Quotes from Erwin Rommel

Sweat saves blood.

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

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.

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.

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

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

No plan survives contact with the enemy

Be an example to your men, in your duty and in private life. Never spare yourself, and let the troops see that you don't in 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.

I would rather be the hammer than the anvil

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.

Mortal danger is an effective antidote for fixed ideas.

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

Loose lips sink ships.

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

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.

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

Sweat saves blood.

Whether I would survive a defeat lies in God's hands. The lot of the vanquished is heavy. I'm happy in my own conscience that I've done all I can for victory and have not spared myself.

Give me the Maori Battalion and I will conquer the world

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

El sudor ahorra sangre, la sangre ahorra vidas, y el cerebro, las dos cosas.

Im Osten, Westen und Süden liegen die letzten Ruhestätten jener deutschen Soldaten, die für Heimat und Land den Weg der Pflicht bis zum bitteren Ende beschritten haben. Sie sind eine ständige Mahnung an unsere Zurückgebliebenen und unsere zukünftigen Generationen, dass wir sie nicht im Stich lassen dürfen, wenn es darum geht, Opfer für Deutschland zu bringen.

The future battle on the ground will be preceded by battle in the air. This will determine which of the contestants has to suffer operational and tactical disadvantages and be forced throughout the battle into adoption compromise solutions.

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.