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Friedrich Christiansen | |
|---|---|
 Christiansen c. 1937 | |
| Wehrmachtbefehlshaber in the Netherlands | |
| In office 29 May 1940 – 7 April 1945 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Korpsführer of the NSFK | |
| In office 5 April 1937 – 26 June 1943 | |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Alfred Keller |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 December 1879 Wyk auf Föhr, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
| Died | 3 December 1972 (aged 92) Aukrug, West Germany |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Weimar Republic Nazi Germany |
| Branch/service | Imperial German Navy Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1914–1919, 1934–1945 |
| Rank | Kapitän zur See (Navy) General der Flieger (Luftwaffe) |
| Commands | 25th Army |
| Battles/wars | World War I World War II |
| Awards | Pour le Mérite |
Friedrich Christiansen (12 December 1879 – 3 December 1972) was a German general who served as commander of the German Wehrmacht in the occupied Netherlands during World War II.
Christiansen was a World War I flying ace and the only seaplane pilot to receive the Pour le Mérite. He joined the Nazi Party in the interwar period, eventually rising to the rank of Korpsführer of the National Socialist Flyers Corps. After the German invasion of the Netherlands, Christiansen was appointed as the Wehrmachtbefehlshaber (Chief Military Commander) in the Netherlands. In response to attacks by the Dutch Resistance, he ordered reprisals against Dutch civilians such as the Putten raid. He was also responsible for the Dutch famine of 1944–1945 that resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians after ordering an embargo on all food transports to the western Netherlands. After the war, Christiansen was arrested and convicted of war crimes.