Erwin Rommel

I didn't die nor win.

— Erwin Rommel

If I had to take hell, I would use the Australians to take it and the New Zealanders to hold it.

— Erwin Rommel

Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that…

— Erwin Rommel

Which would your men rather be, tired, or dead?

— Erwin Rommel

Sweat saves blood, blood saves lives, but brains saves both.

— Erwin Rommel

It's better for one to die than for all of us to be killed in a shooting affray. Anyway, we've practically no…

— Erwin Rommel

I would rather he had given me one more division

— Erwin Rommel

“It is my experience that bold decisions give the best promise of success. But one must differentiate between [strategic] and tactical boldness…

— Erwin Rommel

There are always times where the place of a commander isn't back with his Major State, but onward with his troops.

— Erwin Rommel

Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like…

— Erwin Rommel

Men are basically smart or dumb and lazy or ambitious. The dumb and ambitious ones are dangerous and I get rid of…

— Erwin Rommel

The commander must be at constant pains to keep his troops abreast of all the latest tactical experience and developments, and must…

— Erwin Rommel

I would rather be the hammer than the anvil

— Erwin Rommel

Training errors are recorded on paper. Tactical errors are etched in stone.

— Erwin Rommel

The German soldier has impressed the world, however the Italian Bersagliere soldier has impressed the German soldier.

— Erwin Rommel

One cannot permit unique opportunities to slip by for the sake of trifles.

— Erwin Rommel

The best form of welfare for the troops is first-rate training.

— Erwin Rommel

In Tunisia the Americans had to pay a stiff price for their experience, but it brought rich dividends. Even at that time,…

— Erwin Rommel

When there's no clear option, it's better to do nothing.

— Erwin Rommel

The enemy must be annihilated before he reaches our main battlefield. We must stop him in the water, destroying all his equipment…

— Erwin Rommel

“Sturm, Swung, Wucht”

— Erwin Rommel

The art of concentrating strength at one point, forcing a breakthrough, rolling up and securing the flanks on either side, and then…

— Erwin Rommel

In the absence of orders, go find something and kill it.

— Erwin Rommel

In a man-to-man fight, the winner is he who has one more round in his magazine.

— Erwin Rommel

One must not judge everyone in the world by his qualities as a soldier: otherwise we should have no civilization.

— Erwin Rommel