart. This paper then compares their strategies and analyses military conflicts between these two generals and the reasons for either success or failure. Previous research has covered the subject of these conflicts, but most fail to address the reasons behind each failure or success, and the link to these generals' ideologies. To accomplish this goal many biographies and autobiographies, as well as letters of these two men, were consolidated and selected for this paper. The major findings of this paper show how Rommel’s initial military success is owed to his ruthless personality and upfront leadership, while his defeat was caused by failing German resources and standards, as well as having to face an equally stubborn, better equipped and strategic foe in Montgomery.
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