How Much Did Rommel Apply His World War I Book in World War II?

Lt. Erwin Rommel in the Early Days of World War I

I.  WWI and Infantry Attacks

Erwin Rommel (1891–1944) served as an aggressive and highly decorated German infantry lieutenant during World War I, earning Germany's highest military honor, the Pour le Mérite. He saw combat on the Western Front in France, in Romania, and on the Italian Front. We have earlier presented a number of articles about his Great Service on Roads to the Great War and they can be accessed HERE. 

In 1937, then Lt. Col. Rommel, an instructor at the Potsdam Military Academy, saw published his quasi-war memoir, written in the form of tactical case studies titled Infantry Attacks (German: Infanterie greift an). Its professed purpose was to share his lessons from the Great War and to be adopted as training resource for junior officers. It turned out to be—whether intended or not—a masterpiece of self-promotion. Coming from neither a traditional military family nor the Prussian aristocracy, he was not an army insider tabbed for high office.  Rommel's clear, direct writing style were perfect for his targeted readership, and his emphasis on aggressive leadership, speed, deception, terrain utilization, and shock troops was a perfect formula for erasing the dismal memories of trench warfare. The book became a bestseller that attracted numerous well-placed admirers, particularly Adolf Hitler, with whom he had crossed paths earlier. It's no accident that Rommel's first command in the Second World War was of Hitler's personal headquarters security.

In Africa

II. WWII Commands

While never quite achieving the zenith of leadership for the German Army, Rommel held an impressive string of commands, before accepting the poison pills of Hitler's henchmen.

• Hitler's Headquarters (1939–1940): Commanded the Fuhrer Headquarters security troops during the invasion of Poland.

• 7th Panzer Division (1940–1941): The invasion of France.

• Afrika Corps (1941–1942).

• Operation in Northern Italy (1943–1944).

• Commanded Defenses Along the Atlantic War (1944)

III.  How He Applied His Own Lessons in WWII

Infantry Attacks was a book about tactics, written through the eyes of a junior infantry officer. It does not address strategy or "big picture" issues like logistics, large-scale force maneuvering, supply, or combined arms operations. Consequently, there seems to be a noticeable correlation between the advice of Infantry Attacks and Rommel's most notable and legendary achievements during the Second World War. On the tactical level there were some notable achievements. However, on the larger scale, the results were not as impressive.

Rommel: The Desert Fox

Leading from the Front: Just as he commanded small infantry units at the point of main effort (Schwerpunkt) in WWI, Rommel constantly operated out of forward command vehicles or reconnaissance planes in WWII—earning his 7th Panzer Division the moniker "Ghost Division" because even his own high command often did not know his exact location or intentions. Later, as commander of the Atlantic Wall, Rommel was initially a "whirling dervish", rapidly energizing construction, touring the coasts, and motivating troops and French laborers.

Speed and Surprise: His infantry shock tactics (Stoßtruppen) relied on deep, rapid penetrations to disorient defenders and induce surrender rather than engaging in slow slugfests. He translated this tempo to armor highly successfully during the 1940 French campaign and the North African desert campaigns. His crossing of the Meuse River,  for example, will always, be an object of study at military colleges.  His later execution of the occupation of Italy in 1943 was remarkable as he quickly captured critical alpine passes and secured his communication lines, while disarming over one million Italian soldiers.

Psychological Warfare and Deception: Rommel routinely used feints, reconnaissance in force, aggressive positioning, and displays of overwhelming localized pressure to deceive enemies about his actual strength and make them feel surrounded or outflanked. While not especially admirable, he did show considerable insights into partisan resistance tactics and utter ruthlessness in suppressing them in Italy and the Balkans. In his final assignment, he was not listened to when he advised that the Allied invasion had to be stopped on the beaches within the first 24 hours, because the enemy's naval and air power would paralyze any deep-inland counterattacks.

Late Photo of Rommel with His Family

Rommel: The Limitations

Neglecting Logistics: Applying a junior officer's hyper-aggressive, fast-moving infantry mindset to entire Panzer armies caused severe logistical blind spots. Rommel frequently outran his supply lines and fuel trucks in North Africa because he prioritized operational momentum over administrative sustainability.

Command and Control Breakdown: His personal, decentralized style worked for a company or battalion, but at the division and army level, it often resulted in a reckless disregard for broader coordination and higher command directives. The "Ghost Division" nickname was not always meant as complimentary. His most notable failure in this regard occurred in the November 1942 Second Battle of ElAlamein, when his forward headquarters lost all contact with  his frontline units.

His Pessimism: Rommel grew progressively pessimistic about Germany's prospects in the war. This trait is totally absent in Infantry Attacks, which ends with the post-Caporetto operations in Italy, when Germany still seemed in a position to win the war. [Rommel served the entirety of 1918, when things turned bad for Germany, in a staff position.]  

Rommel’s pessimism began to manifest during the later stages of the North Africa Campaign. Hitler famously confided to Albert Speer that “Rommel has lost his nerve; he's become a pessimist." After the Normandy breakout by the Allies, he became almost openly defeatist and possibly a supporter of the 20 July assassination attempt. This cost him his life.

The Editor's Call:  

How closely did Rommel apply his First World War lessons?  From my readings of various sources, its seems like he did apply many of those lessons to the battlefields of the Second World War, possibly to a fault, and he did seem to have some blind spots. However, I remember a speaker at some long ago military conference who claimed that of all the notable generals of WWII, Rommel did "the mostest with the leastest."

Sources: Military History; HistoryNet; Military Strategy Magazine; Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel (highly recommended and can be ordered HERE.)