Erwin Rommel (15 November 1891 – 14 October 1944) was a German general. Popularly known as the Desert Fox, he served as field marshal in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II.
Rommel was a highly decorated officer in World War I and was awarded the Pour le Mérite for his actions on the Italian Front. In World War II, he distinguished himself as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African Campaign established his reputation as one of the most able tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs, "the Desert Fox". He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
