ALBERT KESSELRING

'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".
At least one source claims that Kesselring was born on August 8 1881 ^[1]. However, many printed sources claim that Kesselring was born 30 November 1885^[2][3], as stated in his memoirs, in Marktsteft in 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. 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 twenty-month-long campaign of defense up the peninsula against the rebelling population and Allied army, committing horrible massacres among civilians and Partisans (Marzabotto, Ardeatine). Despite the suffering inflicted on the Italian people, Kesselring strove to avoid the physical destruction of many artistically important Italian cities, including Rome, Florence, Siena and Orvieto. He also tried to preserve the monastery of Monte Cassino, but was unsuccessful; it was completely destroyed before Monte Cassino fell on May 19th, 1944. Kesselring was transferred to Germany as Commander-in-Chief West in March 1945. On 29 April 1945, General Heinrich von Vietinghoff-Scheel, Commander of Army Group Southwest, signed the unconditional surrender of all German troops in Italy at the Royal Palace in Caserta. The surrender was to take effect on 2 May.
On 30 April, Hitler had committed suicide in Berlin. On 1 May, Karl Dönitz was designated German President (Reichspräsident) and the Flensburg government was created. One of new President's first acts was the appointment of Kesselring as Commander-in-Chief of Southern Germany. 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, in which 33 German soldiers were killed (the Ardeatine massacre). He was found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad. 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 claims he had no authority.
The sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Kesselring 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").

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Notes

See also

★ Gustav Line

★ Gothic Line

★ Ardeatine massacre

Notes

1. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERkesselring.htm
2. The Oxford Companion to World War II
3. ''Britannica''

Sentence of the trial: http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/WCC/kesselring.htm