ERWIN ROMMEL

early life

• born in Heidenheim, Germany
• born on November 15th, 1891
• Son of a teacher
• Rommel joined the German infantry in 1910

WORLD WAR 1

• He fought as a lieutenant
• fought in France, Romania and Italy
• in 1940, he was named commander of 7th Panzer division

WORLD WAR 2

• in 1943, Rommel was recalled to Europe to oversee the defense of the Atlantic coast
• Rommel began to express doubt about both Germany's reasons for participating in the war
• Doubted Hitler's ability of peace-making

PLOT TO OVERTHROW HITLER

• Told by a group of friends he should lead Germany once Hitler was gone
• He was unaware that the men had been planning his assassination
• in 1944 another group of men attempted to kill Hitler
• the 1944 plot revealed Rommel's friends plot

DEATH

• Rommel was then offered the option of taking poison instead of going to trial
• Rommel drank the poison, taking his own life
• October 14, 1944, at the age of 52
• Herrlingen, Germany
• He was given a full military burial