Kurt Student (1890-1978) played an important role in establishing Hitler's secret Luftwaffe (air force). He promoted the idea of using parachute assaults and glider attacks in warfare. Student masterminded the German airborne attack on Crete and was responsible for the deaths of thousands.

Kurt Student was born into an upper middle class German family in the city of Birkholz on May 12, 1890. He hoped to be a doctor, but his family could not afford the education needed. Student's mother died when he was 11. His father sent him to the Royal Prussian Cadet School in Potsdam in 1901, where he could train for a career in the military. The school emphasized strict discipline, sports, and loyalty to the emperor and nation. Student did well in school, except in mathematics. Upon graduating in 1911, he became a lieutenant in the Imperial German Army. In 1913, he trained to be a pilot in the army...