Rommel, known as the Desert Fox, he served as a field marshal in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He distinguished himself as the commander of the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African Campaign established his reputation as one of the most able tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname "the Desert Fox". He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler. Rommel committed suicide in return for assurance that his reputation would remain intact and that his family would not be persecuted following his death.