Rommel was promoted in advance of more senior officers by Hitler and it shows . He was sent to North Africa to protect Italian interests in the region . He detested the Italians and wanted nothing to do with them . He was expected to fight a defensive war which actually would have been wise Germany had neither the resources nor man power to indulge in aggressive wars in Africa and what they could spare was leftovers often deemed too poor to deal with modern Soviet armor and instead fought an aggressive war . Rommel was a terrible general because he was a competent captain . With very little in the way of experience guiding an entire army , he always kept everything in view of how a battalion might see it . His decisions typically ensured that he could win the battle , but the war ? Well , no . And that ' s what why he ' s shit . Wrong man for the job .