Rommel and The Plot

[Desert Stallion]

I've often wondered about this. So many books and websites say so many different things. Here are the big questions. How deeply was Rommel involved in the plot to assasinate Hitler? Did he actively participate? Was he an impartial observer? Did he lend his verbal support but not get tangled up in it?

Two, did he know about things like the concentration camps? If he did, why did he keep fighting? Or, if he hadn't, when did he find out? Perhaps this knowledge played into his support of the plot?

Just some food for thought.

[Qualerei]

Yep, I was just thinking about the concentration camps question (as you can see in my last post). And that's pretty hard to say, because for obvious reasons, Rommel wouldn't leave behind any clues as to his implication in the plot. Here's what I heard :

1. He was against a plot to kill Hitler, because he feared that would make him a martyr and be too much a reminder of the "backstabbing" theory of WW1. He actually wanted Hitler to be tried.

2. He had, however, agreed to be the head of the new state if it came to this

3. It's certain that he knew of the plot, and yet he didn't tell Hitler, which is at least evidence that he did no longer support Hitler, and wanted the plot to succeed.

4. It's unlikely that he would have had a part in the plot itself (in other word, the bomb assassination), even if his car hadn't been strafed three days before the fateful meeting at the Wolfschanze. First reason being that if the plotters wanted him to become chief of state afterwards, they wouldn't put him in harm's way. Besides, the plot was carried on even when he seemed likely to die due to the extent of his injuries, but in three days it is unlikely the plotters would have had time to switch to another plan if Rommel's injuries had compromised the first one.

5. It is unlikely that he took any part in the planning of the plot, for the reason stated in (1), and also because if he had, said plot would probably have been far better planned. From what I read, he wasn't all that enthusiastic about the plot, because he thought it wasn't well prepared enough. But now, we all know he was a perfectionnist.

In the end, I think he knew of the plot, and had had enough of Hitler to let the plotters try it, yet didn't approve of the plot because it wasn't planned well enough, might make Hitler a martyr, and had little chance to succeed ; even had Hitler been killed, the plotters would probably have been arrested just like what happens in Fox at the Front. What he planned to do, had he lived and the plot fails, remains unknown... Maybe a coup d'état, with the support of his troops, who knows. Although the "surrendering to the Allies" scenario also is possible.

[Qualerei]

I realise I forgot to mention the concentration camps. I don't know to what extent these camps were kept a secret, but I doubt Hitler would have talked of these with Rommel, as he knew of course that Rommel would never support something like that. Therefore, the Fuhrer probably made sure his favourite general didn't know about that. Besides, the extermination started, as far as I know, after the Wannsee conference in January '42, and at that time Rommel was still in Africa and had enough things on his mind not to pay attention what was going on in Germany. Then he was sent to the Atlantic wall, and whenever he was in Germany, he was sick most of the time. Besides, I don't think there was a camp near Herrlingen, so there really is little evidence leaning towards his knowing of the camps. He couldn't, of course, not know of the treatment the Jews got in Germany (I'm thinking of the Nuremberg laws), but as far as he knew, that wasn't that bad and could be dealt with after the war. I am actually not sure he ever knew what exactly happened in the camps. His reasons for disliking Hitler were big enough from a military point of view (the stand or die orders, the lack of support he got in Africa, the insane orders in general...)

Then, there's also this quote from wikipedia : "this business with the Jews has got to stop". The question then is to know what the word "business" is referring to, if we go on the basis that the quote is accurate. I'd say he's referring to the Nuremberg laws, and not necessarily to the camps. But of course, we'll never know for sure. At any rate, he obviously didn't approve of it. Yet, what he could do was pretty limited, as long as Hitler was the Fuhrer.