Kurt Student

Kurt Student
Student in 1941
Born	12 May 1890 Birkholz, German Empire (now Borów, Poland)
Died	1 July 1978 (aged 88) Lemgo, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire (1910–1918)  Weimar Republic (1918–1933)  Nazi Germany (1933–1945)
Service / branch	Prussian Army Reichsheer Luftwaffe
Years of service	1910–1945
Rank	Generaloberst
Commands	7th Air Division XI Fliegerkorps 1st Parachute Army
Battles / wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Criminal status	Released in 1948
Criminal charge	War crimes
Penalty	5 years imprisonment
Details
Victims	Cretan civilians Allied prisoners of war
Date	May 1941
Country	Greece
Location(s)	Crete

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 Fallschirmjäger in its last major airborne operation, the invasion of Crete in May 1941. The operation was a success despite 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 reprisal massacres committed against Cretan civilians in 1941 but avoided harsh punishment.