The Last Moments in the Life of the ‘Desert Fox’… Poison Tears Through His Entrails
“Those who do not die by the sword die by poison,” says the proverb, and such was the fate of Erwin Rommel, the German military commander whose final moments were gruesome.
History recalls that Rommel was forced to commit suicide, but details of his last moments are seldom found, except for what is mentioned in some accounts or translations of rare testimonies from those who witnessed those difficult minutes when the military leader’s entrails tore apart before he breathed his last.
Rommel was born on November 15, 1891, in Heidenheim, Germany, and earned the nickname “Desert Fox” rightfully, as his star shone on the battlefields, with military strategists often looking up to his war tactics, especially in tank battles.
In 1941, Rommel garnered widespread praise from Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, following successes achieved by commanding German and Italian forces in North Africa, and reclaiming Libya from British control after swift battles.
Praise in military annals inevitably came with a promotion, and this indeed happened, as Hitler bestowed upon him the rank of “Field Marshal,” encouraging the military commander to continue his triumphs.
On March 3, 1943, Rommel led German and Italian forces in their final battles in North Africa, the Battle of Medenine, the southernmost in Tunisia, where he demonstrated his military genius.
But Rommel’s glories did not last long, as he soon faced a fatal setback, being defeated in the “Battle of El Alamein,” a defeat that was not just a turning point in the balance of power in World War II but also in the life of the commander himself.
The “Battle of El Alamein” was one of the fiercest and decisive battles in World War II, pitting Allied forces led by Britain against Axis forces led by Germany, taking place around the town of El Alamein in Egypt in the autumn of 1942, and ending with the first Allied victory in the war.
The Final Moments
After his defeat in the “Battle of El Alamein,” Rommel returned to Germany to find things vastly different from what he had left, as Hitler accused him of treason, the worst nightmare for a military commander in wartime.
The accusations of treason began when some ambitious officers attempted to overthrow the entire German army command, but they failed, and the accused found themselves in a trial that ended with their execution.
However, the German intelligence continued to interrogate anyone connected to the assassination attempt, and it was there that Rommel’s name came up, so Hitler gave him the choice between suicide or a trial on charges of treason.
Rommel would not accept being tried for that charge after his long military career, but at the same time, he knew he would not escape death in any case, as if he were not executed after a public trial, he would be assassinated one way or another.
There was no choice but to resort to the most “honorable” way for a military commander, so Rommel chose to commit suicide by drinking poison.
Once the sticky substance was poured into his mouth, he believed death would quickly grant him relief from life, without feeling the pains of transitioning to the afterlife, but his thinking betrayed him once again.
The poison took some time to act in his entrails, and during those long minutes, his limbs began to tremble, then he fell to the ground before his eyes narrowed, as if realizing belatedly that he had chosen the worst way to die, according to testimonies reported by German media.
For a few moments, his movement calmed to the point that those present thought he had bid farewell to life, before his body straightened and rose, then his limbs suddenly began to relax as if they were unable to bear the weight of the body, his hand, still stained with poison residue, fell before being followed by the other hand.
But the swaying body quickly returned to life, yet its dim details indicated that the man was undergoing the worst kinds of pain, with his nose bleeding, his pupils freezing, and a tear swiftly flowing and freezing in the corner of his left eye.
It was minutes but with an eternity flow of pain, during which his entrails tore apart, and he vomited what they contained, before his temperature lowered and he breathed his last.
