Albert Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a German Generalfeldmarschall who commanded Army Group C during World War II. He was nicknamed "Smiling Albert" or "smiling Kesselring".

He was born in Marktsteft, Germany, in 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 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 Air Force General Staff.

In the Polish campaign he commanded First Air Force and later in 1940 Second Air Force in France. In December 1941 Kesselring was appointed as Commander in Chief South with command of all German Air Force units in the Mediterranean and North African theaters. In the fall of 1943 he was redesignated as Commander in Chief Southwest with nominal command of the German armed forces in Italy, here he led a hugely successful twenty month campaign of defence up the peninsular, making Churchill's claims of Italy being a "soft underbelly" unfounded. 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.

After the war, in 1947 the British tried him for the shootings of partisans by troops under his command. He was found guilty and sentenced to death, But as this sentence caused much controversy and protest, he was reprieved and released from prison in 1952, citing ill health. He died at Bad Nauheim.

See also

• Gustav Line
• Gothic Line

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