Erwin Rommel Forced Suicide……
October 14, 1944……
World War I hero, known as the “Desert Fox”, he was once Adolf Hitler‘s favorite general. He had been implicated in the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler. Since he was a national hero, Hitler didn’t want to publicly execute him as he had done others implicated in the plot. Rommel was offered the option of suicide in order to protect his reputation and for assurances his family would not be persecuted. Proclaiming his innocence, he chose suicide. Rommel was given a state funeral, and it was announced that he died due to injuries from the strafing of his staff car in Normandy.