Patton and Rommel: Men of war in the twentieth century
By Dennis Showalter,
Penguin, Rs 920

George Patton and Erwin Rommel were the two outstanding commanders of the Second World War. While numerous biographies have been written about these two men, a comparative analysis of their strengths and weaknesses is yet to be made. Dennis Showalter, America?s foremost military historian, attempts to address the lacuna by studying the parallel lives of these two generals.

Significantly, both Patton and Rommel were held more highly by their enemies than by their own armies. The Wehrmacht rated Patton as the best tank general on the Allied side while Rommel was merely a good divisional commander. In contrast, according to the British and American military officers, the ?Desert Fox?was the best among German generals and Patton is merely a headstrong individual. How does one account for this paradox?

While Rommel started his career as an infantry officer, Patton began his in the cavalry. Unlike Rommel, who had an ordinary middleclass upbringing, Patton had a wealthy family background. Rommel?s success as an infantry man during the First World War enabled him to work up the rungs of the professional ladder. Patton?s social skills, writes Showalter, earned him his promotions. Rommel, unlike the Allied general, was a pragmatist, and used his common sense to master difficult situations.

During the blitzkrieg in France, Rommel?s performance was inspiring, but not outstanding. He reached the pinnacle of success in Africa in 1941-42. Ordinary Germans adored Rommel in wartime, but Hitler?s senior generals were sceptical about him. On the other hand, as the war progressed, Patton?s reputation suffered.

Rommel had no formal training nor did he serve in the Russian campaign. So, the German high command did not hold him in high esteem. Further, Rommel?s clout with Hitler?s clique and his sophisticated public relations network irritated the professional soldiers. But the ?Rommel myth? started growing only in the early days of the Cold War, when the West needed to collaborate with Germany to check the Red menace. Rommel is still held as a gentleman officer in the annals of military history.

According to Showalter, Patton?s outbursts also played a big role in sullying his image and in ruining his career.The American media followed the policy of portraying every common soldier as a hero. So, in 1943, when Patton slapped a US Marine in Sicily, accusing him of cowardice, pressmen projected the GI as a hero while the general was denounced as the villain. In this context, one should also remember that the German army would have no scruples about executing a soldier who had developed cold feet. Patton?s outbursts, describing Monty as a ?tired little fart?, did not help British-American cooperation either. Hence, the policy to sideline Patton was grounded on some solid reasons.

The parameters for judging men like Rommel and Patton depend on the societies that spawn the military organizations. Patton, an aggressive, outspoken commander, did not fit into the liberal American democratic culture. Nazi Germany?s propaganda machine had propped up Rommel?s image to counter the Prussian Junkers. The onset of the Cold War further strengthened the myth around him. Showalter?s book, however, does a good job of cutting Rommel?s image to size.