Rommel myth

The Rommel myth, also known as the Rommel legend, as a term used by critical historians, refers to common depictions of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in popular culture and academic writings as an apolitical, brilliant commander, and a victim of the Third Reich due to his (disputed) participation in the 20 July plot against Adolf Hitler. According to critical historians, such depictions are not accurate.

The myth was created, with Rommel's participation, as a component of Nazi propaganda to praise the Wehrmacht and instill optimism in the German public. Starting in 1941, it was picked up and disseminated in the West by the British war-time press as the Allies sought to explain their continued inability to defeat the Axis forces in North Africa.

Following the war, the Western Allies, and particularly the British, depicted Rommel as the "good German" and "our friend Rommel", hewing closely to the tenets of the myth of the clean Wehrmacht. His reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interests of West German rearmament and the reconciliation between the former enemies—the United Kingdom and the United States on one side, and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. The 1950 biography Rommel: The Desert Fox and the 1953 publication of The Rommel Papers added layers to the myth, which has proven resilient to critical examination.

The mythology surrounding Rommel has been the subject of analysis by both English- and German-speaking historians in recent decades. The reevaluation has produced new interpretations of Rommel, including his relationship with National Socialism, his abilities as operational and strategic level commander, and his role (if any) in the 20 July plot. Historians and commentators conclude that Rommel remains an ambiguous figure, not easily definable either inside or outside the myth. The debate is ongoing.

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