[Albert Kesselring (Command)] [Author: Battistelli, Pier Paolo] [August, 2012]

Command #27

by Pier Paolo Battistelli

Although he is mostly remembered for his part in the campaign in Italy from 1943 to 1945, Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring was also chief of staff of the Luftwaffe in 1936-37, playing a crucial role in the shaping of the service for the coming war. As commander of Luftflotte 1 in Poland and Luftflotte 2 in France and the Low Countries, he was responsible for supporting the armoured spearheads of the German Army as they undertook their Blitzkrieg campaigns. With the Fall of France, the Battle of Britain began and Luftlotte 2 was the main force in the air attack against the British air defences, with Kesselring planning many raids. Following the war Kesselring was tried and convicted of war crimes following a number of massacres of civilians in Italy. He was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment before being released on the grounds of ill health in October 1952. Here Pier Paolo Battistelli provides a detailed study of one of the most famous German commanders of World War II.

Genres: Germany, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Pier Paolo Battistelli earned his PhD in Military History at the University of Padua. A scholar of German and Italian politics and strategy throughout World War II, he is active in Italy and abroad writing books and essays on military history subjects.

Reviews

[Mak · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s interesting how his strategy to resort the warfare back to the Great War’s beloved static and rigid defensive lines to slow down the allied advance in Italian campaign was explained to its utmost simplicity. A great read, 7/10.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice read about Kesselring. Not meant as a critical review, but simply a review of his life and his decisions.

[Almantas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Osprey Publishing Command publication.

[Sean Chick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an odd work. Some sections discuss Kesselring's personality and others simply recount what he was generally doing at one point or another. The result is a confused narrative lacking in clear analysis. Battistelli takes no sides on the issues of war crimes and Kesselring's ability, outside of his obvious administrative and strategic talents.

[Marcelo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too much statistical analysis of the war in Italy & very little about the man.