German Gen. Erwin Rommel earned mutual respect with the Allies in WWII from his genius and humane tactics. He refused to kill Jewish prisoners, paid POWs for their labor, punished troops for killing civilians, fought alongside his troops, and even plotted to remove Hitler from power.
His tactical prowess and consistent decency in the treatment of allied prisoners earned him the respect of many opponents, including Claude Auchinleck, Winston Churchill, George S. Patton, and Bernard Montgomery.
Rommel is regarded as having been a humane and professional officer. His Afrika Korps was never accused of war crimes, and soldiers captured during his Africa campaign were reported to have been treated humanely. Orders to kill Jewish soldiers, civilians and captured commandos were ignored by Rommel.
