Rommel is one of the most interesting guys in history. If he had been on the winning side he would have had a major production done of his life. In WWI he was awarded the Iron Cross in his first month of action in 1914. He ended up becoming practially a one-man army on the Italian front, getting entire divisions of the opposition to surrender to him carrying a pisto:
Wiki: "The Mountain Battalion was next assigned to the Isonzo front, in a mountainous area in Italy. The offensive, known as the Battle of Caporetto, began on 24 October 1917.[22] Rommel's battalion, consisting of three rifle companies and a machine gun unit, was part of an attempt to take enemy positions on three mountains: Kolovrat, Matajur, and Stol.[23] In two and a half days, from 25 to 27 October, Rommel and his 150 men captured 81 guns and 9,000 men (including 150 officers), at the loss of six dead and 30 wounded.[24] Rommel achieved this remarkable success by taking advantage of the terrain to outflank the Italian forces, attacking from unexpected directions or behind enemy lines, and taking the initiative to attack when he had orders to the contrary. In one instance, the Italian forces, taken by surprise and believing that their lines had collapsed, surrendered after a brief firefight.[25] Acting as advance guard in the capture of Longarone on 9 November, Rommel again decided to attack with a much smaller force (a few companies). Convinced that they were surrounded by an entire German division, the 1st Italian Infantry Division – 10,000 men – surrendered to Rommel"
Pretty much the biggest military badass of the 20th century. Alexander the Great-type stuff.