Just some thoughts on Rommel & Patton as historical figures:
I would be careful about judging historical figures like Rommel. They are often mystified. What is it supposed to mean that Rommel was a particularly capable general given the historical circumstances? When Rommel was detached to Africa, the balance of power in the world had already developed in favor of the Allies: At that point, the war was virtually lost for the Axis powers at Stalingrad. In Italy, it was the first Allied landing in Western Europe. For the Germans and Italians, it was already a defensive war. Here the Allies, who had comparatively little experience of war, tested on a small scale what later became D-Day. From here on, it was only a matter of time how long the people of Europe would suffer and die under the tyranny of the Axis powers. All the worse that “the desert fox” Rommel delayed the liberation of Europe, if you ask me. Here in Germany, where I live, you can find stories about Wehrmacht heroes like Rommel in cheap trash magazines like “Landser,” little dime novels. Rommel as well as most Germans were simply Nazis at that time (resistance unfortunately was not really a thing to mention during that time and please don’t tell me the myth about the “clean Wehrmacht”; in Italy, for example, the Germans massacred civilians.). I wouldn’t even drink a single beer in a pub with such people today. By the way, the vast majority of today’s Germans don’t see people from that time as their heroes (only neonazis would do so). The cause the Axis powers fought for was a terrible one. When Rommel served his country, his country did very terrible things. I probably wouldn’t have a beer with Patton either. He was described as not a very pleasant contemporary and was replaced in the later Italian campaign because he no longer seemed competent…. So I would be rather critical of these historical figures. I apologize for being political.
cheers.
