Albert Kesselring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Albrecht von Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a Generalfeldmarschall during World War II. One of the most respected and skillful generals of Nazi Germany, he was nicknamed "Smiling Albert" or "Smiling Kesselring".
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[edit] Disputed Birth Date
At least one source claims that Kesselring was born on August 8, 1881 [1]. However, many print sources claim that Kesselring was born 30 November 1885[2][3], which source back to Kesselring's memoirs.
[edit] Biography
Kesselring was born in Marktsteft, Bavaria, Germany, as the son of a schoolmaster.
He joined the German Army in 1904 and became an officer cadet in the 2nd Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment at Metz, in 1907 he received his commission as Leutnant. He served on various divisional and corps staffs in World War I. After various staff and troop assignments, he was assigned as administrative chief to the Reich Air Ministry. He became a Freemason during this time, and remained one until his death. Kesselring remained in this position until June 1936, when he was assigned as chief of the Luftwaffe (air force) General Staff.
In the Polish campaign, Kesselring commanded 1st Air Fleet and later in 1940 2nd Air Fleet in France. During the Battle of Britain he almost succeeded in defeating the RAF. In December 1941, Kesselring was appointed Commander-in-Chief South with command of all Luftwaffe units in the Mediterranean and North African theaters. In late 1943 he was redesignated as Commander-in-Chief Southwest with nominal command of all German armed forces in Italy, where he led a brilliant twenty-month-long campaign of defence up the peninsula. Kesselring succeeded in keeping Rome an open city, avoiding the destruction of many artistically important Italian cities, including Rome, Florence, Siena and Orvieto. He also tried to save Monte Cassino, but was unsuccesful. Kesselring was transferred to Germany as Commander-in-Chief West in March 1945, and later designated as Commander-in-Chief South. He was taken prisoner at Saalfelden on 6 May 1945.
In 1947, the Allies tried him for the shootings of civilians by troops under his command, as reprisal for attacks by italian partisans, during the italian campaign. He was charged in particular with the shooting of 335 italian citizens, partly partisans, mostly civilians, in reprisal of the attack of Via Rasella in Rome (Ardeatine massacre). He was found guilty and sentenced to death. In his memoirs Kesselring claims that many of these shootings were carried out by communist partisans in German uniforms, while others were carried out by the SS, over which he had no authority.
The sentence was changed to life imprisonment. Kesserling was released from prison in 1952 in consideration of his ill health.
He died at Bad Nauheim, West Germany, in 1960 at the age of 79.
His memoirs are entitled Soldat bis zum letzten Tag ("A soldier to the last day").
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERkesselring.htm
- ^ The Oxford Companion to World War II
- ^ http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9045183/Albert-Kesselring
Sentence of the trial: http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/kesselring.htm
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Werner von Blomberg | Fedor von Bock | Walther von Brauchitsch | Ernst Busch | Hermann Göring | Robert Ritter von Greim | Wilhelm Keitel | Albert Kesselring | Ewald von Kleist | Günther von Kluge | Georg von Küchler | Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb | Wilhelm List | Erich von Manstein |Erhard Milch | Walter Model | Friedrich Paulus | Walther von Reichenau | Wolfram von Richthofen | Erwin Rommel | Gerd von Rundstedt | Ferdinand Schörner | Hugo Sperrle | Maximilian von Weichs | Erwin von Witzleben |
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Honorary: Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli |
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Werner Mölders | Adolf Galland | Gordon Gollob | Hans-Joachim Marseille | Hermann Graf | Erwin Rommel | Wolfgang Lüth | Walter Nowotny | Adelbert Schulz | Hans-Ulrich Rudel | Hyazinth Graf von Strachwitz | Herbert Otto Gille | Hans-Valentin Hube | Albert Kesselring | Helmut Lent | Sepp Dietrich | Walter Model | Erich Hartmann | Hermann Balck | Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke | Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer | Albrecht Brandi |
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