Topic: rommel---africa or russia?

godofthunder9010 · August 6th, 2005

I think much of it all comes back to the same questions: Why has everyone heard a lot about Rommel in this world? Why is everyone thoroughly convinced that he was the greatest military commander produced by Nazi Germany?

The answer is simple: We fought Rommel throughout WW2. He was good, but as Doppleganger has pointed out, there is a sizable list of Panzer leaders, Generals and Field Marshalls that were as good or better, all fighting on the Eastern Front. The West doesn't sing their praises because Westerners don't generally know or care anything but the absolute bare minimum about the Eastern Front.

Moving him over to heading Armygroupe North or Armygroupe South would have had very little overall effect on the outcome of things in the East for two major reasons:
1.) Hitler was micromanaging everything. Rommel would have eventually failed against impossible odds and been fired by Hitler for it, right along with most of the best that Germany had in the East. Guderian was definitely a better Panzer leader than Rommel and truthfully the best Panzer Leader of the war, but Hitler fired the man for arguing in favor of common sense strategy. This front was Germany's "do or die trying" front, so the emotions, politics and stakes were much much higher.
2.) One thing Stalin was very good at pushing his Generals to do was the one thing that would have robbed Rommel of some of his best tricks: Constant pressure from anywhere and everywhere possible.

Lets say we move him to Armygroupe South (which definitely needed better leadership). I honestly don't think he could have greatly alterred that Armygroupe's fortunes in the long run, but perhaps it could have saved them from quite a number of messes, perhaps. However, taking him away from the African theater would have guaranteed total failure in Africa far far sooner. Relying on Italy to actually take care of the Aftrican Front was much like asking a dog to go fetch a Killer Whale out of the Ocean for you: It just wasn't going to happen. Honestly, they even botched Greece, and thereby proved that they were often more a liability than a strength to the Axis Powers. I think that, in the balancing out of things, Rommel is best left in Africa where he was able to have a greater impact.

August 6th, 2005
godofthunder9010 Tribunus Laticlavius Gear	I think much of it all comes back to the same questions: Why has everyone heard a lot about Rommel in this world? Why is everyone thoroughly convinced that he was the greatest military commander produced by Nazi Germany? The answer is simple: We fought Rommel throughout WW2. He was good, but as Doppleganger has pointed out, there is a sizable list of Panzer leaders, Generals and Field Marshalls that were as good or better, all fighting on the Eastern Front. The West doesn't sing their praises because Westerners don't generally know or care anything but the absolute bare minimum about the Eastern Front. Moving him over to heading Armygroupe North or Armygroupe South would have had very little overall effect on the outcome of things in the East for two major reasons: 1.) Hitler was micromanaging everything. Rommel would have eventually failed against impossible odds and been fired by Hitler for it, right along with most of the best that Germany had in the East. Guderian was definitely a better Panzer leader than Rommel and truthfully the best Panzer Leader of the war, but Hitler fired the man for arguing in favor of common sense strategy. This front was Germany's "do or die trying" front, so the emotions, politics and stakes were much much higher. 2.) One thing Stalin was very good at pushing his Generals to do was the one thing that would have robbed Rommel of some of his best tricks: Constant pressure from anywhere and everywhere possible. Lets say we move him to Armygroupe South (which definitely needed better leadership). I honestly don't think he could have greatly alterred that Armygroupe's fortunes in the long run, but perhaps it could have saved them from quite a number of messes, perhaps. However, taking him away from the African theater would have guaranteed total failure in Africa far far sooner. Relying on Italy to actually take care of the Aftrican Front was much like asking a dog to go fetch a Killer Whale out of the Ocean for you: It just wasn't going to happen. Honestly, they even botched Greece, and thereby proved that they were often more a liability than a strength to the Axis Powers. I think that, in the balancing out of things, Rommel is best left in Africa where he was able to have a greater impact. __________________ "It is well that war is so terrible, else we should grow too fond of it." - General Robert E. Lee Warning, critical pebkac error in the iD10t!! pebkac\wtflolurpwnzd\snafuroflmao.exe called iD10t, iD10t failed to respond!! System in danger!! "It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. I am NOT a big man." -Chevy Chase