Kurt Student, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetKurt Student
German Luftwaffe general during World War II
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Birkholz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
About Kurt Student
- Kurt Arthur Benno Student (12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II.
- An early pioneer of airborne forces, Student was in overall command of developing a paratrooper force to be known as the Fallschirmjäger, and as the most senior member of the Fallschirmjäger, commanded it throughout the war.
- Student led the first major airborne attack in history, the Battle for The Hague in May 1940.
- He also commanded the Fallschirmjägers in its last major airborne operation, the invasion of Crete in May 1941.
- The operation was a success despite heavy German losses, and led the Allies to hasten the training and development of their own airborne units. In 1947, Student was tried and convicted of war crimes for the mistreatment and murder of prisoners of war by his men in Crete.
- Student was also responsible for a wave of reprisals committed against Cretan civilians in 1941, after encountering heavy resistance from the civilian population during the invasion, but avoided stern punishment.
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