MontyB
All-Blacks Supporter
Yes it is the title of Spike Milligans second book and one of my favourites but I figured I would use it as an introduction to a thread on Erwin Rommel someone who I believe has achieved a level of notoriety that I am not sure he deserved.
Here is the conclusion from a 1997 paper by Robert N. Wiegert...
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a325048.pdf
Here is the conclusion from a 1997 paper by Robert N. Wiegert...
Within Rommel's first year in North Africa, the Afrika Korps had some terrific successes pushing the Allied forces back. These successes were in large part due to Rommel's tactical leadership at the unnecessary expense of forces and equipment.
Although Rommel possessed and displayed extraordinary operational leadership qualities, he failed as an operational leader because he did not grasp the importance of operational logistics and because he failed to understand the primacy of policy and strategy.
Rommel possessed the needed character traits to be a great operational leader; however, he continuously thought like a tactical leader. His lack of unity of effort with his Italian allies and his desire to lead from the front seriously effected his ability to coordinate and direct all his forces more efficiently.
Since he acted more like a tactical leader than an operational leader he was unable to grasp the big picture. Had he been a better operational leader, his successes would not have been so costly in lives and resources, and it could possibly have saved Germany from losing North Africa, and would have assisted Germany in attaining her strategic objective in Russia.
http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a325048.pdf