Kurt Student (12 May 1890 – 1 July 1978) was a German paratroop general in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He launched the first major airborne operation of the war, the Battle for The Hague in May 1940. The highest-ranking member of Germany's parachute infantry, Student commanded the Fallschirmjäger throughout World War II. In 1947, Student was tried and convicted of war crimes committed while in command on Crete.