UC Santa Barbara

This dissertation traces the different ways in which German general Erwin Rommel has been perceived and portrayed in Great Britain and the United States. Two visions of Rommel have emerged over time: one, the “Desert Fox,” a romanticized image emphasizing military virtues such as honor and leadership; two, the “Hitler favorite,” a stereotypical depiction of him as a devotee of Hitler. This study explores the ways that the “Desert Fox” and “Hitler favorite” visions clashed in public narratives, and how those visions reflected meanings that people have imputed to the events of the Second World War. At the core of these contradicting portrayals and perceptions is a recurring theme: champions and critics of the “Desert Fox” based their assessments on their understanding of Nazi Germany, specifically the responsibility that the German military had for enabling the criminality of Hitler’s regime. Those who drew sharp distinctions between Nazi villains and professional German soldiers tended to have positive views of Rommel, whereas those who rejected such a hard differentiation typically judged Rommel unworthy of remembrance. The clashing visions of “Desert Fox” and “Hitler favorite” were authentic expressions of how the British and US publics attempted to grapple with the question of what degree men such as Rommel, and more generally Germans during World War II, should share accountability for Nazi atrocities.