Erwin Rommel has fascinated me since childhood. The story of his career is the story of the German war itself: from the push across France, to the African campaign, to the assassination attempt on Hitler. Rommel played his role in all of it. The Desert Fox was also a true gentleman-soldier. He was ferocious on the battlefield, but exceptionally humane towards his enemies. This dichotomy can be seen in a memory of a close colleague:
During the days that followed, Rommel continued to drive from one unit to another, usually through the British lines, in order to deal with continually recurring crises. On one occasion he went into a New Zealand hospital, which was still occupied by the enemy. By this time no one really knew who was captor and who captive — except Rommel, who was in no doubt. He inquired if anything was needed, promised the British medical supplies and drove on unhindered. (Liddell-Hart 1953, 164)
Others might write-off this incident as mundane, but not me. Rommel’s behavior epitomizes the goals of the Geneva Convention: that wherever possible, wars must minimize human suffering. In the 21st century, we could learn much from Rommel’s humanity towards his enemies.
Christopher R. Albon is a political science Ph.D. specializing in armed conflict, public health, human security, and health diplomacy.
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