Rommel
The Rommel household
Generalfeldmarschall Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel, Commander of Army Group B
Portrayed by: Ulrich Tukur
Staff positions held: War Ministry Liaison Officer to the Hitler Youth (1937-1938)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, Pour le Mérite
The protagonist of the film, Erwin Rommel is a larger-than-life figure in both German and Allied propaganda. He reached the peak of his fame as commander of the 7th Panzer Division and commander of German forces in North Africa. By the time he was sent to reinforce the Atlantic Wall in France, his failures in North Africa and closeness with Hitler caused friction with his superiors which contributed to the collapse of the Western Front. Peripheral involvement with the conspirators behind the 20 July assassination attempt on Hitler led to his death on October 14, 1944. Rommel chose to bite on a vial of cyanide rather than face a trial and risk the safety of his family. He continues to be honoured by Germany's current armed forces, the Bundeswehr to this day.
- Adaptational Intelligence: The real Rommel was out of step with long-term strategy since his brand of rapid, aggressive warfare was best suited for short-term tactics. When he became a field marshal, Rundstedt was highly critical of his approach to the defense of Normandy and Calais (trying to encroach on his authority didn't help) and opposed them at every turn. The film does not mention this, portraying Rundstedt as a conservative and mentally checked-out superior.
- Anti-Villain: While ultimately the enforcer of a cruel regime, Rommel is at heart a good man who only wants to protect Germany from the Allied Forces (especially the ruthless Soviets) and despite his obedience to the Führer's demands actively tries to limit civilian casualties and cruel treatment of prisoners of war.
- Chest of Medals: He's no Marshal of the Soviet Union, but Rommel is still one of the most highly-decorated generals in German history. His two neck-worn medals are the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamondsnote and the Pour le Méritenote .
- Clint Squint: Rommel's left eye is left narrowed and squinting from injuries inflicted by the air raid on his staff car. He has no time to recover from this before his forced suicide.
- Cyanide Pill: His chosen method of suicide.
- Dad the Veteran: To his son Manfred as a war hero from World War I, with several military works to his name.
- Declaration of Protection: Rommel affirms that the Rochefoucauld family (the nobles who own his headquarters) is under his protection when the SS come to arrest the Comtesse. Knochen will hear none of it since they have evidence of her betrayal, and Rommel is forced to back down.
- Didn't See That Coming: Rommel is so prepared for being made The Scapegoat for the collapse of the Western Front that he immediately asks Burgdorf and Maisel if that is the case when they are left alone. He is completely blindsided when they tell him that he has been accused of treason against the Führer.
- Driven to Suicide: He ultimately chooses to commit suicide in order to spare his family from punishment for his alleged treason against Hitler.
- A Father to His Men: Rommel has been praised by numerous authors as a great leader of men and it shows in the film. He deeply cares for his soldiers and takes extreme care to avoid falling into a We Have Reserves mentality - he doesn't want to become a general who leads his soldiers to slaughter.
- Rommel personally exits his staff car and leads his armored convoy into a forest to protect his men and Rudolf Schmundt from an Allied air raid, despite being vulnerable to gunfire himself.
- He doesn't turn Speidel in to the SS for being involved in a resistance against Hitler despite being opposed to such resistance himself, nor does he admonish Speidel for participating in said resistance. Even after Speidel is arrested by the Gestapo for his role in the 20 July plot, he writes a letter to Frau Speidel re-assuring her and appeals for the release of his chief of staff. However, Rommel's pleas by then fall on deaf ears since Hitler has already decided what to do with him.
- Four-Star Badass: Downplayed. His successes in France as commander of the 7th Panzer Division and the siege of Tobruk in North Africa as commander of the Afrika Korps convinced Hitler to promote him to field marshal and use him as a rallying figure for German morale. By the time of the film he is too high-ranked and his life is too valuable to be able to portray the badass part in any capacity anymore, but his staff and family still look up to him as this.
- Happily Married: To Lucie-Maria Rommel, a woman of Polish and Italian descent who he met at Officer Cadet School in Danzig. He clearly loves her enough to buy a specially-designed pair of French shoes for her.
- The Hero: Rommel is the main protagonist of the film which centres around his command of Army Group B on the Western Front.
- Heroic BSoD: A downplayed example; when Rommel learns that his beloved Hitler has accused him of involvement in the 20 July plot, he briefly freezes in utter shock, compounded by this shot
◊. He recovers quickly. - Historical Hero Upgrade: Rommel surprisingly still accomplishes this trope despite already being the most whitewashed of Nazi Germany's field marshals. While it is true that the real Rommel supported a non-lethal approach to dethroning Hitler (i.e. putting him on trial) it was never proven whether he was truly against Hitler's racial policies and the Holocaust. In the film, Rommel is shown to be staunchly against the mass murder of Jews after some convincing from Speidel, if not necessarily against Hitler himself.
- Last-Name Basis: With everyone who isn't his family. People only refer to him as 'Rommel' or 'Field Marshal Rommel'.
- Military Maverick: Rommel often disobeys his superiors' orders while using his prior successes and close relationship with Hitler to back himself up, much to Rundstedt's and Kluge's consternation. Said successes allow him huge sway within the army and frequently allow him to get away with things that a less favoured general cannot. Speidel is highly supportive of this quality and even suggests that Rommel demand the position of Commander-in-Chief West for himself with his influence.
- Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Downplayed. Hitler's refusal to negotiate, increasingly absurd orders to hold untenable positions forces Rommel to concede that the Führer, who he has placed all his hopes in up to this point is no longer worth his loyalty. However, Rommel never actually betrays Hitler by acting against him or openly supporting the 20 July plot, but Hitler nevertheless sees it as betrayal and forces Rommel to commit suicide. In the end, Rommel feels that Hitler has betrayed him rather than the other way round.
- The ultimatum Rommel prepared for Hitler would certainly have been this had it been sent in time to actually matter.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Rommel feels honour-bound to his oath to Hitler and refuses to join any resistance movement because of said oath, no matter what Hitler does. Ultimately subverted; Rommel very reluctantly drafts an ultimatum urging for peace despite knowing it is practically high treason and implicitly lends his support for the 20 July plot.
- Officer and a Gentleman: An officer in the German Army who is very polite and courteous, whether it be to his staff, civilians or even prisoners of war.
- Overranked Soldier: Rommel's detractors view him as this due to his failures in North Africa and his tendency to bypass his superiors and contact Hitler directly. Rundstedt and Kluge both concur that Rommel was much better as a division commander in France.
- Propaganda Hero: As the poster boy for the German war effort, Rommel is naturally subject to plenty of this on the French beaches to bolster much needed public support for the war. The 20 July plotters in Paris even plan to exploit this trope to bolster support for their planned coup. In Real Life, Rommel was the only field marshal Hitler allowed such publicity - even celebrated fighter ace Göring never got such attention.
- Properly Paranoid: He refuses to let Manfred join the Waffen-SS after hearing rumours of their atrocities against Jewsnote as he doesn't want his son to engage in such barbarism. His stance on the matter only hardens when Speidel confirms his suspicions.
- Refusal of the Call: Rommel refuses numerous calls to join the cause against Hitler, even angrily rebuking Stülpnagel for defying his oath to the Führer. Instead, Rommel chooses to subtly go against Hitler within the law. It doesn't change anything.
- Red Baron: Rommel is known as the "Desert Fox" (der Wüstenfuchs) for his legendary fox-like sneak attacks in Africa. He and the Comtesse agree that nickname means he will be a valuable trophy for the British if he is captured.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Rommel is the red to Model's blue. While both are highly successful panzer commanders, Model focuses on calculated, defensive warfare whereas Rommel is known for his aggressive, offensive style of combat in the vein of tank commanders Guderian and Kleist.
- Suddenly Shouting: His Tranquil Fury finally breaks when his new commander Kluge accuses him of insubordination and insults him in front of his subordinates.Rommel: [incensed] You have apparently forgotten that I am a field marshal.Kluge: I want reports from all your commanders at the front. And statistics on the range and ammunition of all enemy naval artillery.Rommel: Go to the front! Then you can see the enemy artillery for yourself!Kluge: It seems too obvious now that you've never truly led more than a single division.
- Tranquil Fury: The calm and collected Rommel is angry at his fellow generals who he sees as obstructive layabouts but never vents beyond a single snappy remark knowing that it will betray weakness to them. He is particularly incensed at people like Guderian for not approving his plans to repel the Allied invasion on the spot.Rommel: The Führer has expressly approved my plans.Guderian: [irritated] The Führer has not decided yet. Until then the tank divisions are under the supreme commander in the West.[Rundstedt gives Rommel a knowing gesture as if to say "Well that's that."]Rommel: [clearly furious] Then we can end this now.[Rommel exits the room]
- Universally Beloved Leader: Deconstructed and exploited in equal measure. Immense popularity among the German people (and for a long time, Hitler and give or take, his inner circle) has its pros and cons, as Rommel finds out to his peril. While there are those who value his standing, there are also those who seek to use said popularity for their own ends:
Rommel himself weaponizes his popularity and close relationship with Hitler to come out as the victor in any dispute with his dissenters. This dynamic is inexorably tied to Rommel's standing with Hitler, so his public reputation means squat when his army group begins failing objectives and the Führer moves to other generals to achieve his goals. Worse, it fails to save him from death, only earning him a quiet suicide disguised as a death on the Western Front so as not to damage German morale.
More experienced generals despise Rommel's popularity as it allows him to disobey their orders without repercussions. When Rommel's defence of Normandy falters, it makes him the perfect target for blame since Hitler gave him responsibility for the Atlantic Wall. Rundstedt opposes Rommel for his dangerous plans before D-Day but after which makes Rommel do most of the talking to an angry Hitler on his behalf, even when his subordinate reminds him of his responsibility as Commander-in-Chief West.
The 20 July plotters in France seek to use him as the face of the planned coup, the "Rommel factor" as Stülpnagel puts it. Stülpnagel and Finckh are visibly alarmed when they learn Rommel has deviated from their plans and will send Hitler an ultimatum, which they see as suicidal and all but certain to attract scrutiny towards them. - Villain Protagonist: He's the main character, who is part of the German Army serving under one of the most infamous military dictatorships of the 20th century.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Discussed. When Speidel asks him to consider resigning in protest to Hitler's stubbornness, Rommel retorts that the upper brass won't let him due to his popularity. In retaliation for his growing hesitancy and outspokenness towards Hitler and the top brass, they expect him to die a heroic death at the front.
Lucie-Maria Rommel (née Mollin)
Portrayed by: Aglaia Szyszkowitz
Rommel's wife, a middle-class woman of Polish and Italian descent. They met at a ball when Rommel was still in cadet school and married five years later in 1916. After her husband's death, she personally christened a new German naval ship "Rommel" in his honour.
- Cry into Chest: An inconsolable Lucie weeps uncontrollably into her husband's embrace when she learns he has been forced to commit suicide.
- Happily Married: To Rommel, who she met at Officer Cadet School in Danzig. He clearly loves her enough to buy a specially-designed pair of French shoes for her.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: The film doesn't mention how Lucie was responsible for the sacking of Rommel's previous chief of staff, Alfred Gause. She reportedly had a quarrel with Gause's wife over who had the more honourable place at a wedding and subsequently evicted both of them from her house.
- Not So Stoic: Zigzagged. Lucie isn't that emotionless to begin with but she refrains from showing sadness or worry at her husband's condition on the war front. She visibly cries in silence when Rommel leaves for France after a disastrous meeting with Hitler and pulls a Cry into Chest when she learns he has been forced to kill himself.
Luftwaffenhelfer Manfred Rommel
Portrayed by: Patrick Mölleken
Rommel's only son, an auxiliary ammunition bearer in the Luftwaffe. Manfred initially wanted to join the Waffen-SS but faced resistance from his father. In 1945, he was dismissed from military service and joined the Reich Labour Service but by April had deserted in the face of defeat by the French 1st Army. He went on to study law and politics after World War II, becoming mayor of Stuttgart for two terms in 1974 and 1982. Manfred was deeply involved in mending old wounds between Germany and Allied nations and was close friends with George Patton IV (son of George S. Patton) and David Montgomery (son of Bernard Law Montgomery). He retired in 1996 and wrote political and humorous works before dying on November 7, 2013.
- Blue Is Heroic: He is Rommel's only son and his tether from completely succumbing to the Army's cutthroat politics. In keeping with this Manfred wears a dark blue Luftwaffe uniform for most of his scenes.
- Child Soldiers: Is only 15 years old when he enlists in the Luftwaffe.
Karolina
A maid in the Rommel residence.
- Maid: Is the maid for the Rommel family.
- Satellite Character: She only appears in two scenes, both of them with members of the Rommel family.
Western Front
Rommel's staff
Generalleutnant Hans Emil Speidel, Chief of Staff of Army Group B
Portrayed by: Benjamin Sadler
Commands held: Commander-in-Chief of NATO forces, Central Europe (post-war, 1957-1963)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (WW2), Grand Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (post-war)
A lieutenant general in the German Army and Rommel's new chief of staff. Speidel served as a staff officer on the Eastern Front and witnessed the countless atrocities committed towards Jews and other undesirables in the Soviet Union, a key motivation for him participating in the 20 July plot. He was arrested by the Gestapo for his complicity in the conspiracy but due to opposition from the court of honour escaped execution. After the war, Speidel became the first Bundeswehr officer promoted to full general and the first German supreme commander of NATO ground forces. He died on November 28, 1984.
- Bearer of Bad News: With the odds turning against the Germans, Speidel increasingly becomes this with mounting loss and weakening formations on the front lines and Rommel predictably doesn't take it too well. Speidel also has to report bad news to Kluge when his commander is absent, including the news of Rommel getting wounded in an air attack.
- Brief Accent Imitation: Speidel sometimes provides levity by imitating Hitler's thick Austrian accent or a heavily-exaggerated propaganda film narrator which often gets a laugh out of everyone in the room.
- Commonality Connection: Both he and Rommel are Swabians, German people native to the region of Swabia. A reason why both were close was because many high-ranking German officers were of Prussian heritage, making it more difficult for them to rise up the ranks.
- The Confidant: Speidel is one of the only people who Rommel dares betray his inner thoughts to. A good portion of the film is Rommel disparaging the brutal acts of the Waffen-SS, voicing his anger at the High Command for not heeding his advice or talking frankly about the actions of Speidel's fellow co-conspirators. Likewise, Rommel is among the few people Speidel openly speaks to regarding the 20 July plot, even though he fails to persuade Rommel to support Hitler's assassination.
- The Conscience: Speidel serves as one for Rommel, repeatedly pushing him to support the resistance against Hitler or at least abandon his command. His persistence along with Rommel's increasing disillusionment eventually persuades him to issue an ultimatum for Hitler to negotiate with the Allies or face the opening of the Western Front. However, his positive influence is not enough for Rommel to support an assassination.
- Cunning Linguist: Speidel is the only person in Rommel's staff who fluently speaks French, and he often translates for his commander. He is also well-versed in French culture, art and literature which helps him to connect Rommel's staff with the French nobles quartering them.
- Eye Take: Speidel's eyes widen in alarm as he realizes that Hofacker has revealed his involvement in the 20 July plot. With the head of SS security forces standing right behind him.
- Herr Doktor: He has a doctorate in history received magna cum laude and is thus addressed as Dr. Speidel. Even when in disgrace, Kaltenbrunner refers to him by this title.
- Historical Beauty Update: In the Movie, Speidel, portrayed by Benjamin Sadler, has a full head of hair. In Real Life, he was already pretty bald by the 1940s.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: The real Speidel had no problem with Hitler's aggressive expansionism because he wanted Germany to become a world power again. However, he was not in favour of his racial policies towards Jews, homosexuals and other undesirables and joined the German resistance as a result. The film makes no mention of this, choosing to portray him solely as a person deeply disgusted by the Final Solution.
- Honest Advisor: Speidel doesn't hesitate to be frank with Rommel about the futility of their situation and his dissatisfaction with the Führer's aggressive stance. Rommel deeply appreciates his chief of staff's matter-of-factness.
- The Lancer: Provides the morally-upright rebel side to the equally morally-upright but loyal Rommel, bouncing off ideas for how best to approach Hitler's increasingly absurd orders to hold untenable positions. Rommel may not agree with Speidel's attempts to convert him to the resistance and Speidel may not agree with his superior's insistence on staying loyal but ultimately both care for each other professionally and informally and make up for each other's shortcomings.
- Locked Out of the Loop: While part of the plot's inner circle in France, Speidel isn't told the importance of Operation Valkyrie until the eleventh hour because of his proximity to Rommel and other high-ranking Western Front commanders.
- Number Two: To Erwin Rommel. As his chief of staff, Speidel drafts operational orders and handles day-to-day duties on Rommel's behalf, including writing an ultimatum to Hitler. When Rommel is hospitalized, he briefly serves as chief of staff to Kluge before being recalled to Berlin.
- Oh, Crap!: Speidel is visibly shaken as Hofacker hurriedly covers up that he revealed his involvement with the 20 July plot and realizes that his imprisonment by the Gestapo is imminent.
- Shell-Shocked Veteran: Subverted. Unlike Marcks, Speidel isn't jaded or embittered in any way by the horrors he witnessed on the Eastern Front. All it does is strengthen his resolve to end the Nazi regime and stop the atrocities being committed against the Jews.
- Sole Survivor: Speidel is the only member of the conspiracy's inner circle in France to survive the post-20 July purge, largely because the honour court deciding his sentence refused to kick him out of the army and into the hands of the People's Court. In Real Life, his survival was also because the honour court used his testimony to shift blame to Rommel. Speidel never forgave himself for this.
- Token Good Teammate: Not that the rest of his colleagues are that evil to begin with, but Speidel is the only person in Rommel's staff openly plotting against the Führer and the Nazi regime.
- Undying Loyalty: Speidel remains staunchly on Rommel's side even as his fellow generals like von Rundstedt brutally criticize him. He continues to remain loyal to the field marshal despite his refusal to support a coup, backing Rommel's need to focus on the threat of the Allies. The only time this cracks is when he mentions Rommel's name during interrogation by the Gestapo, though it was more likely due to brutal interrogation than intentional betrayal.
Hauptmann Hermann Aldinger
Portrayed by: Robert Schupp
A captain in the German Army and Rommel's adjutant. Aldinger previously served in the famous Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. After the Second World War, Aldinger pursued a career in construction before shortly thereafter being drafted into the West Germany military, the Bundeswehr. He retired from military service as commander of the 1st Air Force Division and a recipient of the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He died on November 2, 1993.
- Composite Character: Aldinger subsumes the part of Rommel's other adjutant, Helmuth Lang. Among other things, he is the aide present in Rommel's staff car when it is attacked from above, not Lang as in Real Life.
Oberst Hans-Georg von Tempelhoff, Chief Operations Officer of Army Group B
Portrayed by: Maximilian von Pufendorf
Commands held: 28th Jäger Division (1945), 1st Panzergrenadier Brigade (post-war, 1959-1962), 3rd Panzer Division (post-war, 1962-1967)
Highest award: Iron Cross 1st Class
A colonel in the German Army and Rommel's operations officer. Previously an artillery officer in the Reichswehr, Hans-Georg von Tempelhoff graduated to general staff duties during World War II as chief operations officer of Army Group B. Tempelhoff remained in his post under the tenures of Erwin Rommel, Günther von Kluge and Walter Model. In the last weeks of the war, von Tempelhoff was promoted to major general and led the 28th Jäger Division on the Eastern Front. He joined the Bundeswehr after the war in 1952 and retired as commander of the 3rd Panzer Division. He died on May 31, 1985.
- Bearer of Bad News: Twice in the film:
- He brings Rommel a letter from Colonel General Jodl that only three tank divisions will be provided to him to quell the landings at Normandy while the rest are to be kept in reserve. Rommel is understandably pissed at this compromise since three tank divisions aren't nearly enough to defend 80 miles of open beach from the Allies.
- He sends in a telegram from Wilhelm Keitel telling Kluge that Hitler survived the bomb explosion at the Wolf's Lair, the first of many conflicting reports that General Warlimont finally puts to rest in the evening. Only worrying news for Kluge, the recipient of the message but bad news for co-conspirator Speidel who happens to be in the room.
- He personally reports to Rommel's house in Herrlingen on Speidel's behalf to tell him that von Kluge has committed suicide. He worriedly remarks that all of their allies are cutting ties in the wake of the failed 20 July coup.
- Cunning Linguist: Only implied in the film, but Tempelhoff can speak perfect English. Rommel prompts him to translate the British commando's words only to drop the matter when he learns he can speak German.
Feldwebel Karl Daniel
Portrayed by: Michael Kranz
A sergeant in the German Army and Rommel's driver.
- Artistic License – Military: The film erroneously makes Daniel a Feldwebel (staff sergeant). Historical records place his rank at the time of the fatal air attack as Unterfeldwebel (sergeant) or Oberfeldwebel (sergeant major).
- The Driver: He drives Rommel's staff car and transports the field marshal wherever he needs to go. As such, alongside Aldinger this makes him one of the few people in the same place as Rommel most of, if not all the time.
- Killed Offscreen: Daniel is hit by a stray bullet from the strafing of Rommel's staff car. Aldinger later tells a hospitalized Rommel that Daniel succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
- Tempting Fate: Daniel thinks nothing bad will happen to him for as long as he transports the legendary Desert Fox. Just a few months after that conversation he is fatally wounded in an Allied strafing with Rommel inside the staff car.Daniel: [passes destroyed armoured cars with dead occupants] Poor bastards. My mother says I should thank God that I ended up with you, Field Marshal.Rommel: Why is that?Daniel: With you, nothing can happen to me.
Vizeadmiral Friedrich Oskar Ruge, Naval Advisor to Army Group B
Staff positions held: Naval Advisor to Army Group B (1943-1944)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (WW2), Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (post-war)
A vice admiral in the Kriegsmarine and Rommel's senior naval advisor. During World War II, Ruge commanded important formations on the English Channel and was eventually stationed on the Western Front to supervise the defence of Northern France from the impending Allied invasion. He became the navy's director of ship construction from August 1944 till the end of the war. In 1956, Ruge became the first commander of the Bundeswehr navy, a position which he served from 1956 to 1961. He died on July 3, 1985.
- The Voiceless: He is completely silent during his dinner scene with Rommel, Speidel and Finckh.
Commanders-in-chief West and staff
Generalfeldmarschall Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt, 1st Commander-in-Chief West
Portrayed by: Hanns Zischler
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Rommel's superior and commander in chief of German forces on the Western Front. A pre-WW1 veteran, Rundstedt previously commanded troops invading Poland, France and the Soviet Union. He was one of the twelve generals that Hitler promoted to field marshal in 1940. For expressing a desire to negotiate with the Allies, Hitler dismissed him and replaced him with Günther von Kluge. Rundstedt briefly returned to his post two months later only to be once again dismissed for letting the Allies establish a bridgehead over the Rhine. Rundstedt was saved from being tried for war crimes due to poor health, and died of heart failure on October 4, 1952.
- 10-Minute Retirement: Rundstedt is dismissed for a total of two months before he is called back into active service by the end of the film following Kluge's death.
- Adapted Out: The film omits Rundstedt's Chef uniform, his Custom Uniform as honorary chief of the 18th Infantry Regiment. He favoured this uniform over the standard general's uniform which he only wore on certain occasions. Yet here he is only seen wearing the standard uniform even at less formal events where Hitler is absent. Rundstedt was also a chain smoker; the film makes no mention of this nor his ailing health as a result.
- The Bus Came Back: At the end of the film, Rundstedt appears in historical footage of Rommel's funeral as Hitler's representative. In Real Life, Rundstedt was re-instated in September 1944 at Blumentritt's request and remained in his position until early 1945 when Hitler replaced him with Albert Kesselring.
- Commander Contrarian: Rundstedt's role boils down to countering Rommel's ambitious plans with his cynical, conservative outlook. His persistence in making sure Rommel stays subordinate to him badly hampers coordination during the Normandy landings.
- When Rommel first makes the suggestion to move all tank divisions to the coast (which would require all tank reserves to be under his command), Rundstedt vehemently opposes it as they are under his direct authority. He prefers that they be held near Paris in case the Allies land somewhere unexpected. Granted, by then the lack of available troops in 1944 factor into his reluctance to station all tank divisions on the coast but he still comes off as pretty dickish about it.
- Rundstedt isn't a fan of Rommel having tanks buried to protect them from naval artillery either, and even brings in inspector general of tank troops Heinz Guderian to back him up. He thus unwittingly ruins the defence of Normandy by making Hitler devise a compromise that leaves Rommel with only three tank divisions. Only one of these divisions, the 21st, is sent to Normandy and isn't enough to prevent the Allies from gaining a beachhead.
- Gentleman Snarker: As a blue-blooded Prussian aristocrat, Rundstedt has shades of this. En route to the Obersalzberg, Rommel argues with Rundstedt about who should take the blame for the fall of Cherbourg. It seems that Rundstedt is willing to listen to Rommel and support his planned ultimatum to Hitler - but drops a caustic remark that doing so will likely end both their careers.Rundstedt: Headquarters is looking for a scapegoat for the fall of Cherbourg. Me or you.
Rommel: I will tell the Führer that the war must be ended. The whole world is against us.
Rundstedt: What do you expect from me?
Rommel: That you will support me.
Rundstedt: You're right. We can both sign our own death warrants. - Historical Domain Character: Rundstedt was the most senior officer in the German armed forces since 1935 (and until 1938, second only to war minister Werner von Blomberg). He was praised as an excellent staff officer during World War I and was recommended for the Pour le Mérite, which he never got. His prestige made him a key potential recruit for many anti-Hitler conspirators. Rundstedt refused all offers due to his personal belief that officers should not be involved with politics, no matter how serious the situation was.
- Jerkass Has a Point: His approach to it isn't the most considerate, but Rundstedt is entirely justified in worrying that Rommel's desire to move all tank divisions to the coast is too risky, especially since it requires banking all available reserves on stopping the Allied invasion at source.
- The Leader: Of German forces on the Western Front. And the longest one to boot, leading troops from France for more than 3 years.
- Old Soldier: One of the oldest among the German Army soldiers and officers, in fact. By the events of the film, he's already pushing 70, and has been tasked by Hitler and the Armed Forces High Command to defend Normandy from an Allied invasion.
- Perilous Old Fool: Rommel views him as one, citing his age and inability to accept risky strategy as proof that he is well past his prime and that he gave up on winning the war long ago. Rundstedt's obstructive attitude and dislike of Rommel doesn't help the situation any.
- Put on a Bus: Rundstedt is retired for expressing defeatism and is replaced as Commander-in-Chief West by Kluge for the rest of the film.
- The Scapegoat: Rundstedt is forced to take the blame for the fall of Cherbourg and Caen and is dismissed as Commander-in-Chief West in disgrace for his failures. It doesn't last long; by the end of the film he has been restored to his old position.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: Rundstedt spends most of the film's second act being dressed down and humiliated by Hitler for failing to hold the Western Front. Yet when he is finally dismissed, Hitler decides to award him the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross for his trouble. In Real Life, Rundstedt would be elevated to the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (same grade as Kluge and Manstein) for his long service to the Third Reich.
General der Infanterie Günther Alois Friedrich Blumentritt, Chief of Staff of Commander-in-Chief West
Portrayed by: Oliver Nägele
Commands held: XII SS Army Corps (1944-1945), 25th Army (1945), 1st Parachute Army (1945), "Army Group Blumentritt" (1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
A general of the infantry and Rundstedt's long-time chief of staff. Blumentritt was Rundstedt's chief of operations for the Battle of France before transferring to the Eastern Front. In 1942, he briefly served as the army's chief quartermaster before becoming chief of staff of OB West. As Rundstedt's (and later Kluge's) leading subordinate, he was privy to the details of the 20 July plot and successfully made a deal to conceal most of the plotters in France. Blumentritt commanded several formations for the last year of the war, including at one point all forces in the Netherlands. Post-war, Blumentritt contributed to the development of the Bundeswehr before passing away on October 12, 1967.
- Adaptational Ugliness: The real Blumentritt looked rather young and spry for his age, with no visible wrinkles. Nägele pretty much makes him a Gonk.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: Blumentritt has very thick eyebrows to go along with his large frame.
- The Confidant: Less focused on than Speidel, but Blumentritt keeps the secret that Kluge (and likely Rundstedt) know of the conspiracy against Hitler but never report it.
- Number Two: To Rundstedt and later Kluge, who he served under during the invasions of France and the Soviet Union respectively.
Generalfeldmarschall Günther Adolf Ferdinand von Kluge, 3rd Commander-in-Chief West
Portrayed by: Thomas Thieme
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Rundstedt's replacement as Commander-in-Chief West after the latter is dismissed for defeatism. Kluge previously commanded Army Group Center on the Eastern Front until 1943 when he was badly injured in a car accident. He was one of the twelve field marshals promoted in 1940. He famously signed an order decreeing that all women in Soviet military uniform were to be shot. Kluge was relieved of his command a month after arriving in France and summoned to Berlin to meet Hitler. Convinced that he was implicated in the 20 July plot, he committed suicide with potassium cyanide en route and died on August 19, 1944.
- Adaptational Ugliness: The real Kluge was relatively plain-looking in comparison to his more portly film counterpart.
- Benevolent Boss: Zig-zagged. When confronted with the terrible situation at the front, Kluge's disdain for Rommel softens and he gives his subordinate some leeway over command. When it comes down to it however, he is just as obstructive and evasive as his predecessor Rundstedt.
- He supports Rommel's decision to send an ultimatum to Hitler demanding a negotiation with the Allies but only with the backing of all frontline commanders and SS leaders in France. Despite this, even he knows that such an action will do nothing more than annihilate Rommel's standing with Hitler and pushes him to reconsider. When Rommel is injured in the air attack, he orders the ultimatum shelved out of fear for his own life.
- He takes the time to visit Rommel in hospital after the air attack and alongside Blumentritt warn him that Stülpnagel implicated him in the 20 July plot in delirium. He even worries somewhat for the safety of his subordinates in the wake of the disaster, including Speidel who he served with on the Eastern Front. However, Kluge is powerless to do anything to protect them, nor does he have the time to since he is quickly relieved of command and summoned to Berlin.
- However, the rough manner in which he handles a framed picture of Rommel after being placed in command of Army Group B implies that he personally still doesn't like Rommel. As he's asking Speidel for his support, no less.
- Commander Contrarian: Kluge is more receptive to Rommel than Rundstedt is but this doesn't make him any less petty or obstructive than his predecessor. At best he's more a passive ditherer than a vocal obstructionist. He only supports Rommel's ultimatum to Hitler if all frontline and SS commanders agree as well and shelves it as soon as Rommel is wounded.
- Dirty Coward: Kluge supports the 20 July plotters against Hitler and sends out arrest warrants for the targeted SS officers, but immediately rescinds the warrants and denies all knowledge of the conspiracy when Hitler is revealed to have survived. Despite Hofacker's pleas for him to help them as commander-in-chief West, Kluge vehemently refuses in order to save his own life. He remains sympathetic to them however and advises Stülpnagel to escape as a civilian or commit suicide.
- Driven to Suicide: When Hitler relieves him of command and summons him to Berlin, Kluge is all but certain that he has been implicated in the 20 July plot and consumes potassium cyanide to escape punishment.
- Fat Bastard: Downplayed. Kluge is quite rotund but shows no overt signs of villainy besides serving the Nazis, insulting Rommel for his management of the Western Front (where he made some good points) and chickening out when the 20 July plot fails. If anything, Kluge is more of a coward who is in over his head than a villain proper.
- Historical Domain Character: Kluge was one of Hitler's albest commanders on the Eastern Front and among the field marshals who hadn't been sacked for incompetence or disobedience by 1944. He was also one of the few field marshals to maintain contact with the various resistance groups, though he never gave them his complete support. Gifts of money from Hitler likely kept Kluge from ever committing to the resistance. The closest he ever came to helping them was promising to be at their disposal on 20 July if Hitler was killed.
- Jerkass Has a Point: At his first situation meeting with Rommel and his staff, Kluge insults and upbraids him for his tendency to bypass his superiors and go to the Führer, openly stating that Rommel was much better as a division commander (von Rundstedt expressed the same opinion to Speidel). As much as Kluge is using this to assert his authority, Rommel's habit of using his relationship with Hitler to bypass authorities is a genuine problem.
- Jerk with a Heart of Jerk: Visibly softens towards the insubordinate Rommel once he realizes the true gravity of the situation... yet still doesn't like him and refuses an opportunity to depose Hitler out of self-preservation.
- Karmic Death:
- He kills himself on the banks of the Meuse River, only a few steps from where Carl-Heinrich von Stülpnagel, the conspirator he betrayed, failed to commit suicide.
- An air attack not unlike the one that injured Rommel cuts Kluge off from all his soldiers, making it easy for Hitler to mark him as a possible traitor and summon him to Berlin, which leads to his suicide.
- Killed Offscreen: He kills himself en route to Berlin with potassium cyanide. Tempelhoff reports directly to Rommel's home in Herrlingen to tell him the sad news.
- Know When to Fold 'Em: When he first arrives in France, Kluge is highly contemptuous of Rommel and blames his insubordinate nature for the terrible state of the Western Front. However, he concedes the argument after personally touring the front and seeing how bad the situation really is. He even contemplates strategic withdrawals to ease the troops to prevent more catastrophic defeats in the future. The real Kluge put it best to Alfred Jodl:Kluge: I am no pessimist. But in my view, the situation could not be grimmer.
- Laser-Guided Karma: A self-inflicted one. He supports the conspiracy against Hitler initially but withdraws his support and throws the conspirators to the dogs once it fails. What he gets for it is a convenient bombing that cuts him off from his soldiers and increases Hitler's distrust in him, cornering him into suicide when Hitler calls him to Berlin for a meeting.
- Last of His Kind: Kluge is the last of the original field marshals sent to the Eastern Front still on active duty. By August 1944 his fellow field marshals have either been relieved of command, captured or killednote . In fact, he replaces one of them, Rundstedt as commander of German forces in Western Europe. He doesn't last long though, remaining in command of the Western Front for more than a month before being recalled to Berlin and losing his life on the way.
- The Leader: Like Rundstedt, he is commander in chief of all Wehrmacht forces on the Western Front, including the military administration in France.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Kluge is aware that there is a plot to kill Hitlernote but due to not being in the inner circle doesn't know what will actually happen during said plot. He is naturally very upset when he learns that Stülpnagel encroached on his own authority and had SS and Nazi Party officials arrested all over France.Kluge: Blumentritt, the entire Security Service here, including Gruppenführer Oberg, was arrested... on Stülpnagel's orders. (voice rising) He did it without consulting or even informing his commander in chief. This arbitrary conduct is unprecedented! Have his orders withdrawn immediately.
- Not-So-Small Role: Kluge is played by acclaimed German film and stage actor Thomas Thieme. His brief appearances in the loyalty ceremony and reporting on the situation in the USSR are preludes to him succeeding Rundstedt as Rommel's superior after the former is sacked.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: Zig-zagged. Kluge is initially unfavourable to the independent Rommel and his staff until he realizes how badly the Western Front is struggling. He then proceeds to become a helpful asset to Rommel and as such even supports his written ultimatum to Hitler. However, his desire to stay alive and in Hitler's favour supersedes the leeway he gives Rommel. Kluge orders Rommel's ultimatum archived after he is wounded in the air attack since without its chief proponent (and his survival uncertain) the ultimatum is next to useless. In his defence, anything suggesting defiance against Hitler would provoke his fury regardless of who sent it or when it was sent. By the time the letter is finally sent, it is too late to actually matter.
- Unexpected Successor: Kluge's appointment as the new Commander-in-Chief West comes as a mild surprise, since he served on the Eastern Front for most of the war and just recovered from grievous injuries.
Generalfeldmarschall Otto Moritz Walter Model, Acting Commander-in-Chief West
Commands held: 3rd Panzer Division (1940-1941), XLI Panzer Corps (1941-1942), 9th Army (1942-1944), Army Group North (1944), Army Group North Ukraine (1944), Army Group Centre (1944), Commander-in-Chief West (1944), Army Group B (1944-1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, Pour le Mérite
Kluge's replacement as Commander-in-Chief West. Unlike the offensively-oriented Rommel, Model practiced defensive warfare and was one of Hitler's best defensive tactical commanders. He spent most of the war on the Eastern Front and went on to command Army Group North after Ernst Busch was relieved of command. By 1944, he had become one of Hitler's favourite generals. Model became a field marshal in early 1944 and several months later was sent to relieve Günther von Kluge's command of the Western Front. He commanded Army Group B for the rest of the warnote and dissolved his command when it became clear defeat was inevitable. He committed suicide by self-inflicted gunshot on April 21, 1945.
- Bearer of Bad News: His only appearance in the film is when he brings Kluge a letter from Hitler. Outwardly it seems harmless, but a summons to Berlin after the 20 July plot signals nothing but disaster to Kluge who commits suicide thinking he has been marked as a traitor.
- Commonality Connection: With Erwin Rommel, both being two of three army field marshals who received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, occupied the position of Hitler's favourite field marshalnote and were successful tank commanders. That's where the resemblance ends, as otherwise the two are completely different in leadership style and combat doctrine.
- High-Class Glass: In his brief time on-screen Model wears his signature monocle. However, it is only visible when the camera isn't focusing on him.
- Historical Domain Character: Model was one of Hitler's best generals, and was markedly different from many aggressive panzer commanders in that he practiced defensive warfare. This was especially apparent when he commanded the 9th Army in Russia. His doctrine emphasized the importance of up-to-date battlefield intelligence, rearward defense lines (against Hitler's wishes) and centralized control of artillery units. His command style shared one thing with Rommel's; it was effective for division and corps-level commands but not for army or theatre-level commands.
- Rank Up: Model is promoted off-screen from colonel general to field marshal on March 30, 1944, which is why he is absent from the loyalty ceremony at the start of the film which took place two weeks earlier.
- Red Oni, Blue Oni: Model is the blue to Rommel's red. While both are highly successful panzer commanders, Model focuses on calculated, defensive warfare whereas Rommel is known for his aggressive, offensive style of combat. Model's skill in defensive tank warfare made him one of Hitler's best defensive tactical commanders. Additionally, Rommel is a Benevolent Boss adored by most of his subordinates while Model was a foul-mouthed boss almost universally disliked by his staff.
- Yes-Man: Like Keitel, he unquestionably follows Hitler's orders to the letter. However, Model is the rare combination of being blindly loyal to Hitler and competent enough to keep him happy.
Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Otto Sperrle, Commander of Luftflotte 3
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
A Luftwaffe field marshal and commander of Air Fleet 3, the aerial division protecting Western Front airspace. A veteran reconnaisance officer from World War I and famously the first commander of the Condor Legion, Sperrle was one of twelve generals promoted to field marshal in 1940 and was instrumental in carrying out the bombing campaign of London known as the Blitz. Failures and incompetence in the defence of Normandy led to his dismissal in August 1944. Sperrle was acquitted in post-war trials and lived a quiet retirement until his death on April 2, 1953.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Has descended into this after many years in France. The luxury and fine wine along with a growing sense of defeatism make Sperrle such a complete washout by August 1944 that he's eventually relieved of duty.
- The Cameo: Sperrle only appears in the second briefing scene between Rommel and Hitler and even then he's only in the background.
- High-Class Glass: He wears a monocle over his right eye.
- The Leader: Of Air Fleet 3, the Luftwaffe formation in charge of occupied France, the Netherlands and Belgium.
- Mook Depletion: By his appearance Sperrle's air fleet has been rendered impotent by the US Army Air Forces and the Royal Air Force, essentially making him a sitting duck for his last months on active duty.
- Put on a Bus: Not long after his brief cameo Sperrle is sacked and moved to the Führerreserve. He never holds a significant command again.
Group commanders
General der Artillerie Fritz Martin Erich Marcks, Commander of LXXXIV Army Corps
Portrayed by: Hans Kremer
Commands held: 101st Jäger Division (1940-1941), 337th Infantry Division (1942), LXXXIV Army Corps (1943-1944)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
A general of the artillery and commander of the LXXXIV (84th) Army Corps, the main frontline unit stationed on the Normandy beaches and the first formation to respond to the Allied landings. He drafted the original plans for Operation Barbarossa and advocated the A-A line, the initial territorial goals of the Wehrmacht for the invasion of the Soviet Union. He was transferred to the Western Front a while after losing his leg in Ukraine. After the surprise landings at Normandy, he was leading the defense of the beach when he was mortally wounded by an Allied air attack and died on June 12, 1944.
- An Arm and a Leg: Marcks lost his left leg on the Eastern Front in Ukraine, and makes an example of it to demonstrate how Rommel's plan to set more obstacles for the Allies is impossible with the time frame that he has.
- Badass Longcoat: Marcks wears a leather greatcoat most of the time as most of his scenes are outdoors on the hot Normandy beaches.
- A Birthday, Not a Break: The landings at Normandy take place on his 53rd birthday, so there is no shortage of work for him to do, including repelling a false attack by the British with straw dolls. The real attack comes when he and his staff are celebrating his birthday and merrily singing songs, no less. On top of that, he dies six days after the whole disaster.
- Brilliant, but Lazy: Invoked. Marcks is a talented commander but is embittered and worn-down by his experiences on the Eastern Front. As such, Rommel angrily accuses him and his troops of treating their time in France as a vacation in response to Marcks' insistence that their task of reinforcing the Atlantic Wall is impossible with the limited time they have. Rommel realizes this and apologizes to Marcks for the outburst.
- Deadpan Snarker: When a surprise attack by the Allies blindsides Marcks and his staff (who were busy celebrating his birthday), he is quick with a caustic remark on the situation:Marcks: British naval artillery. A birthday greeting from Churchill.
- Frontline General: As commander of the front lines at the Normandy beaches, Marcks is the most focused-on example of this since his LXXXIV Corps is the first unit responding to the Allied landings. He doesn't last long in this role before he is killed.
- Grumpy Old Man: Rommel accuses Marcks of being one to obstruct him from performing his duty of reinforcing the Atlantic Wall. Hilariously, Rommel and Marcks are only one year apart in age.
- Killed Offscreen: He is fatally wounded in an Allied air attack on his headquarters and dies on the same day. Rommel only finds out from Speidel when he asks if Marcks can stage a diversionary attack.
- With Due Respect: Marcks is adamant that reinforcing the Normandy beaches is impossible despite the task being on Hitler's direct orders, and tells Rommel as such. Rommel isn't having it.
General der Panzertruppe Leo Dietrich Franz Reichsfreiherr Geyr von Schweppenburg, Commander of Panzer Group West
Portrayed by: Hary Prinz
Staff positions held: Inspector General of Armoured Troops (1944-1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
A general of the tank troops and commander of Panzer Group West, the armoured reserve of the Western Front. Schweppenburg was relieved of command for supporting Rundstedt's insistence that troops withdraw from Caen. He then succeeded Heinz Guderian as Inspector General of Armoured Troops for the rest of the war. Post-war, Schweppenburg worked under Franz Halder to cultivate the myth of the clean Wehrmacht and helped in the inception of the Bundeswehr before dying on January 27, 1974.
- Attention Whore: His view of Rommel in a nutshell. He thinks that the field marshal is putting himself in the spotlight with his risky strategy to defend Normandy so his failures in Africa are forgotten and he regains the favour of Hitler and the upper brass.
- Blue Blood: Schweppenburg is of military royalty, being of a Prussian lineage that produced two famous field marshals.
- Good Hair, Evil Hair: Schweppenburg, a general in the German Wehrmacht has a noticeable pencil moustache. This is a deviation from history - the real Schweppenburg was clean-shaven.
- High-Class Glass: He wears a monocle over his right eye.
- Historical Downgrade: In two aspects:
- He commands Panzer Group West (originally the 5th Panzer Army), the armoured reserve unit that Rommel and Rundstedt argue over regarding the pivotal defence at Normandy and Pas-de-Calais. Despite this importance, Schweppenburg is relegated to only two scenes which only serve to show he dislikes Rommel for his failures in North Africa.
- In spite of his aforementioned dislike, he wholeheartedly supports Rommel's ultimatum to Hitler demanding that he open negotiations with the Allies. None of this is mentioned in the film.
- Hollywood Old: The real von Schweppenburg was 57 years old and weathered-looking by 1944. His actor Hary Prinz is a decade younger.
- Jerkass Has a Point: While dismissive of Rommel, Schweppenburg isn't wrong that the field marshal's strategy of lining the coast with tank divisions is too risky and will make them vulnerable to naval artillery. He's not exactly incorrect either that placing tank units further inland will likely stop the Allied advance within 48 hours if conditions favour them. However, Rommel rightfully counters that placing them further inland will instead make them vulnerable to aerial assaults.
German administration in Paris
20 July plotters
Oberstleutnant Caesar von Hofacker
Portrayed by: Tim Bergmann
Highest award: Iron Cross 1st Class
The personal advisor to the military governor of occupied France and a cousin of Claus von Stauffenberg, ringleader of the 20 July plotters. His father Eberhard was a famous WW1 general and one of Rommel's idols. When the coup failed, Hofacker was hauled to Berlin and tortured by the Gestapo, confessing Rommel's involvement. He was sentenced to death by the People's Court and hanged on December 20, 1944.
- Blue Is Heroic: Dresses in the typical blue-grey dress ensemble of Luftwaffe officers, and is the most heroic member of the conspirators in Paris.
- Colonel Badass: Technically lieutenant colonel, but it still counts. Hofacker in Paris is analogous to Rebel Leader Stauffenberg in Berlin, directing the brunt of the attempted coup while Stülpnagel holds down the fort with Kluge.
- Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: Hofacker is subjected to this by the Gestapo and gives up valuable names of conspirators as a result. We're not told exactly what he endured, but given that he is thin, visibly roughed up and with hands bandaged the next time we see him, it certainly wasn't pretty.
- Killed Offscreen: Hofacker is hanged for his role in the 20 July plot, but only Stülpnagel's death is shown onscreen.
- Number Two: Stülpnagel's closest advisor and the one who handles the dirty business related to the plot while his boss innocuously runs the Nazi regime in France.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!: When on trial, Hofacker gives one to Judge Freisler in the same vein as Field Marshal Witzleben.Hofacker: Be quiet, Mr. Freisler! This year, it's my head. Next year, it will be your head.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His last-ditch attempt to persuade Rommel to participate in the coup (done with zero diversion like Stülpnagel) is the first inkling of evidence used to accuse the field marshal of treason. His forced confession that also implicates Speidel only digs them both deeper.
- Younger Than They Look: Is 48 years old at the time of the film but could easily pass for someone a decade younger.
General der Infanterie Carl-Heinrich Rudolf Wilhelm von Stülpnagel, Commander-in-Chief in France
Portrayed by: Hubertus Hartmann
Commands held: 30th Infantry Division (1936-1937), 17th Army (1940-1941), Commander-in-Chief in France (1942-1944)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
A general of the infantry and military governor of occupied France. He took part in Ludwig Beck's early attempts to remove Hitler from power. During the early war, Stülpnagel was commander of the 17th Army which occupied Southern Russia on the Eastern Front, scoring victories during the Battle of Uman and Kiev. He replaced his brother Otto von Stülpnagel as military governor of France after the latter was removed for opposition to Nazi racial policies and attempts to block massacres by the SS. On the day of the 20 July plot, Stülpnagel was in charge of arresting targets in France but upon confirmation of Hitler's survival the coup fell apart and he was forced to release his prisoners. A failed attempt at suicide (which only blinded him) was followed by a trial before the People's Court and death by hanging on August 30, 1944.
- Bungled Suicide: Stülpnagel attempts to shoot himself on the banks of the Meuse River but only succeeds in blinding himself.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: The blinded Stülpnagel is hanged at Plötzensee Prison immediately after his show trial, the only death of a 20 July plotter seen on-screen. The hanging itself is not the cruel bit: rather, it is that his last moments are filmed on camera with attending photographers treating it like a school project. This is Truth in Television: Hitler actually requested that the executions be filmed for his own amusement and to intimidate low-ranking troops into complete submission.
- The Leader: He is commander-in-chief of all military forces in France, answerable only to the overall commander in the West (Rundstedt and later Kluge). However, Interservice Rivalry and Hitler's style of delegating responsibility puts him in conflict with SS commander Carl Oberg, Higher SS and Police Leader in France. As the highest-ranking officer in greater France, he is also in charge of the 20 July plot in Paris.
- Make an Example of Them: Stülpnagel's execution is filmed for Hitler's viewing pleasure and to present to troops to ensure complete loyalty to him. In Real Life, this never worked because most of them were principled enough to avert their eyes whenever shown such recordings.
- Mr. Exposition: In tandem with Finckh, Stülpnagel explains to a curious Speidel the importance of Operation Valkyrie to the conspiracy, especially with regard to why Rommel is needed. Rommel's support will gain the plotters control over the Western Front and thus a tremendous number of troops to supplement the Replacement Army in the French military districts.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Stülpnagel becomes the first 20 July plotter to implicate Rommel when he mutters the field marshal's name in delirium after his failed suicide. This ultimately leads to investigations, tortured confessions of Rommel's guilt and Speidel's arrest. Stülpnagel's blunder eventually results in Rommel's death, losing the Germans one of their most beloved and valuable military leaders and only hastens the end of the war. And the worst thing is, until his inevitable interrogation Stülpnagel likely wasn't even aware he implicated Rommel since he mentioned his name in delirium.
- Well-Intentioned Extremist: Stülpnagel insists that Hitler must be killed if the coup is to succeed, in direct defiance of Rommel's wishes to bring him to justice for his crimes. While Rommel's intentions are certainly noble, Stülpnagel is right to think that with the Nazi Party and the SS still in power, any coup would be violent regardless, and that killing Hitler (and his inner circle) once and for all is the only way to properly halt the establishment in its tracks without any problems.
Horst
Portrayed by: Thomas Limpinsel
A civilian member of the Nazi Party who serves the military administration in Paris. He is one of the plotters in the 20 July plot.
- Canon Foreigner: The only 20 July plotter in Paris with no known historical counterpart.
- Uncertain Doom: It is uncertain if Horst is executed for his role in the 20 July plot given lack of historical evidence or anyone his character was based on. Given Hitler's thoroughness in purging even potential co-conspirators it is highly unlikely he survived.
Oberst Eberhard Finckh, Chief Quartermaster to the Commander-in-Chief in France
Portrayed by: Rolf Kanies
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords
The new chief quartermaster of the French military administration. He met future coup leader Claus von Stauffenberg in the War Academy in Berlin-Moabit. During World War II, Finckh served on the Eastern Front as quartermaster of the 6th Army under Walter von Reichenau and then Friedrich Paulus. He was then promoted to chief quartermaster of Army Group South under Erich von Manstein. Finckh transferred to the Western Front in 1944 (during the events of the film) as the new chief quartermaster for the Paris administration under Günther Blumentritt, where he helped with the 20 July plot against Hitler. After the plot's failure, Finckh was tried before the People Court's and sentenced to death by hanging on August 30, 1944.
- Bearer of Bad News: Self-exploited. Finckh's first role in the 20 July plot is to initiate Operation Valkyrie on Stülpnagel's behalf and bring the news of Hitler's 'death' to Blumentritt.
- Killed Offscreen: Like Hofacker, his hanging is never shown on-screen despite being on the same day and in the same place as Stülpnagel.
- Mr. Exposition: Alongside Stülpnagel, Finckh is the one who deep-dives into the importance of Operation Valkyrie for the coup to the uninformed Speidel. He in particular focuses on the role of the Replacement Army in arresting SS and Party members.
SS and Police
SS-Gruppenführer und Generalleutnant der Polizei Carl Albrecht Oberg, Higher SS and Police Leader in France
Portrayed by: Detlef Bothe (uncredited)
Highest award: War Merit Cross 1st Class
An SS general and the Higher SS and Police Leader (HSSPF) in occupied France. Oberg joined the Nazi Party in 1931 and joined the SD soon after at personal request. Before transferring to France, he was police administrator for Hanover and then Zwickau. His brutality against Jews and the French Resistance earned him the title "Butcher of Paris". After the war, Oberg was sentenced to death but eventually served only 20 years hard labour before being pardoned by French president Charles de Gaulle. He died on June 3, 1965.
- Bald of Evil: Bald, and a high-ranking member of the SS.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Wears round wire-rimmed glasses, and is shown to be one of the more fanatical Nazis in the film.
- Historical Villain Upgrade: While Oberg was definitely a committed Nazi in Real Life, even he rebelled against the Party's absurd orders many times. All of these instances including one within the time frame of the film are never addressed, making him more of a one-dimensional villain.
- He opposed Himmler's orders to cleanse Marseilles and set explosives in the city's crime district, supervising a minimalist response of only 6000 arrests in comparison to the 10 000 Himmler wanted and the destruction of the harbour area.
- He also opposed the creation of a Waffen-SS Einsatzkommando in France. Whether this was out of compassion for the Jews or a desire not to see France turn into an active war zone before the Allies arrived remains unknown.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Despicable Nazi aside, Oberg is nothing if not efficient. He's open to sweeping most of the 20 July plot under the rug as a misunderstanding if it means not causing bother with the higher-ups. As such, he reluctantly negotiates with Hofacker and Blumentritt to conceal lower-ranking conspirators in exchange for the inner circle admitting their guilt and turning themselves in. Blumentritt arrives at the SS headquarters in Paris to find the deal being wrapped up over drinks.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Oberg's voice never rises beyond a soft whisper, and yet he's shown to be one of the more fanatical and dedicated of the Nazis in the film. Most notable of this is when he protests Rommel's desire to meet the British commando in defiance of the Commando Order, and he tries as hard as possible to keep the prisoner within his grasp and on the road to execution in line with said order.
- State Sec: He is the highest-ranking officer of all Schutzstaffel and police units stationed in France.
SS-Standartenführer Helmut Knochen
Portrayed by: Arthur Klemt
An SS colonel and the commander of SD forces in occupied France and Belgium. On his orders, countless French Jews and enemy agents were sent to concentration camps. He was shamefully demoted to SS-Grenadier (SS private) after the liberation of Paris and served in the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler for the rest of the war. A series of commuted death sentences by the British and then the French followed before he was finally pardoned alongside his superior Carl Oberg in 1958. He died on April 4, 2003.
- Bearer of Bad News: Knochen is the one who tells Rommel of the Comtesse's traitorous dealings with the British.
- The Dragon: He serves as the direct enforcer of security and police forces in Paris on behalf of Gruppenführer Oberg.
- Good Smoking, Evil Smoking: Smokes a cigarette in earnest while telling Rommel of the Comtesse's betrayal.
- Sarcasm Mode: Is pretty dry-humoured at Rommel's disbelief in the Comtesse's treachery, especially when showing him proof of radio equipment in a hidden cave.Knochen: (gestures towards the Comtesses's radio equipment) I assume that these belong to your army group then.
Nazi government in Berlin
Hitler and his inner circle
Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Greater German Reich
Portrayed by: Johannes Silberschneider
Highest award: Golden Nazi Party Badge (Party), Iron Cross 1st Class (military)
The tyrannical dictator of the Third Reich and the instigator of World War II in Europe. Hitler came to power in 1933 with the passing of the Enabling Act and quickly made Germany into a police state. His racially-motivated agenda, interference in military affairs and ego-driven lust for control was a partial cause for the rapid German defeats that began with the Battle of Stalingrad. Hitler escaped an inevitable hanging by committing suicide in Berlin on April 30, 1945, shooting himself in the head while biting down on a cyanide capsule.
- The Bad Guy Wins: Hitler survives his attempted assassination and has most of the conspirators executed. He replaces Rommel with the more fanatically loyal Model and leaves his former favourite field marshal to die for alleged treason. As a result, Rommel's attempted ultimatum is ignored and discarded.
- Big Bad: He's the Führer of the Third Reich and the instigator of the Second World War and the Holocaust.
- Broken Pedestal: Rommel literally worships him for most of the movie. As he realizes that Hitler has lost all sense of reality and issues orders to hold untenable positions in Cherbourg and Caen, Rommel eventually considers borderline treasonous actions against his Führer, culminating in him not reporting the planned coup. The final straw comes when Rommel learns that Hitler has accused him of participation in the 20 July plot when technically, that was not the case.
- Control Freak: Hell-bent on micro-managing the war effort against the advice of his best generals, ruining the worsening odds with his no-surrender approach.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Hitler speaks in a deep voice with a thick Austrian accent.
- Evil Wears Black: More accurately, a very, very dark grey. Hitler dresses in a dark suit with the Wehrmacht eagle on the left sleeve.
- Faux Affably Evil: Is nice and cordial with Rommel at first, bidding him success with the Atlantic Wall and amenable to personal conversations with him even after the Allied landings at Normandy. By their second meeting, he is no longer so affable and even banishes Rommel from the room for asking to speak with him privately again.
- General Failure: As commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht and First Soldier of the Third Reich, Hitler plays this role very vividly. He refuses to make Tactical Withdrawals in defiance of more experienced generals like Rundstedt and Rommel to avoid showing signs of weakness. His suicidal orders to fight to the last man cause the rapid fall of the defence of occupied France and wastes the army precious soldiers.
- Good Hair, Evil Hair: His infamous toothbrush mustache and combed over hair, of course. Granted, they wouldn't be considered evil if Hitler didn't have them.
- Living Macguffin: He is the linchpin of the Third Reich and killing him means the complete breakdown of the government, giving credence for the 20 July plotters to take over with Operation Valkyrie. People like Kluge know this and will only support the coup if Hitler is dead.
- The Paranoiac: Following the 20 July plot, Hitler's paranoia reaches new levels, condemning valuable officers and generals to death for even knowing about the assassination attemptnote .
- Never My Fault: Hitler never takes responsibility for failures on his watch and instead blames his field marshals, Allied supply lines and enemy propaganda for everything.
- Suddenly Shouting: Hitler is normally soft-spoken if animated, but will loudly shout down his generals if they suggest surrender, retreat or say anything unrelated to what he asks of them. He banishes Rommel from the planning room in the Berghof when he persistently brings up the war's political consequences.
- Villain Has a Point: While his justification is completely off-base, Hitler is absolutely correct that the Allies do not want to negotiate with him and seek the destruction of the Nazi Germany. As confirmed by Hofacker's British contact in Madrid, the Allies want unconditional surrender on both the Western and Eastern Fronts as well as the complete dissolution of Hitler's government.
Generalfeldmarschall Wilhelm Bodewin Johann Gustav Keitel, Chief of the Armed Forces High Command
Portrayed by: Joe Bausch (uncredited)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Chief of the Armed Forces High Command and besides Göring the highest-ranking officer in the Wehrmacht. When Hitler came to power, Keitel was head of the all-important Armed Forces Office of the Reichswehr, the oversight body for the army, navy and air force. This poised him for future prominence as his superiors Werner von Blomberg and Werner von Fritsch fell from grace due to scandal. He was promoted to field marshal in 1940 and subsequently supervised a bloody campaign on the Eastern Front, signing the infamous Commissar Order authorizing the mass murder of Soviet political commissars. After the war, Keitel was arrested and sentenced to death by hanging at Nuremberg, which was carried out on October 10, 1946.
- 0% Approval Rating: Absolutely no one in the Nazi hierarchy likes Keitel. Hitler hates him because he despises his commanders in general, and Hitler's enforcers in the military, SS and the Nazi Party all agree that unlike some other yes-men in their ranks, Keitel is Too Dumb to Live for a field marshal.
- Desk Jockey: His role throughout the film, with one instance of accompanying Hitler to visit his field headquarters in Margival, France. Despite his position as de facto war minister, Keitel does nothing more than nod and agree with Hitler or sign orders on his Führer's behalf.
- The Dragon: To Hitler on military matters, though compared to Kaltenbrunner, Himmler, Goebbels and Göring he's completely pathetic and has almost no backbone.
- Only Sane Man: Keitel is the only one to explicitly protest retaliation against Rommel since he isn't an actual participant in the attempted coup. The more fanatical and sadistic Kaltenbrunner swiftly shuts him up. He drops the argument from that point onwards, knowing that Hitler has already made up his mind.
- Overranked Soldier: Keitel is far from competent in his role as chief of the OKW, and only received the position and field marshal rank for his blind loyalty to Hitler. The Real Life Hermann Göring described him as 'a sergeant's mind inside a field marshal's body.'
- Yes-Man: An enabler through and through, Keitel only got his position for his compliance and complete adherence to Hitler's demands, never questioning his Führer's orders. The closest he comes to protesting well, anything is a weak-hearted attempt to exonerate Rommel from 20 July plot allegations. An incensed Kaltenbrunner quickly puts an end to that. In Real Life, his sycophancy was a hot topic in the Wehrmacht, with Field Marshal Ewald von Kleist denouncing him as a 'stupid follower of Hitler'. "Lakeitel"note was a very common nickname for him among High Command.
Generaloberst Alfred Josef Ferdinand Jodl, Chief of Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Wilhelm Keitel's deputy and Chief of Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command, responsible for drafting and disseminating operational orders. Jodl was previously a staff officer in the Truppenamt, the predecessor to the OKH (Army High Command). While not as sycophantic as Keitel, Jodl's job descended into signing criminal orders on Hitler's behalf including the Commissar and Commando Orders. He signed the German instrument of surrender in 1945 before being brought to trial at Nuremberg. Jodl was sentenced to death by hanging alongside his superior which was upheld on October 16, 1946.
- Bald of Evil: Bald (or balding), and a fanatical follower of Hitler.
- Number Two: Keitel's second-in-command and the fourth most powerful soldier in Nazi Germany after Hitler, Göring and Keitel.
- Satellite Character: All of Jodl's appearances centre around Keitel, his superior.
- Small Role, Big Impact: His biggest contribution to the role comes when he's off-screen. Jodl's memo that Hitler has decided to give Rommel only three tank divisions results in Rommel's loss of confidence in his Führer and the inadequate defence of Normandy.
- The Voiceless: Doesn't speak a word during his time on-screen when in Hitler's headquarters in Margival.
- Yes-Man: Like Keitel, Jodl follows Hitler's orders to the letter, parroting them to German troops on the front lines. In Real Life, he only snapped at Hitler a grand total of once, when Hitler berated him for truthfully updating him on the situation of Field Marshal Wilhelm List instead of agreeing with the Führer on everything.
SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Polizei Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Director of the Reich Main Security Office
Portrayed by: Peter Wolf
Highest award: Blood Order (Party), Knight's Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords (military)
The director of the Reich Main Security Office, the organization that ran all police and security agencies in the Third Reich. Previously police president of Vienna, Kaltenbrunner replaced the infamous Reinhard Heydrich as head of the RSHA and president of Interpol after he was assassinated. For his tenure he oversaw the Holocaust that his predecessor implemented, authorized tough measures against homosexuals and investigated the 20 July plot, arresting nearly 5000 suspects. He fled Germany in the last days of the war but was caught and brought to trial at Nuremberg, the highest-ranking SS officer present. Kaltenbrunner was sentenced to death for war crimes and crimes against humanity and hanged on October 16, 1946.
- Chewing the Scenery: Every instance of him speaking is either to intimidate, silence or make a point, amphitheatre style.
- Cold Ham: Kaltenbrunner's voice almost never rises beyond a persuasive murmur with highly theatrical and articulate tones, and is deliberately used to make listeners hang on to every word and understand that he's not messing around. His manner of speech is enough to make the entire Court of Honour (including Keitel) stop countering his arguments and listen in stony silence. The only time this trend visibly breaks is when he snaps at Keitel for daring suggest that Rommel's distant involvement in the conspiracy isn't betrayal of the Führer.
- The Dragon: To Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS. Kaltenbrunner is the SS officer enforcing security and law enforcement on Himmler's behalf and as such his position is among the most feared and powerful in the Third Reich.
- The Dreaded: As head of all security and police agencies in the Third Reich and one of Hitler's most fanatical loyalists, Kaltenbrunner is surprisingly as feared as his predecessor Heydrich. Speidel is visibly unnerved when Kaltenbrunner appears behind him to uncover his complicity in the 20 July plot. In Real Life, even Himmler feared him to some extent.
- The Heavy: While Hitler and his right-hand man Himmler are the ones behind the arrests of the 20 July plotters, it is Kaltenbrunner who actively carries out those orders.
- Rugged Scar: He has a scar across his left cheek from duelling in his school days, though some sources attribute it to a car accident.
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Kaltenbrunner dresses in the his Allgemeine SS uniform which was designed to look sharp: a field grey suit and tie with SS-Obergruppenführer rank insignia affixed with Nazi party badges and decorations.
- Soft-Spoken Sadist: Kaltenbrunner speaks in a silky-smooth and soft tone, belying his absolute hatred of traitors and disloyalist to the Third Reich. His voice signals that he is relishing the prospect of tearing down Speidel and Rommel's reputations in the face of their (in the latter case, alleged) treachery against Hitler and the likeliness that they will be tried and executed for it.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Isn't as much of a small role here as some other examples, but Kaltenbrunner is key in pushing for Rommel's death in the wake of the 20 July plot despite only appearing in three scenes at the tail end of the film.
- State Sec: He leads the Reich Main Security Office, the central policing apparatus of the Third Reich that controls the Gestapo (Secret Police), the Orpo (Order Police) and the Kripo (Criminal Police). This position grants Kaltenbrunner a great deal of authority over everything considered dissident in the Third Reich, even if the offender is under the Wehrmacht.
Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Luitpold Himmler, Reich Minister of the Interior and Chief of German Police
Commands held: Replacement Army (1944-1945), Army Group Oberrhein (1944-1945), Army Group Vistula (1945)
Highest award: Golden Nazi Party Badge
Hitler's right-hand man and head of the SS (Schutzstaffel), the Nazi Party's paramilitary arm. Himmler joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and rose to power six years later. A coldly efficient and ruthless enforcer, Himmler turned the SS into the most feared apparatus of the Third Reich* . He was expelled from the Party for attempting peace negotiations with the Allies and committed suicide with a cyanide pill on May 23, 1945 after being captured by the British Army.
- Demoted to Extra: Despite being part of Hitler's inner circle, Himmler plays little to no part in the film with his Dragon Kaltenbrunner as the dominant SS officer in the plot.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: Himmler is the person responsible for running Nazi Germany's infamous police forces and the concentration camps. It's a given that the glasses-wearing enforcer has a deep-seated racism and cruel efficiency in disposing of his Führer's enemies.
- State Sec: A given since Himmler runs the regime's secret police and paramilitary forces.
- No Sympathy: Himmler does nothing more than uncaringly stare when Rommel pleads for his support in relaying the difficult situation at the front from his Waffen-SS generals.
Reichsleiter Martin Ludwig Bormann, Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery
Highest award: Golden Nazi Party Badge
Hitler's private secretary, the Chief of the Nazi Party Chancellery. Bormann rose to power after his superior, Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess went AWOL to negotiate a peace with Britain. From then on, Bormann was the de facto "gatekeeper" for Hitler's inner circle, controlling all information and access to his superior for his own ends. At the end of World War II, Bormann fled Berlin in a breakout group with Hitler Youth leader Artur Axmann and Hitler's pilot Hans Baur, dying halfway to Soviet forces on May 2, 1945. His remains were found nearly thirty years later.
- Demoted to Extra: One of many in Hitler's inner circle relegated to non-speaking cameos, during the Margival sequence. The non-history savvy may not even recognize Bormann by name.
- Desk Jockey: Bormann handles all correspondence and information that goes to Hitler, so this is a given. He literally mans the desk going into Hitler's bunker in his Margival headquarters, and Rommel has to get his consent before entering.
- The Man Behind the Man: Downplayed; while Hitler is unquestionably the leader of the (crumbling) Third Reich, Bormann handles administrative matters while Hitler deals with politics and the war effort. Anyone who wants anything to do with Hitler, even Himmler and Goebbels have to go through Bormann first.
Reichsmarschall Hermann Wilhelm Göring, Reich Minister for Aviation and Supreme Commander of the Luftwaffe
Commands held: Supreme Commander of the Luftwaffe (1935-1945)
Highest award: Golden Nazi Party Badge (Party), Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (military)
A famed World War I ace, Hermann Göring gradually become a high-ranking member of the Nazi Party and Hitler's Number Two. He held many positions, such as supreme commander of the Luftwaffe (air force), president of the German parliament, the Reichstag and even founded the Gestapo, Nazi Germany's Secret Police. A chronic morphine addiction and poor leadership of the Luftwaffe soon lost him his high status in the Party. In 1945, a telegram requesting that Hitler transfer power to him in the wake of his planned suicide was framed a coup d'etat by Bormann, leading Hitler to expel him from the Nazi Party. He died on October 15, 1946 after ingesting cyanide in captivity to avoid execution.
- Chest of Medals: Wears a lot of medals on his uniform, many from his World War I days and even more as handouts from Hitler. Most notable is the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross on his neck, the only one awarded during World War II.
- Custom Uniform: As is customary for the Reichsmarschall, Göring is dressed in a grey double-breasted jacket resplendent with his wartime medals and badges.
- Demoted to Extra: Göring only appears in the first briefing scene in the film, and even then the camera never focuses on him.
- Fat Bastard: In his brief appearance, his portly frame is clearly visible both from years of morphine consumption and indulging in rich foods.
- Number Two: Is Hitler's official second-in-command, having been designated as his successor.
Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
Highest award: Golden Nazi Party Badge
One of Hitler's most devoted followers, Goebbels was a brilliant orator and ardent anti-Semite. He became Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda after Hitler rose to power, responsible for all media circulating in the Third Reich and the creation of material to maintain support for the regime. He and his wife Magda killed themselves on May 1, 1945, unable to fathom a life without the Führer.
- Demoted to Extra: Goebbels only appears during the second briefing scene at the Obersalzburg.
- Gonk: Even in his brief appearance, Goebbels does not look at all pretty, with his Villainous Cheekbones and wrinkles making him look older and uglier than his real-life counterpart.
- Propaganda Machine: Goebbels is in charge of said machine, working to drum up support for the regime and the war effort and later on advocating for the allocation of all essential resources to the front.
- Satellite Character: His sole scene centres around Hitler and he never utters a word during said scenes.
Wehrmacht personnel
Generalleutnant Rudolf Schmundt, 9th Chief of the Army Personnel Office
Portrayed by: Harry Blank (uncredited)
Highest award: Iron Cross 1st Class (military), German Order (posthumous, Party)
Chief of the Army Personnel Office and Hitler's chief military adjutant for most of World War II, replacing Wilhelm Keitel's brother Bodewin. As head of the HPA, Schmundt was responsible for all personnel matters relating to army officers and cadets in the Wehrmacht. He was severely injured in the bomb explosion on 20 July but held out for two months before dying on October 1, 1944.
- Killed Offscreen: The explosion at the Wolf's Lair is never shown aside from brief mentions but Schmundt is one of the casualties. His death in October 1944 prompts his deputy, Wilhelm Burgdorf to replace him.
- Rank Up: In return for his loyalty and injuries sustained in the explosion, Schmundt is promoted from Lieutenant General to General of the Infantry in September 1944. He doesn't live long enough to enjoy this promotion before he dies in hospital a month later.
Generaloberst Heinz Wilhelm Guderian, Acting Chief of the Army General Staff
Portrayed by: Klaus J. Behrendt
Staff positions held: Inspector General of Armoured Troops (1943-1944), Chief of the Army General Staff (acting, 1944-1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Hitler's foremost expert in armoured warfare and Inspector General of Armoured Troops. Guderian pioneered (but did not invent) the infamous blitzkrieg tactic; the use of rapid tank warfare supported by motorized infantry and air support which fueled many of Germany's early victories in World War II. Despite never identifying himself as a Nazi and being one of Hitler's most rebellious generals, he nonetheless oversaw the politicization of the general staff after being elected Chief of the Army General Staff in the wake of the 20 July plot. Guderian was never prosecuted for war crimes because he cooperated with the United States after his capture in 1945, but remained an ardent German nationalist until his death on May 14, 1954.
- Can't Take Criticism: Rommel claims that Guderian can't take any opposition from him on disagreeing about the strategy for repelling an Allied invasion.
- Jerkass Has a Point: Guderian is just as dismissive and impatient with Rommel as Rundstedt is, but does have a point in feeling so with Rommel's assumption that Hitler is in approval of all his plans. Guderian is quick to remind Rommel of his limits:Guderian: The Führer has not decided [on your plans] yet. Until then the tank divisions are under the supreme commander in the West.
- Rank Up: He is relieved of command off-screen as Inspector General of the Armoured Troops but returns at the end of the film as Chief of the Army General Staff, essentially the top position in the army since Hitler is supreme commander.
- Yes-Man: Zigzagged Trope. The deeply annoyed Rommel claims Guderian is this for letting Rundstedt have his way in overriding his strategy for defending Normandy and Calais. However, Guderian is shown to be quite vocal against Hitler's retaliation for the 20 July plot and presents a succinct defence to exonerate Speidel from his charges. In Real Life, Guderian was a complete oxymoron in terms of loyalty to Hitler. He was supportive of Nazism yet held shouting matches with Hitler on a regular basis and was dismissed thrice for insubordination and alleged incompetence.
Generalleutnant Wilhelm Emanuel Burgdorf, 10th Chief of the Army Personnel Office
Portrayed by: Peter Kremer
Staff positions held: Chief of Department 2, Army Personnel Office (1942), Deputy Chief of the Army Personnel Office (1942-1944), Chief of the Army Personnel Office (1944-1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Rudolf Schmundt's replacement as Chief of the Army Personnel Office and Hitler's chief military adjutant. A committed National Socialist and anti-Catholic radical, Burgdorf replaced Schmundt after he died from injuries sustained in the 20 July bomb plot. His most well-known role in history is contributing to Rommel's suicide, alongside Ernst Maisel informing him of the charges against him and giving him the fateful cyanide pill. Burgdorf committed suicide with Hans Krebs on May 2, 1945 when it became clear that Germany had lost the war and Berlin was overrun.
- Bearer of Bad News: Burgdorf is the one who brings Rommel the news of his alleged treason and that death is the only way to save he and his family from prosecution.
- Pet the Dog: Burgdorf is one of several members of the Court of Military Honour assembled after the 20 July plot who supports absolving Speidel of all responsibility in the plot, in stark contrast to Kaltenbrunner who wants everyone associated with the conspiracy killed.Burgdorf: Gentlemen, if General Speidel has indeed informed Rommel of the attack - then the prosecution must disprove it.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Has only three scenes in the film, but all three concern his pivotal role in Rommel's suicide.
Hitler's field marshals (Erich von Manstein, Ernst Busch, Ewald von Kleist, Maximilian von Weichs)
Hitler's field marshals are his ablest and most talented military commanders, promoted for exceptional military merit and undivided loyalty to him. An exalted rank originating from the days of Prussia, Hitler distributed it more openly, promoting 25 Heer and Luftwaffe officers to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall. By the year 1944 Hitler's relationship with his generals has soured considerably, and he has fired most of his field marshals over the course of the warnote . In the film, his remaining army field marshals gather at his private residence at the Obersalzburg on March 15, 1944 to re-affirm their loyalty to him. Some of these men will not survive the next few months.
Generalfeldmarschall Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein, Commander of Army Group South
Commands held: 18th Infantry Division (1938-1939), XXXVIII Army Corps (1940-1941), LVI Panzer Corps (1941), 11th Army (1941-1942), Army Group Don (1942-1943), Army Group South (1943-1944)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Widely perceived as Hitler's most talented strategist, Erich von Manstein devised the now-historic strategy for the invasion of France - instead of a repeat of the disastrous Schlieffen Plan, German tanks would attack through the Ardennes forest and proceed to the English Channel, cutting off French and Allied forces in Belgium and Flanders. Had it not been for a lucky last-minute escape at Dunkirk, all enemy forces would have been captured. Manstein was sent to the Eastern Front, where his victorious siege of Sevastopol earned him the rank of field marshal. However, disagreements with Hitler resulted in him being relieved of command by March 1944 and replaced by Walter Model. Post-war, he was sentenced to twelve years in prison but served only four before getting released. Manstein helped establish the new West German armed forces, the Bundeswehr before dying in Munich on June 9, 1973.
- The Leader: Of Army Group South, the army group tasked to capture the Soviet republic of Ukraine and its capital Kiev. Despite early successes, losses at Stalingrad and Kursk eventually disintegrate the formation.
- Number Two: Was Rundstedt's chief of staff during the invasions of Poland and France. He gets shifted to a command position as a reward for his plan that helped the Germans successfully occupy France.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Is basically a non-entity in the film, but was the one who envisioned the plans for the invasion of France, the main setting and headquarters for many of the main characters and the country Germany is defending from the Western Allies.
- The Strategist: Is the most prominent of these among the field marshals present for his "sickle-cut" operation that let Germany easily conquer France. By this point however, he has lost much of his standing with Hitler for disagreeing with him and is sacked only a few weeks after the loyalty ceremony. Ill-informed decisions on the Eastern Front certainly don't help his case.
- We Hardly Knew Ye: Has a blink-and-you'll miss it moment onscreen before he is unceremoniously removed from duty by Hitler at the end of the month. Adding insult to injury, the rest of the field marshals present (except Ewald von Kleist, who got sacked the same month) held commands till as late as May 1945.
Generalfeldmarschall Ernst Bernhard Wilhelm Busch, Commander of Army Group Centre
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Pour le Mérite
A habitual Yes-Man, Ernst Busch was commander of the 16th Army for most of early World War II, leading it for the campaign in France and Operation Barbarossa. He was promoted to field marshal for political reasons and for all intents and purposes was basically Hitler's "Keitel" on the Eastern Front, rarely taking initiative or questioning the Führer's orders. He replaced Field Marshal von Kluge as commander of Army Group Centre when he was injured in a car accident, and oversaw a humiliating string of defeats for which Hitler relieved him of command. Busch returned to favour in March 1945 and was placed in charge of Army Group Northwest (formerly Army Group H) to protect German coastline along the North Sea, where he surrendered to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery in May. He died in a prisoner of war camp in England on July 17, 1945.
- 0% Approval Rating: By the time Busch commands Army Group Northwest, absolutely no one in the army group respects him due to his catastrophic failures on the Eastern Front. Hitler only favours him since he is running out of 'reliable' commanders at this stage in the war.
- Catch-22 Dilemma: Busch is promoted to field marshal for his blind obedience and following Hitler's exact orders without fail, yet it is this blind loyalty that deals Army Group Centre countless defeats. To prevent the army group from getting annihilated, Hitler has to relieve Busch of command for the exact same reason that he promoted him.
- General Failure: Most of Hitler's field marshals either had many successes before their promotion or a fanatical loyalty to Hitler that inspired their troops to fight on, or a mix of both. Busch has neither of these qualities. He ignores a massive build-up of Soviet forces right next to his army group and refuses to let his subordinates reduce their frontline coverage since Hitler ordered them not to retreat. The Soviet Operation Bagration results in Germany's worst ever defeat, and as a result Busch is relieved of command.
- The Leader: Of Army Group Centre, one of the three original formations sent to invade the Soviet Union, focusing on anti-partisan operations. By the time Busch is done with it, it is so utterly shattered that it is renamed Army Group North after Walter Model takes command from him.
- Last of His Kind: Busch is the last of the field marshals present to be on active duty with a field command at the end of the war. However, this is only the case because Hitler brought him back at the last minute, one month before he committed suicide in Berlin.
- Yes-Man: Not unlike Wilhelm Keitel, Busch follows Hitler's orders to the letter, regardless of how unfeasible or stupid they seem.
Generalfeldmarschall Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, Commander of Army Group A
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
Ewald von Kleist led the first large-scale tank unit during the war, Panzer Group Kleist (later the 1st Panzer Army) with blitzkrieg visionary Heinz Guderian under his command. In 1943 Kleist was promoted to field marshal after replacing the disgraced Wilhelm List as commander of Army Group A. Disagreements with Hitler earned him a quick dismissal in March 1944 and he was later arrested on suspicions of being involved in the 20 July plot (his cousin was an accomplice) but avoided trial. Post-war, he was extradited to Yugoslavia and then the Soviet Union where he died of heart failure on November 13, 1954.
- Blue Blood: Kleist was born to the Pomeranian family of Kleist, and many of his ancestors were prominent military officers in the German Empire. As a result, he remained a committed monarchist even while serving the republican Weimar Republic and the totalitarian Third Reich, yet never joined any anti-Hitler resistance groups.
- The Leader: Of the 1st Panzer Army and later Army Group A, the formation responsible for invading the Caucasus region.
- Small Role, Big Impact: While inconsequential to the film as a whole, Kleist was instrumental in elevating the career of Heinz Guderian, father of the blitzkrieg tactic. His influence allows Guderian to rapidly rise to Inspector General of Tank Troops, thus allowing him to influence tank strategy for Gerd von Rundstedt and later Chief of the Army General Staff, which handles the captured army conspirators in the 20 July plot. Guderian's opposition allows Speidel to escape a death sentence by the People's Court and thus survive the war.
- You Are in Command Now: Kleist replaces another field marshal, Wilhelm List, as commander of Army Group A after List is sacked which indirectly contributes to his promotion to field marshal.
Generalfeldmarschall Maximilian Maria Joseph Karl Gabriel Lamoral Reichsfreiherr von und zu Weichs an der Glon, Commander-in-Chief Southeast
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Maximilian von Weichs was commander of the 2nd Army in early World War II until 1943 when he was placed in charge of Army Group Bnote for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The defeat of Friedrich Paulus' 6th Army at Stalingrad and Weichs' suggestion to retreat in response to the Soviet encirclement codenamed Operation Uranus caused Hitler to relieve him of command. Only a few months later, Hitler promoted him to field marshal and installed him as commander-in-chief of German forces in occupied Greece, the Balkans and later Hungary. Weichs was retired in March 1945 and arrested by American troops upon German surrender, but medical issues prompted his removal from trial before he could be judged or sentenced. He died on September 27, 1984.
- Blue Blood: He was born into a noble Bavarian family in Dessau, Germany.
- Karma Houdini: He gets no justice whatsoever for the war crimes he perpetrated against local partisan groups in the Balkans. Due to medical reasons, he is removed from the US Army Hostages' Trial without having been judged or sentenced unlike his former colleague, Field Marshal Wilhelm List who got lifetime imprisonment (but was released on health grounds).
- The Leader: Of German forces in Southeastern Europe, including the occupied territories in Greece, the Balkans (Yugoslavia, Albania and Thrace) and later Hungary. Weichs doesn't even get to hold his command for that long - by the end of 1944 he is overseeing the withdrawal of his troops from the area as the Allies edge ever closer to Berlin.
- Nerd Glasses: Weichs wears clear-framed spectacles, the only field marshal to wear glasses until Ferdinand Schörner was promoted to the rank in 1945. This makes him the most identifiable of the field marshals in the lineup.
The People's Court
Roland Freisler, Judge President of the People's Court
Portrayed by: Karl Knaup
The Judge President of the People's Court and the most feared judge in Nazi Germany. Freisler was previously State Secretary of the Reich Ministry of Justice though Hitler never gave him the top job due to his time as a POW in communist Russia. His verbally abusive attitude and lack of mercy was why Hitler chose him to succeed Otto Georg Thierack as head of the People's Court. Freisler died in the midst of a British air raid on February 3, 1945.
- The Cameo: He only appears in one scene presiding over Caesar von Hofacker's trial.
- Evil Is Hammy: Freisler's courtroom sessions essentially boil down to him shouting expletives and insults at the defendant and giving no chance for them to argue. It's clear he enjoys every second of it.
- Hanging Judge: Freisler gives out death sentences to the accused for even minor charges of defeatism. It's not surprising then that Stülpnagel, Finckh, Horst and finally Hofacker are sentenced to death by hanging on his command.
- Kangaroo Court: The People's Court is essentially this, giving show trials to all 20 July plotters as well as those suspected to be in league with them.
- Red and Black and Evil All Over: Freisler dresses in blood-red judicial robes and is a fanatical National Socialist, delighting at the chance to hold a person's life or death in his own hands and almost always hands out death sentences.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Freisler only appears in a single scene condemning and insulting Hofacker to which the latter angrily rebukes him. Yet he is the man in charge of prosecuting the 20 July plotters, the majority of whom were sentenced to death.
General der Infanterie Hermann Reinecke, Chief of the General Office of the Armed Forces High Command
Highest award: Iron Cross 1st Class
A general of the infantry and head of the General Office of the OKW, Hermann Reinecke provided political training and indoctrination of the Wehrmacht at the behest of the Nazi leadership. He was an assessor on the People's Court panel for the trials of the 20 July conspirators. After the war, Reinecke was sentenced to life imprisonment but following review by the "Peck panel" was released in 1954. He died on October 10, 1973.
- The Cameo: Has a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo sitting to Freisler's left during Hofacker's show trial.
- The Voiceless: Throughout his brief appearance Reinecke says nothing in support or opposition of Freisler's accusations.
Allied Forces
Lieutenant Roy Wooldridge
A commando from the British Corps of Engineers and an advance scout for the Allies. He was captured on a top-secret mission and taken to Erwin Rommel who insisted that he not be shot in defiance of the Commando Order. Wooldridge was held in a POW camp for the rest of the war and forever remained grateful to the field marshal for the act of mercy. He kept an empty cigarette packet Rommel gave him for the rest of his life and died on December 9, 2016.
- Armor-Piercing Question: Wooldridge is frank with his disgust that Rommel disassociates the army from the atrocities being committed against Jews in Europe and says as much to the field marshal.Wooldridge: Field Marshal, that your Führer is exterminating an entire people... is just politics?
- Brutal Honesty: While grateful for Rommel's hospitality, Wooldridge doesn't hesitate to tear down his belief that the Germans are the Lesser of Two Evils compared to the Russians or tell him that a peace where the Nazis come out on top is impossible at this point.
- Cunning Linguist: As Tempelhoff eloquently explains, "he understands German just fine".
- No, Mr. Bond, I Expect You to Dine: Before being taken to a POW camp by the SS, Rommel personally has Wooldridge extracted to his headquarters for a friendly conversation and a cup of tea. Oberg is visibly upset at this breach in protocol as he wants the British lieutenant executed without delay after interrogation in compliance with the Commando Order.
- Trapped Behind Enemy Lines: He and his squad land on the French coastline for a secret mission behind the German front lines, blowing up a coastal battery. They really get trapped once they are all captured and tortured by the SD.
- Uncertain Doom: Wooldridge is last seen handcuffed and blindfolded in a car leaving Rommel's headquarters, with Rommel saying he's going to a POW camp for British soldiers. It is not explained whether he survives his captivity or dies of either interrogation or ill-treatment. In Real Life, Wooldridge did survive thanks to Rommel's personal protection and was deeply thankful to him for the rest of his life. The same can't be said for the rest of his squad though...
- Unwilling Suspension: He is chained to the ceiling by his wrists during captivity in nothing but his undies.
Civilians
Comtesse La Rochefoucauld
Portrayed by: Vicky Krieps
The niece of the Comte de La Rochefoucauld, a Nazi sympathizer. Unlike her uncle, the Comtesse is a spy for the British and part of a plot to assassinate Rommel.
- Blue Blood: She is from the de la Rochefoucauld family of French nobility, living in the Château de La Roche-Guyon which Rommel uses as his headquarters in France. Her ancestors include Ambroise-Polycarpe de La Rochefoucauld (a soldier and minister of King Charles X) and Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye (a French naval commander).
- Cunning Linguist: Is fluent in both German and English, which she uses to great effect translating French for Rommel and leaking information to her British contacts.
- Friendly Enemy: The Comtesse despises the Nazi regime and the German occupation of her country, but she doesn't hate Rommel or any of his staff members personally. She treats Rommel and Speidel with respect, plays table tennis with the soldiers quartered in the castle and buys French shoes for Rommel's wife at his request. Even after her subterfuge is outed, she doesn't hesitate to ask after Rommel's wellbeing when she encounters Speidel in Paris. She isn't very happy when her British contact makes a subtle dig at her bond with Rommel:British Agent: And how is it that you're so well-informed, Princess?Comtesse: I do my job, you should do yours.British Agent: You sure you want me to do that?Comtesse: [turns and walks away in disgust]British Agent: Thank you.
- La Résistance: Is part of the French resistance, specifically as a spy for the British.
- Like Father, Unlike Daughter: In contrast to her father, the Comtesse is deeply disgusted by the Nazis (especially the SS) and actively works to subvert them by plotting to kill Rommel. In Real Life, her relative Robert de La Rochefoucauld was a prominent leader in the French resistance working for the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) who carried out dozens of espionage and sabotage missions during the Normandy campaign.
- The Mole: She is a spy for the British tasked with assassinating Rommel, but that plan is foiled when her contact is arrested and reveals her subterfuge. As proof, Knochen shows Rommel her base, a cave nearby stocked with radio equipment.
- Royals Who Actually Do Something: A member of the French nobility who actively works to subvert the Nazi regime and is plotting to assassinate the field marshal living in her castle.
- Uncertain Doom: Her last scene involves her contemplating whether to turn herself in to save the people in her village from being slaughtered, with Speidel encouraging her not to give up hope and perform a Senseless Sacrifice. It is unknown whether she went ahead and did it, nor is her fate ever addressed for the rest of the film.
Comte de La Rochefoucauld
The uncle of the Comtesse La Rochefoucauld and a prominent Nazi sympathizer in the region. He appears when Rommel leaves for home with a gift of wine for his wife's birthday.
- Bald of Evil: The Comte is bald on top of his head and Rommel says he 'worships' the Führer and sympathizes with his racist ideals.
- Blue Blood: He is a junior head of the French house of Rochefoucauld.
- Uncertain Doom: With his entire village being detained for his niece's crimes, it is unknown if the Comte was detained and possibly killed or left alive for his support of Hitler.
Mentioned characters
Wehrmacht personnel
Generaloberst Hans Eberhard Kurt Freiherr von Salmuth, Commander of the 15th Army
Commands held: XXX Army Corps (1941), 17th Army (1942), 4th Army (1942), 2nd Army (1942-1943), 4th Army (1943), 15th Army (1943-1944)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Commander of the 15th Army, the formation stationed at Pas-de-Calais. Salmuth was previously chief of staff to Fedor von Bock before attaining command duties on the Eastern Front. He was transferred to the Western Front in command of the 15th Army in August 1943. One year later, the Allied breakout from Normandy and the disintegration of the front line in France led to Salmuth's relief of command. He remained off-duty for the rest of the war. War crimes pursuant to the Commissar Order earned Salmuth a twenty year prison sentence which was commuted to twelve years. He was released in 1953 and died on January 1, 1962.
- The Ghost: Salmuth is briefly mentioned when a staff officer mentions him putting the 15th Army on alert and asks if the 7th Army in Normandy should do the same. Speidel tells the officer to contact Rundstedt's staff and let them decide.
- The Leader: Of the 15th Army, comprising the army troops present in Pas-de-Calais.
- Red Alert: A land-based example. He puts the 15th Army on full alert in anticipation of the Allied attack by sea as the OKW believes they will focus on the more convenient Calais beaches rather than the more difficult terrain at Normandy.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Doesn't appear in person, but Salmuth is in command of all land forces present in the region of Pas-de-Calais, where the Germans (thanks to a thorough Allied misinformation campaign) believe the Allies will focus their attack.
Generaloberst Friedrich Karl Albert Dollmann, 1st Commander of the 7th Army
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Commander of the 7th Army, the formation stationed in Normandy. Dollmann specialized in artillery command and by 1939 was Chief of Artillery in the Ministry of Defense. He was loyal to the new regime after Hitler rose to power but like most of the army was not a committed National Socialist. He was made commander of the 7th Army less than a week before the invasion of Poland and held this command for most of the war, thus becoming one of two WW2 German generals who never served on the Eastern Front. Dollmann's distinguished service would end abruptly after the fall of Cherbourg where Hitler relieved him of command despite opposition from von Rundstedt and Rommel. He died soon after under mysterious circumstances on June 28, 1944, the cause of death theorized to be suicide by poisoning or a heart attack.
- The Ghost: Dollmann is briefly mentioned when a staff officer asks Speidel if the 7th Army should be alerted that the Allies are attacking, since the 15th Army has similarly been put on alert. Speidel tells the officer to call Rundstedt's staff and let them decide.
- Killed Offscreen: Dollmann dies under mysterious circumstances after the Battle of Cherbourg. Various accounts claim he either suffered a heart attack or committed suicide by poisoning. Still more sources exposit that Hitler forced him to commit suicide much like Rommel a few months later.
- The Leader: Of the 7th Army, comprising the army troops present in Normandy.
- Small Role, Big Impact: While not present physically in the film, Dollmann is in charge of all land forces present in the region of Normandy, the area where the Allies launch Operation Overlord. His failure to defend Cherbourg, a pivotal battle in the film leads to his sacking (which he remained unaware of) and subsequent death.
General der Artillerie Walter Warlimont, Deputy Chief of Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command
Highest award: Iron Cross 1st Class
Jodl's deputy, the Deputy Chief of Operations Staff of the Armed Forces High Command from 1938 to 1944. Warlimont was previously second adjutant to War Minister Werner von Blomberg. His Warlimont Memorandum was the basis of the OKW, Hitler's replacement for the Ministry of War and earned him a high place in the military hierarchy. Warlimont received a head concussion in the 20 July plot which forced his retirement from active duty. Post-war, he received a life sentence that was commuted to 18 years, and was released in 1954. He died on October 9, 1976.
- The Ghost: Warlimont doesn't appear in the film because he's far away at the Wolf's Lair in Rastenburg, East Prussia. He confirms to Kluge via telephone that Hitler survived the explosion and is in perfect health.
- Number Two: To Alfred Jodl, and is by extension the Number Three guy in the Armed Forces High Command.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Warlimont only appears in verbal mentions from Blumentritt and Kluge from a telephone call. He puts an end to the coup in France with damning proof that Hitler is alive, thus stopping the conflicting orders sent for the past few hours.
General der Infanterie Hans Krebs, Chief of Staff of Army Group B
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
A general of the infantry and Speidel's replacement as chief of staff of Army Group B. Krebs was a rabid anti-Semite and ardent supporter of Hitler who as military attaché to the German embassy in Moscow coordinated a faulty intelligence study into the Red Army. He was a staff officer during World War II for the 9th Army and then Army Group Centre. In August 1944, Krebs replaced Hans Speidel as chief of staff of Army Group B under Walter Model. Finally, Krebs reached high-level command as the Chief of the Army General Staff in April 1945 and led army forces during the Battle of Berlin. He died on May 2, 1945 alongside Wilhelm Burgdorf via self-inflicted gunshot.
- The Ghost: Krebs is only mentioned in conversation. Speidel tells Rommel that Krebs is replacing him as chief of staff of Army Group B when he meets the field marshal at his house in Herrlingen.
Waffen-SS personnel
SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Josef "Sepp" Dietrich, Commander of the I SS Panzer Corps
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
The highest-ranking officer in the Waffen-SS and commander of the I SS Panzer Corps during the Battle of Normandy. Dietrich joined the Nazi Party in 1928 as Hitler's first chauffeur and bodyguard, receiving rapid promotions after the purge of the SA in the Night of the Long Knives. He commanded the elite SS division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler for most of World War II. The defeat at Normandy was followed by a calamitous defeat at the Battle of the Bulge. Having lost Hitler's confidence by failing to seize Germany's last oil reserves in Hungary, Dietrich surrendered to American troops in Vienna. Post-war, he received two separate prison sentences for the Malmedy massacre in Belgium and the SA purge in the Night of the Long Knives. Dietrich participated in the SS lobby group HIAG before dying of a heart attack on April 21, 1966.
- Frontline General: Dietrich is a World War I veteran and a decent soldier in charge of Waffen-SS forces on the Western Front. Rommel counts on Dietrich's extensive front line experience to encourage his support for the ultimatum to Hitler.
- General Failure: While a good soldier, many experienced commanders like Rundstedt consider him 'decent but stupid', someone who fails to understand the basic fundamentals of command. In Real Life, Dietrich never learnt how to read a military map despite such a skill being elementary for commissioned officers.
- The Ghost: Rommel mentions Dietrich several times throughout the film, once when pleading with Himmler to back him up and another before visiting his headquarters.
- The Leader: Of the I SS Panzer Corps, subordinated to Panzer Group West under Geyr von Schweppenburg.
- Rank Up: Dietrich is one of four people promoted to SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer, earning the rank in 1944 during the events of the film. As Hitler's favourite SS general, his promotion date was backdated to 1942 (the year the rank was created) to make him senior to other SS officers promoted to the same rank.
- Small Role, Big Impact: Dietrich never appears in person but Rommel's visit to his headquarters and subsequent near-fatal accident is the tipping point for most of the film's third act.
- Undying Loyalty: He is one of Hitler's most ardent supporters and among the closest of his entourage, having been the Führer's original chauffeur and bodyguard. Speidel derides Dietrich as an 'inveterate National Socialist' and begs Rommel not to naively consider his support for the ultimatum. Thankfully, Rommel doesn't go through with it.
SS-Obergruppenführer und General der Waffen-SS Paul Hausser, 2nd Commander of the 7th Army
Commands held: 2nd SS Panzer Division Das Reich (1939-1941), II SS Panzer Corps (1942-1944), 7th Army (1944), Army Group Oberrhein (1945), Army Group G (1945)
Highest award: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
A Waffen-SS general and Friedrich Dollmann's replacement as commander of the 7th Army. Hausser was previously an officer in the Reichswehr. He joined the WW1 veterans' organization Der Stahlhelm which became part of the SS, rising to head the SS-VT, the predecessor to the Waffen-SS. He commanded the II SS Panzer Corps for most of World War II. In 1944, he replaced Friedrich Dollmann as commander of the 7th Army after his untimely death. Hausser commanded Army Group Oberrhein and then Army Group G for the last months of the war before being relieved of command. After the war, Hausser became the first spokesperson for HIAG, a lobbying group aiming to rehabilitate Waffen-SS members. He died on December 21, 1972.
- The Ghost: Rommel briefly mentions him and Dietrich while appealing for Himmler to back him up on the untenable situation on the Western Front.
- The Leader: At the start of the film he is commander of the II SS Panzer Corps, a unit which spent most of the war on the Eastern Front before being ordered to Normandy. He then replaces Friedrich Dollmann as commander of the 7th Army halfway through and leads it until August 1944.
- Rank Up: Hausser is promoted to SS-Oberst-Gruppenführer on August 1, 1944 for his services to the Third Reich, the last of four people (Sepp Dietrich, Franz Xaver Schwarz, Kurt Daleuge and himself) to receive that rank. As such, he is only subordinate to the Armed Forces High Command and head of the SS Heinrich Himmler.
- Small Role, Big Impact: He only clinches verbal mentions but commands the 7th Army, the primary fighting forces in the vital French region of Normandy, replacing his predecessor Dollmann.
