Erwin Rommel Quotes

Winning the men's confidence requires much of a commander. He must exercise care and caution, look after his men, live under the same hardships, and - above all - apply self discipline. But once he has their confidence, his men will follow him through hell and high water.

Manstein is a man of illusions ... He believes Hitler will listen to facts.

Loose lips sink ships.

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

A risk is a chance you take; if it fails you can recover. A gamble is a chance taken; if it fails, recovery is impossible.

Anyone who has to fight, even with the most modern weapons, against an enemy in complete command of the air, fights like a savage against modern European troops, under the same handicaps and with the same chances of success.

War makes extremely heavy demands on the soldier's strength and nerves. For this reason, make heavy demands on your men in peacetime exercises.

He [Hitler] seemed very depressed and upset about the Stalingrad disaster. He said that one is always liable to look on the black side of things after a defeat, a tendency which can lead one into dangerous and false conclusions.

It is often possible to decide the issue of a battle merely by making an unexpected shift of one's main weight.

Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don'tin your endurance of fatigue and privation. always be tactful and well-mannered and teach your subordinates to do the same. Avoid excessive sharpness or harshness of voice, which usually indicates the man who has shortcomings of his own to hide.

In view of my services in Africa, I have the chance of dying by poison. Two generals have brought it with them. It is fatal in three seconds. If I take the poison, none of the usual steps will be taken against my family; that is, against you. They will also leave my staff alone.

I didn't die nor win.

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

I would rather be the hammer than the anvil

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

Men are basically smart or dumb and lazy or ambitious. The dumb and ambitious ones are dangerous and I get rid of them. The dumb and lazy ones I give mundane duties. The smart ambitious ones I put on my staff. The smart and lazy ones I make my commanders.

Sweat saves blood.

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

One of the most important factors, not only in military matters but in life as a whole, is ... the ability to direct one's whole energies towards the fulfillment of a particular task.

There is one unalterable difference between a soldier and a civilian: the civilian never does more than he is paid to do.

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

Mortal danger is an effective antidote for fixed ideas.

I would rather he had given me one more division

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

In Tunisia the Americans had to pay a stiff price for their experience, but it brought rich dividends. Even at that time, the American generals showed themselves to be very advanced in the tactical handling of their forces, although we had to wait until the Patton Army in France to see the most astonishing achievements in mobile warfare.

The commander must be at constant pains to keep his troops abreast of all the latest tactical experience and developments, and must insist on their practical application. He must see to it that his subordinates are trained in accordance with the latest requirements. The best form of welfare for the troops is first-class training, for this saves unnecessary casualties.

But courage which goes against military expediency is stupidity, or, if it is insisted upon by a commander, irresponsibility.

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

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

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

To every man of us, Tobruk was a symbol of British resistance and we were now going to finish with it for good.

The organization of supplies, the command of men, anything in any way constructive requires more than intellect; it requires energy and drive and an unrelenting will to serve the cause, regardless of one's personal interests.

Good soldiers, bad officers; however don't forget that without them we would not have any Civilization.

It is my experience that bold decisions give the best promise of success. But one must differentiate between [strategic] and tactical boldness and a military gamble. A bold operation is one in which success is not a certainty but which in case of failure leaves one with sufficient forces in hand to cope with whatever situation may arise. A gamble, on the other hand, is an operation which can lead either to victory or to the complete destruction of one's force. Situations can arise where even gamble may be justified - as, for instance, when in the normal course of events defeat is merely a matter of time, when the gaining of time is therefore pointless and the only chance lies in an operation of great risk.

The battle is fought and decided by the quartermasters, long before the shooting begins.

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

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

Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.

The commander must establish personal and comradely contact with his men, but without giving away one inch of authority.

Always in a moment of extreme danger things can be done which had previously been thought impossible.