Rommel joined the German army in 1910, and became an officer in 1912. He served with distinction in World War I, and was an early supporter of the Nazis. Rommel commanded an armored division during the German invasion of France. He was then made commander of the Afrika Korps. He led the German forces in North Africa to a string of victories culminating in their victory at Tobruk. This earned him the nickname of "the desert fox." Rommel was defeated by the British forces under the command of Montgomery at a decisive battle at El Alamein. In 1943 he was appointed commander of German troops defending against an assault from the English Channel on France. Rommel was wounded in an air attack. While convalescing, he gave his tacit support to the plot to assassinate Hitler, which failed. As a result, he committed suicide to avoid being arrested and tried.
