Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist

German general during World War II

Date of Birth: 08-Aug-1881

Place of Birth: Braunfels, Hesse, Germany

Date of Death: 13-Nov-1954

Profession: military officer, soldier

Nationality: Germany

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Paul Ludwig Ewald von Kleist (8 August 1881 – 13 November 1954) was a German field marshal during World War II.
An early pioneer of "blitzkrieg" warfare, Kleist was the commander of Panzer Group Kleist (later 1st Panzer Army), the first operational formation of several Panzer corps in the Wehrmacht during the Battle of France, the Battle of Belgium, the Invasion of Yugoslavia and Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Kleist was appointed commander-in-chief of Army Group A during the last days of Case Blue, the 1942 German summer offensive in southern Russia.
His disagreements with Hitler over strategic decisions led to his dismissal in March 1944 after the German defeat in right-bank Ukraine. Following the war, Kleist was extradited to the Soviet Union where he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes; he died in prison.