Rommel during the western campaign, discussing with his officers
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel (* November 15th 1891 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Württemberg) has risen during the years to more-than-once commander of the "Führer"hauptquartier, Generalmajor and commander of the 7th Panzer division, which is making such enormous advances in May 1940 in Belgium that it's already called the "Gespensterdivision" (ghost division) - sometimes, even in Berlin they don't know where exactly Rommel is right now, which is making many people feel uncomfortable. In the Hierarchy, he's below Hermann Hoth/Günther von Kluge/Gerd von Rundstedt/Walther von Brauchitsch/Adolf Nazi.
In 1937, he published his book Infanterie greift an (Infantry attacks) about his Experiences with the Württembergian army in the First World War, which became a Bestseller since it reads more like a war novel than non-fiction. The "Führer" read it too. He is a very competent Tactician, who prefers (which is uncommon) leading from the front. Furthermore, he's got useful Ideas: when it turns out that the German anti-tank guns are too weak against the French Char tanks, he decides to attack them with the 8.8cm anti-air cannons instead, which works. After the Wehrmacht had reached the Channel, he still wanted to attack further. He got his wish fulfilled with the battle of Dunkirk.
Although he isn't a member of the NSDAP, he's mostly positive towards the Regime. (For now, at least.) His time as commander of the "Führer"'s HQ, the "Führer"-Begleit-Batallion (his military bodyguards, distinct from the SS) and the Propaganda coming from Joseph Goebbels which depicts him as the ideal Soldier, probably helped with that.
Since November 1916, he's married to a Lucie Maria Mollin (* June 6th, 1894), who became the Mother of his Son Manfred in 1928, but he also has an out-of-wedlock daughter (Gertrud, * December 1913).
