Why was commander Rommel important in World War 2?

Answer 1

Erwin Rommel nicknamed "the Desert Fox" was commander of the German Afrika Korp during World War 2. After the Invasion of France in 1940, Hitler sen't Erwin Rommel to Africa. Rommel was able to take back the territory the Italians lost during Operation Compass. Everything that Operaion Compass had achived was lost because of Rommel and His Afrika Korp. Afterwards Rommel began to take over the rest of North Africa. The Britsh could not stop Rommels advance. However in 1942 Rommel's advance came to a halt at place called El Alamein. The Britsh under Bernard Montgomery, halted Rommel's advance. At El Alamein, the British was able to make Rommel retreat back into Tunisia which became a major Turing Point of the War. After the allied invasion of Northwest Africa, which became known as Operation Torch, Rommel knew all was lost. Hitler ordered Rommel to stand or die. However when the defeat came for the Afrika Korp Rommel was not present. He was back in Germany with a medical problem. Even after the loss of Africa, Hitler put Rommel in charge of the defense of western france. Rommel with Gerd von Runstedt who was commanded-in-chief west, build the heavily fortified Atlantic wall. Rommel was placed in command of Army Group B. After the allied invasion of Europe Rommel was approached to join the plot to assassinate Hitler. Rommel sympathized with the conspirators, however refused to join the plot. After the failed attempt someone gave Rommel's name. Rommel was approached by a couple of generals to either be tried for high treason or commit suicde. Rommel choose suicide. He choose suicide to protect his name and the two generals said that if Rommel committed suicide, his wife and son would not be punished and Rommel would be buried with full military honors.

Answer 2

He was a very successful military commander for the Germans during WW2

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Just to expand on the above answer, Rommel was not only remembered as a brilliant strategist, he was also remembered as a brave hero even to the point of death. He was one of the main orchestrators of Operation Valkyrie, the July 1944 plot to kill Adolf Hitler. Rommel didn't like what was happening to Germany and thought that Hitler needed to be stopped. After the plot failed, he was arrested by the SS. Hitler, who had known and met Rommel many times, had great respect for the man, and instead of trying him in court and giving him a dishonerable discharge from the Wehrmacht, he allowed Rommel to kill himself quietly, so his family would be able to keep his severance package.

Rommel should be remember not as a Nazi, but a hero of that war, regardless of the flag he swore by. He refused to stand by and allow injustice to continue and sacrificed himself for the greater good, and that makes him a great man.