Helmut Schmidt, euro founding father, has died aged 96

Helmut Schmidt, one of the most popular German leaders since World War II, died in Hamburg at the age of 96.

French President Francois Hollande was among the first world leaders to pay tribute to the former chancellor, calling him “a great European” and saying he had laid the groundwork for German and French leaders who followed in his footsteps.

– December 23, 1918: Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt born in Hamburg, Germany.

As the fifth Chancellor of Germany, Schmidt was considered as the most important Chancellor in the postwar period by the Germans, according to a survey.

– 1977: Stands firm against the Red Army Faction during the “German Autumn”, a wave of violence unleashed by the leftist terror group. Schmidt after stated he’d disputes with america under President Jimmy Carter over monetary & defense issues at the time & concluded “that we Germans could not afford an extra conflict with America”, West Germany’s protector against the Soviets. He was sent to the western front at the complete of the war and brought as prisoner by British forces in April. 1945. Schmidt was succeeded by conservative chancellor Helmut Kohl. “The state must react with all the mandatory toughness”, he declared.

Schmidt refused their demands to release jailed leaders of what by then had become the Red Army Faction despite the kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer, the head of the country’s industry federation.

– 1974: Elected chancellor by parliament following Brandt’s resignation.

It’s not only in Germany that Schmidt’s death has been felt, however. Loki Schmidt died at age 91 in 2010.