General Field Marshell Erwin Rommel the true leader of Men Term Paper

General Field Marshell Erwin Rommel the true leader of Men - Term Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to discuss his accomplishments and to also analyze his extraordinary leadership abilities, display of chivalry and gallantry towards his opponents, his soldier’s code and faith as an underlying theme of the paper. World War I: The period of World War I saw Rommel fight in Italy, Romania and France for the majority of the war in Alpenkorps, an elite Wurttemberg Mountain Battalion. His service proved to be highly successful throughout and this success was recognized and praised when he was awarded Iron Cross, Second Class and Iron Cross, First Class in 1914 and 1915, respectively. He was further decorated with the highest German honor, the order of Pour le Merite in 1918. His efficient and quick decision-making, display of bravery and ability to reap benefit out of the weaknesses of the enemy led to the capture of Mount Matajur and a vast number of Italian Defenders, in return of a fairly small loss for Rommel’s men which was an achievement in itself and could be attributed to his skills as a military commander and a strategic thinker. The First World War was only the beginning for Rommel’s extraordinary accomplishments and emergence as a chivalrous military leader, for his direction in World War II was even more resolute. In the period leading up to the Second World War, Rommel served at Dresden Infantry School as an instructor, it is during this time from 1929 to 1933 that he penned down â€Å"Gefechts-Aufgaben fur Zug und Kompanie  : Ein Handbuch fur den Offizierunterricht", an instruction manual for officers involved in infantry training, which reflected Rommel’s prowess as a leader who believed that military achievements depended greatly upon the skill and training of the armed forces. Rommel is also credited with writing "Infanterie greift an" a book which documented his military observations throughout World War I and was highly regarded as a source of guidance for the army. Certainly, Rommel was one of the few leaders who firmly held the conviction in the ideology that military strategy and tactitical decision-making was of great and undeniable importance for the success of any campaign. World War II: This part of the paper will document Erwin Rommel’s accomplishments through the period of the Second World War, analyzing the leadership style and characteristics that can be attributed to his accomplishments as well his conduct which has enabled Lewin amongst many other commentators to label him as a highly professional and humane officer. Rommel commanded the Fuhrerbegleithauptquartier  (Fuhrer escort headquarters) in the 1939 invasion of Poland until its defeat, in the following year Rommel voiced concern that his current position in the guard detail was not allowing him to fully exploit his abilities. Upon his request to Hitler to hand him charge of a panzer division, Rommel was handed over the control of the 7th Panzer Division on 6th February, 1940, three months later the planned invasion of France would occur. The reason why Rommel was suited to lead a panzer division was because of two factors which were central to his own approach towards leadership and fighting against the enemy – surprise and maneuver. Under his leadership, the 7th Panzer Division systematically practiced the methods that were integral to advancement in the campaign, the triumph of the 7th Panzer