Erwin Rommel and the Bundeswehr explained
A significant controversy exists over the German Bundeswehrs use of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel as its role model. Numerous critics take issue with the Bundeswehr's reverence towards Rommel as its primary role model. While recognising his great talents as a commander, they point out several problems, including Rommel's involvement with a criminal regime and his political naivete. However, there are also many supporters of the continued commemoration of Rommel by the Bundeswehr, and there remains military buildings and streets named after him and portraits of him displayed.
Critics of Rommel's commemoration by the Bundeswehr
Political scientist calls for his replacement with Manfred von Richthofen. Cornelia Hecht opines that whatever judgement history will pass on Rommel – who was the idol of World War II as well as the integration figure of the post-war Republic – it is now the time in which the Bundeswehr should rely on its own history and tradition, and not any Wehrmacht commander., a retired Bundeswehr officer, writes that the maintenance of the Rommel barracks' names and the definition of Rommel as a German resistance fighter are capitulation before neo-Nazi tendencies. Heiducoff agrees with Bundeswehr generals that Rommel was one of the greatest strategists and tacticians, both in theory and practice, and a victim of contemporary jealous colleagues, but argues that such a talent for aggressive, destructive warfare is not a suitable model for the Bundeswehr, a primarily defensive army. Heiducoff criticises Bundeswehr generals for pressuring the Federal Ministry of Defence into making decisions in favour of the man who they openly admire. The Green Party's position is that Rommel was not a war criminal but still had entanglements with war crimes, and that he cannot not be the Bundeswehr's role model. Political scientist and politician Alexander Neu criticises the Ministry's undeterred attitude to the fact Rommel was at least near-Nazi and did serve the unjust regime, and comments that the association of Rommel with the spirit of the Bundeswehr is not new, but they did not expect that the Federal Ministry of Defence, without providing at least a bibliography, would declare him a victim of the regime as well.
Supporters
Historian Michael Wolffsohn supports the Ministry of Defence's decision to continue recognition of Rommel, although he thinks the focus should be put on the later stage of Rommel's life, when he began thinking more seriously about war and politics, and broke with the regime. Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) reports that, "Wolffsohn declares the Bundeswehr wants to have politically thoughtful, responsible officers from the beginning, thus a tradition of 'swashbuckler' and 'humane rogue' is not intended". According to authors like Ulrich vom Hagen and Sandra Mass though, the Bundeswehr (as well as NATO) deliberately endorses the ideas of chivalrous warfare and apolitical soldiering associated with Rommel. According to Cornelia Hecht, the Bundeswehr believes that "chivalry and fairness", which Rommel embodied more than any other Wehrmacht generals, are timeless military virtues. At a Ministry conference soliciting input on the matter, Dutch general Ton van Loon advised the Ministry that, although there can be historical abuses hidden under the guise of military tradition, tradition is still essential for the esprit de corps, and part of that tradition should be the leadership and achievements of Rommel. Historian Christian Hartmann opines that not only Rommel's legacy is worthy of tradition but the Bundeswehr "urgently needs to become more Rommel".[1] The Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf stresses his leadership and performance as worthy of tradition and identity, establishing, among other things, Rommel having committed no proven war crime as a reason to keep the name. The Sanitary Regiment 3, stationed at the Rommel Barracks in Dornstadt, also desires (almost unanimously, as revealed by an interdepartmental opinion poll) to keep the name. There has also been discussion regarding the Hammelburg Garrison ("the heart of German infantry", according to Ursula von der Leyen), which considers Rommel as "name patron" and "identification figure" together with Adolf Heusinger (the main street on which the garrison is located is named after Rommel while one of the barracks is named after Heusinger). The city council has defended the street's name.[2] [3] [4]
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces Hans-Peter Bartels (SPD) supports the keeping of the name and the tradition associated with Rommel, but notes that the reasons should not be his initial successes in the North African campaign (1940-1943), or that the former adversary armies have continued to worship him until this day. Bartels adds that Rommel, who probably supported the resistance, is a borderline case, regarding which historians find it hard to ascertain, and German history is full of such ambiguities. In early 2017, the Federal Ministry of Defence, in response to a petition championed by historian Wolfgang Proske and backed by politicians from the Left Party, defended the naming of barracks after Rommel, with the justification that the current state of research does not support their allegations. In 2019, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence explained that although there are controversies regarding Rommel's role in the resistance against National Socialism, Rommel did disregard criminal orders and reject the enemy image enforced by the regime. Additionally, the Bundeswehr also finds his courage in trying to end the war meaningful and worthy of tradition.[5] Sönke Neitzel supports the commemoration, although he notes that Rommel "rode the waves of the regime" and only mustered the courage to break with it at the last minute, but in a way unlike any other general. He also considers Rommel's other virtues and military capability to be important, since membership of the resistance does not help modern soldiers in Mali. Historian Hannes Heer argues that Rommel was not a resistance fighter, and that membership of the resistance, instead of secondary virtues and military capability, should be the only touchstone of commemoration.[6] [7]
Alternative views
Historian Johannes Hürter opines that instead of being the symbol for an alternative Germany, Rommel should be the symbol for the willingness of the military elites to become instrumentalised by the Nazi authorities. As for whether he can be treated as a military role model, Hürter writes that each soldier can decide on that matter for themselves. Historian argues that it is totally conceivable that the resistance saw Rommel as someone with whom they could build a new Germany. According to Piper though, Rommel was a loyal National Socialist without crime rather than a democrat, thus unsuitable to hold a central place among role models, although he can be integrated as a major military leader. Wolfgang Benz also comments "His fate gives an idea of the possibilities the military resistance could have offered had such a charismatic leader of troops been at the helm."[8]
References
Informational notes
Citations
Bibliography
Further reading
- Book: Philosophers of War: The Evolution of History's Greatest Military Thinkers . Coetzee . Daniel . ABC-CLIO . 2013 . 978-0-313-07033-4 .
- Connelly . Mark . Mark Connelly . Rommel as icon . Rommel Reconsidered . I. F. W. Beckett . Mechanicsburg, PA . . 2014 . 978-0-8117-1462-4 .
- Book: Connelly . Owen . On War and Leadership: The Words of Combat Commanders from Frederick the Great to Norman Schwarzkopf . 2009 . Princeton University Press. Princeton . 978-1-4008-2516-5 .
- Book: Creveld . Martin van . Martin van Creveld . Supplying War: Logistics from Wallenstein to Patton . Cambridge . . 1977 . 0-521-21730-X.
- Book: Däniker . Gustav . Keren . Michael . Sylvan . Donald A. . International Intervention: Sovereignty Versus Responsibility . 2002 . Psychology Press . 978-0-7146-5192-7 . 117 .
- Web site: Detsch . Roland . context politik: wissenschaft: kultur . Die andere Wahrheit . 2002 . 30 May 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161211201826/http://cpw-online.de/rezensionen/remy.htm . 11 December 2016 . live .
- Book: Deuel. Wallace R.. A 'Model' Teuton; MEET MR. BLANK. By R.G. Waldeck. 179 pp. New York: G.P. Putnam's Boris. $2.50. Mr. Blank -- The Model Teuton (The New York Times Book Review, Volume 2). 1943. Arno Press. 14 September 2017.
- Book: Dick . Bernard F. . The Star-Spangled Screen: The American World War II Film . 13 Jan 2015 . University Press of Kentucky . 978-0-813-14895-3 .
- Book: Dixon, Norman F. . On the Psychology of Military Incompetence . Basic Books . 2016 . 978-0-465-09780-7 .
- Dowe. Christopher. Hecht. Cornelia . Von Mythen, Legenden und Manipulationen. David Irving und seine verzerrende Deutungen von Erwin Rommel, Hans Speidel und Cäsar von Hofacker. Verräter? Vorbilder? Verbrecher? Kontroverse Deutungen des 20. Juli 1944 seit 1945. Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg . 129–160 . Frank & Timme GmbH . 2016 . 9783732902767.
- Book: Duffy . James P. . Ricci . Vincent L. . Target Hitler: The Many Plots to Kill Adolf Hitler . 2013 . Enigma Books . 978-1-936274-03-1 .
- Book: Echternkamp . Jörg . Echternkamp, Jörg . Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen – der Zweite Weltkrieg . 2010 . C. H. Beck . 978-3-406-59314-7 .
- Book: Edwards . Jill . El Alamein and the Struggle for North Africa: International Perspectives from the Twenty-first Century . 2012 . Oxford University Press . 978-977-416-581-8 .
- Book: Evans, Richard J. . Richard J. Evans . The Third Reich at War . Penguin . New York . 2009 . 978-0-14-101548-4 . The Third Reich Trilogy#The Third Reich at War .
- Web site: Fischer . Thomas . SWR . Rommel und Hitler . 2014 . 30 May 2016 . 3 December 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171203232029/https://www.swr.de/rommel/rommel-und-hitler/hitlers-lieblingsgeneral/-/id=10224964/did=10210228/nid=10224964/tmdsxi/index.html . dead .
- Book: Fraser . David . Knight's Cross: A Life of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel . 1993 . . New York . David Fraser (British Army officer) . 23 April 2016 .
- News: Friedmann . Jan . World War II: New Research Taints Image of Desert Fox Rommel . 4 March 2016 . . 23 May 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161211201955/http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/world-war-ii-new-research-taints-image-of-desert-fox-rommel-a-484510.html . 11 December 2016 .
- Book: Gabel . Christopher . Great Commanders [Illustrated Edition] . 2014 . Pickle Partners Publishing . 978-1-78289-446-9 .
- Book: Giordano . Ralph . Die Traditionslüge: vom Kriegerkult in der Bundeswehr . 2000 . Kiepenheuer & Witsch . 978-3-462-02921-5 .
- Book: Giordano . Ralph . Mein Leben ist so sündhaft lang: ein Tagebuch . 2010 . Kiepenheuer & Witsch . 978-3-462-04240-5 .
- Book: Goldschmidt Waldeck . Rosie . Meet Mr. Blank: The Leader of Tomorrow's Germans . 1943 . G. P. Putnam's sons .
- Book: Hachten Wee . Patricia . Wee . Robert James . World War II in Literature for Youth: A Guide and Resource Book . 2004 . Scarecrow Press . 978-0-8108-5301-0 .
- Web site: Hamilton . Nigel . Nigel Hamilton (author) . . Defeating the Desert Fox . 2012 . 8 October 2016 .
- Book: Hanley . Brian . Planning for Conflict in the Twenty-first Century . 2008 . Greenwood Publishing Group . 978-0-313-34555-5 .
- Book: Hansen, Randall. Randall Hansen. Disobeying Hitler: German Resistance After Valkyrie. 2014. Oxford University Press. New York. 978-0-19-992792-0.
- Hart . Russel A. . Rommel and the 20th July Bomb Plot . Rommel Reconsidered . F. W. Beckett . Mechanicsburg, PA . Stackpole Books . 2014 . 978-0-8117-1462-4 .
- Book: Hartmann. Bernd. Panzers in the Sand: The History of Panzer-Regiment 5, 1942-45, Volume 2. 2011. Stackpole Books. 9780811744324. 138.
- Book: Holles. Everett. Unconditional Surrender. 1945. Howell, Soskin. 227.
- News: Kanold . Jurgen . Denkmal des Anstoßes . 4 August 2016 . swp.de . 28 February 2012 . 30 June 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150630091036/http://www.swp.de/ulm/lokales/ulm_neu_ulm/Denkmal-des-Anstosses;art4329,1355468 . dead .
- Book: Kitchen . Martin . Martin Kitchen . Rommel's Desert War: Waging World War II in North Africa, 1941–1943 . . 2009 . 978-0-521-50971-8 .
- Book: Kitchen . Martin . A World in Flames: A Short History of the Second World War in Europe and Asia 1939–1945 . 14 January 2014 . Routledge . 978-1-317-90094-8 . 84 .
- Book: Knopp . Guido . Hitlers Krieger . 2013 . C. Bertelsmann Verlag . 978-3-641-11998-0 .
- Book: Knorr Jr. . Major Marvin . The Development Of German Doctrine And Command And Control And Its Application To Supporting Arms, 1832–1945 . 2015 . Pickle Partners Publishing . 978-1-78625-062-9 . CITEREFKnorr2015 .
- Book: Knox . MacGregor . Hitler's Italian Allies: Royal Armed Forces, Fascist Regime, and the War of 1940–1943 . 2000 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-43203-0 .
- Book: Krause . Michael D. . Phillips . R. Cody . Historical Perspectives of the Operational Art . 2006 . Government Printing Office . 978-0-16-072564-7 .
- Book: Kubetzky. Thomas. "The mask of command": Bernard L. Montgomery, George S. Patton und Erwin Rommell. 978-3-643-10349-9. 2010. LIT Verlag Münster.
- Web site: Lasserre . Caroline . Rommel ist und bleibt ein Mythos . Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung . 8 July 2014 . 3 August 2016 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20161211195434/http://www.kas.de/niedersachsen/de/publications/38303/ . 11 December 2016 .
- Book: Latimer, Jon . Jon Latimer . 2002 . Alamein . Harvard University Press . Cambridge, MA . 978-0-674-01016-1 .
- Book: Levine . Alan J. . D-Day to Berlin: The Northwest Europe Campaign, 1944–45 . 2007 . Stackpole Books . 978-1-4617-5085-7 . en .
- Book: Levine. Alan J.. The War Against Rommel's Supply Lines, 1942-1943. 1999. Praeger. 9780275965211. 183.
- Book: Lewin, Ronald . 1998 . 1968 . Rommel As Military Commander . B&N Books . New York . 978-0-7607-0861-3 .
- Lieb . Peter . Peter Lieb . Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte . 61 . 3 . 2013 . Erwin Rommel. Widerstandskämpfer oder Nationalsozialist? . Degruyter . 303–343 . 10.1524/vfzg.2013.0015 . 147061655 .
- Lieb . Peter . Peter Lieb. Rommel in Normandy . Rommel Reconsidered . I. F. W. Beckett . Mechanicsburg, PA . . 2014 . 978-0-8117-1462-4 .
- Web site: Luvaas . Jay . . Liddell Hart and the Mearsheimer Critique: A 'Pupil's' Retrospective . 1990 . 8 February 2016 .
- Book: Macksey, Kenneth . Rommel: Battles and Campaigns . 1979 . Arms & Armour Press . 978-0-85368-232-5 .
- Maier . Manfred . Vortrag Manfred Maier zu der Geschichte des Heidenheimer Rommeldenkmals . Geschichtswerkstatt Heidenheim. Vorlage für die Arbeitsgruppe «Umgestaltung des Rommel-Denkmals» . 49. 2013.
- Book: Majdalany . Fred . The Battle of El Alamein: Fortress in the Sand . 2003 . University of Pennsylvania Press . 978-0-8122-1850-3 . 31–32 .
- Major . Patrick . Patrick Major . German History . 26 . 4 . 2008 . 'Our Friend Rommel': The Wehrmacht as 'Worthy Enemy' in Postwar British Popular Culture . Oxford University Press . 10.1093/gerhis/ghn049 . 520–535 .
- Book: Marshall. Charles F.. Discovering the Rommel Murder. 1994. Stackpole Books. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 978-0-8117-4278-8.
- Book: McMahon, T. L. . 2014 . Operational Principles: The Operational Art of Erwin Rommel and Bernard Montgomery . Pickle Partners . 978-1-78289-742-2 .
- Book: Mearsheimer . John . John Mearsheimer . Liddell Hart and the Weight of History . Ithaca, N.Y. . . 1988 . 978-0-8014-2089-4 .
- Book: Megargee . Geoffrey P. . Geoffrey P. Megargee. Inside Hitler's High Command . Kansas University Press . 2000 . Lawrence, Kansas . 0-7006-1015-4 .
- Book: Messenger . Charles . Rommel: Leadership Lessons from the Desert Fox . 2009 . Basingstoke, NY . . 978-0-230-60908-2 .
- Murray. Williamson. Knight's Cross, A Life of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel by David Fraser. 2944594. The Journal of Military History. 59. 2 . 1995 . Virginia Military Institute and the George C. Marshall Foundation . 345–346. 1543-7795. 10.2307/2944594.
- Book: Murray . Williamson . Millett . Allan Reed . A War To Be Won: fighting the Second World War . Harvard University Press . 2009 . 978-0-674-04130-1 . CITEREFMurray2009.
- Book: Murray . Williamson . Military Adaptation in War: With Fear of Change . 2011 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-139-91586-1 .
- Naumann . Klaus . Klaus Naumann . Afterword . Charles Messenger . Rommel: Leadership Lessons from the Desert Fox . 2009 . Basingstoke, NY . . 978-0-230-60908-2 .
- Book: Neitzel, Sönke . Sönke Neitzel . Abgehört. Deutsche Generäle in britischer Kriegsgefangenschaft 1942–1945 . Berlin . Propyläen . 2005 . 978-3-548-60760-3 .
- News: Paterson . Tony . Was the Desert Fox an honest soldier or just another Nazi? . . 4 December 2011 .
- Book: Pimlott . John . 2014. 1994. Rommel: In His Own Words . London . Amber Books . 978-1-78274-190-9.
- Book: Pyta . Wolfram . Hitler: Der Künstler als Politiker und Feldherr. Eine Herrschaftsanalyse . 2015 . Siedler Verlag . 978-3-641-15701-2 .
- Book: Rau . Petra . Our Nazis . 2013 . Edinburgh University Press . 9780748668663 . 132–134 . 8 February 2019 .
- Book: Remy, Maurice Philip . Maurice Philip Remy . Mythos Rommel . Munich . Ullstein . 2002 . 3-548-60385-8 .
- Book: Reuth . Ralf Georg . Ralf Georg Reuth . 2005 . Rommel: The End of a Legend . Haus Books . London . 978-1-904950-20-2 .
Notes and References
- News: Sanches . Miguel . Wie viel Wehrmacht steckt noch in der Bundeswehr? . 27 April 2019 . Berliner Morgenpost . 13 October 2017.
- News: Oppong . Marvin . Rommel soll weg . 6 May 2019 . Frankfurter Rundschau . 19 September 2008.
- News: Dünnebier . Wolfgang . Wirbel um Hammelburger Kaserne in der Rommelstraße . 6 May 2019 . Main Post . 18 May 2017.
- News: Czygan . Michael . Von der Leyen lobt Soldaten in Hammelburg . 6 May 2019 . Main Post . 24 July 2017.
- News: Fuch . Carola . Trotz Kritik Rommel-Kasernen behalten den Namen . 26 May 2020 . Stuttgarter Zeitung . 27 September 2019.
- News: Krauß . Bärbel . Militärhistoriker Neitzel zur Bundeswehr-Affäre "Von der Leyens Bildersturm ist Quatsch" . 27 April 2019 . stuttgarter-nachrichten.de . 15 May 2017.
- News: Scholter . Judith . Werner . Frank . Von der Wehrmacht lernen? . 27 April 2019 . Die Zeit . ZEIT Geschichte Nr. 4/2018 . 3 July 2018.
- News: Schulz . Bernhard . Einsam in der Volksgemeinschaft . 27 April 2019 . Der Tagesspiegel . 17 April 2019.