Albert Kesselring
Albert Kesselring (
August 8,
1881 -
July 16,
1960) was a
German Generalfeldmarschall who commanded
Army Group C during
World War II. One of the most respected and skillful German generals, he was nicknamed "Smiling Albert" or "smiling Kesselring".
Kesselring was born in
Marktsteft,
Bavaria Germany, on 8 August 1881.
He joined the
German Army in
1904 and became an officer cadet in the 2nd Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment at
Metz. 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 as
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 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
partisans by troops under his command. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. This sentence caused much controversy and protest, as the evidence of Kesselring's complicity in the executions was tenuous. 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.Kesseling succeeded in keeping
Rome an open city, avoiding the destruction of many artistically important Italian cities, including Rome,
Florence,
Sienna and
Orvieto.Kesselring was reprieved and 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").
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