Early Life
Family
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel was born on November 15, 1891 in the town of Heidenheim an der Brentz, in Wuttemberg. Rommel’s father was a teacher, who was very good at math, just like his father had been. Erwin Sr. had been an artillery officer. Rommel’s mother was Helena von Luz, who was the daughter of a former president of Wurttemberg. Rommel had three brothers and a sister. He was the second oldest. His parents were very supportive of him, until their deaths; Erwin Sr. died in 1913, and Helena died in 1940.
Childhood
Rommel was a fairly normal child who enjoyed being outside. In school, Rommel struggled until he met a boy name Keitel. His friend must have inspired him somehow, because after that his grades improved drastically. Rommel, Keitel, and some of his other friends built model airplanes. For a while, Rommel considered a career in airplanes or engineering, but he didn’t pursue them. He went to school in Aalen, a town where his family moved in 1898, and also in Schwabisch-Hall.
Early Military Career
The fact that Rommel chose to go into the military is suprising, because the only history that his family had in the military was his father’s short experience as an artillery officer. Most of the higher ranking officers came from noble families. Nonetheless, Rommel went into the 124th Wurttemberg Infantry Regiment in 1910. In March of the following year, he went to Konigliche Kriegsscule, or a military school, in Danzig. Besides receiving training, Rommel met Lucie Mollin, who was also a student in Danzig. He would marry her later in 1916. In 1912, Rommel went back to the 124th as the second Lieutenant.
World War I
In March of 1914, Rommel was assigned the commission of an attachment to a Field Artillery Regiment, but at the end of July, went back to his regiment to fight in the First World War. He saw combat on the 22nd of August, while spying on the enemy after riding hard for a day. It was a small battle. Rommel and three other men were able to hold off about twenty French. This characterizes the rest of the war for Rommel. He fought bravely, even when outnumbered.
Rommel received the Iron Cross, Second Class for being wounded in the leg after shooting down two French, and charging the remaining three with his bayonet. In January of 1915, Rommel led a division to defeat the French in a charge into their breastwork defenses. He was awarded the Iron Cross, First Class for this. He also was given a commission in the Konigliche Wurttemberg Gebirgsbatallion.
The Gebirgsbatallion was a mountain battalion assigned the task of protecting six miles of front in December. Later they were re-assigned to Mt. Cosna with their mission to take the mountain. Rommel was able to do so easily, but he did not know that a force of Russians and Rumanians were waiting to attack him. They did so in a few days, on August 13th, 1916. Rommel was able to defend and later attack the troops, keeping Mt. Cosna in German possession.
In Italy, Rommel received the award “Pour le Merite”, for capturing Italian soldiers with only a few men. This award was very important, because it was usually only given to senior officers.
Between the Wars
Rommel married Lucie Mollin in 1916 while the war was still going on. They had only one child, Manfred, who was born on December 24, 1928. In 1921, he commanded an infantry regiment in Stuttgart. Rommel started teaching at Dresden in 1929. He wrote a book called Infanterie greift an, which means Infantry Attacks. It was published in 1937.
In 1933, Rommel went to Goslar to command the 3rd Jaeger Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, which was a mountain battalion.
“Rommel did not meet Hitler personally until 1935, when he was commanding a jaeger battalion at Goslar. Der Fuhrer was coming to Goslar for a peasant festival. Rommel’s battalion was to parade, but when he learned that his men were to be preceded by a column of detestable SS troops, he refused. This brought him into conference with himmler, whom he despised, and Goebblels, whom he admired. It was agreed that a terrible mistake had been made, and Rommel’s jaegers impressed Hitler, who personally congratulated Rommel.” [1]
Rommel was appointed to be Lieutenant-Colonel, and he taught at the War Academy in Potsdam. Another source has that Rommel met Hitler first in 1934.
Whatever the case, Hitler soon gave Rommel a position training Hitler Youth, which Rommel did not like, and soon left. In October 1935, Rommel left to be head of the War Academy at Potsdam. In 1938, Rommel commanded Hitler’s bodyguard while he went to Sudetenland and Poland. When the war started, Rommel asked for a fighting command, and he was granted control of the 7th Panzer Division.
