 Editor in Chief Bill   | 07 Feb 2020 4:35 p.m. PST |
You were asked – TMP link On a scale of -5 (much worse) to 5 (much better), if General Rommel had been given command on the Russian Front, how much of a difference would it have made in the course of WWII? 63% said "no difference"
8% (tie) said +1, +2 or +3 |
| thomalley | 07 Feb 2020 4:53 p.m. PST |
With or without the two divisions. With – somewhat better but the army lacked spares and enough transport. |
| donlowry | 07 Feb 2020 6:36 p.m. PST |
command of WHAT on the Russian Front? a corps? an army? an army group? the entire front? And when? |
| Zephyr1 | 07 Feb 2020 9:42 p.m. PST |
If he'd been sent to the Russian Front before being assigned to Normandy, the D-Day invasion would have been a lot easier… ;-) |
 ColCampbell  | 08 Feb 2020 8:58 a.m. PST |
And remember, no matter who commanded what on the Russian front, Hitler was still in charge. Jim |
 Legion 4  | 08 Feb 2020 9:03 a.m. PST |
With the current situation on the Russian Front at that time. IMO Rommel wouldn't have made a difference. |
| Mark 1 | 08 Feb 2020 11:26 a.m. PST |
Not a criticism of Rommel per se, but the Germans faced no shortage of experienced and capable corps and army commanders on the Eastern Front. Adding one more would have meant just about nothing. -Mark
(aka: Mk 1) |
| catavar | 08 Feb 2020 6:18 p.m. PST |
Maybe in the short run. Consider for a moment, did Manstein make a difference on the eastern front? While he didn't alter the ultimate outcome he certainly pulled the Germans chestnuts out of the proverbial fire on occasion. Now place Rommel in charge of Army Group Center in 1944 with enough time to give it his personal attention. With his clout, or at least reputation, could he have made those in higher places see reason?
Maybe not, but with his prior experience was he more, or less, likely to have made a difference in the Germans favor? I think slightly more than less. Which brings me back to Manstein. Did his presence in the east shorten the war, or drag it out longer. I believe it's the latter and Rommel had the potential to do likewise. In my opinion a Germany without either general would have saved a lot of allied soldiers and may have, slightly but fortunately, shortened the war. |
| Legion 4 | 09 Feb 2020 8:12 a.m. PST |
Another thing to remember the Germans and some of their allies there took about 70-75% of their losses. In the East at Russian hands. E.g. the Italian 8th Army was almost completely destroyed. |
| Martin Rapier | 10 Feb 2020 9:21 a.m. PST |
In the old AHGC game 'The Russian Campaign' there was option to deploy DAK on the Eastern Front. An extra 8-8 Panzerkorps was actually quite handy, but the German victory conditions became even more stringent as it was assumed the Allies would take North Africa early. |
| thomalley | 10 Feb 2020 9:49 a.m. PST |
Rommel wasn't going to be an army, much less army group commander for Barbarossa. At best he would have had one of the armor corps inside one of the armor groups. |
| coopman | 12 Feb 2020 2:28 p.m. PST |
It would have been like an extra flea on a dog's back. |
| Legion 4 | 13 Feb 2020 9:17 a.m. PST |
Have change his nickname to the "Winter Fox" …   |
 Mserafin | 13 Feb 2020 9:29 a.m. PST |
I don't think the addition of another Prima Donna Panzer commander would have added much but more chaos to the command structure. And the Afrika Korps would have just been a couple more divisions the Germans couldn't keep supplied. |
| Bill N | 13 Feb 2020 9:53 a.m. PST |
Maybe there is a second part to this question. If Rommel is in Russia then who are the Germans using in Africa. Another commander of the German contingent might be less adventurous. He might be more deferential to his nominal Italian superiors. Rommel in Russia might not have had a major impact on events in Russia, but with no Rommel in Libya things may have played out differently there. |
| Legion 4 | 13 Feb 2020 3:17 p.m. PST |
That sounds about right. With the Italians alone in NA … well by early 1941 it would be over. |
