Rommels Leadership in the Battle of El Alamein Essay

Rommels Leadership in the Battle of El Alamein - Essay Example Despite Rommel’s many talents, he was soundly defeated. That meant the end of the German campaign in North Africa. Rommel had many successes during his North African battles, even at the ill-fated battle of El Alamein. Rommel has been regarded as a brilliant military commander in both tactical and strategic levels, as much as his sphere of command can control. Rommel was aware that the forces under his command were numerically inferior against the British forces based in North Africa. They were also lacking in sufficient supplies. Despite such disadvantage, Rommel caused a lot of mayhem with a disproportionately small number of tanks and supplies. As Greene (2006) observed: What was most devastating about this offensive was the novel way Rommel fought. He used the desert as if it were an ocean. Despite supply problems and difficult terrain, he kept his tanks in perpetual motion. The British could not let up their guard for a moment and this mentally exhausted them†¦ Instead of pushing forward and to punch holes in the enemy lines, he would send out his weakest tanks, then have them retreat at first contact; the British tanks would invariably swallow the bait and go in pursuit, kicking up so much of their own dust in the process that they would not see they were running straight into a line of German antitank guns. (pp.190-191) Rommel relied on speed and surprise to make his strategy work to his advantage. He used small forces to outmaneuver and outsmart his numerous British opponents. Rommel would ride ahead, risking death so that he could make rapid decisions on the move. He devoured information about the enemy, made himself an expert on tank technology, memorized maps, and personalized his relationship with his men (Greene, 2006, p.38). Rommel also never allowed any of Hitler’s political directives to undermine his command. When Hitler ordered that Jews among the German military be shot, Rommel