Alfred von Waldersee

Generalfeldmarschall Count Alfred von Waldersee
Alfred von Waldersee in 1902
Chief of the German General Staff
In office 10 August 1888 – 7 February 1891
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Chancellor	Otto von Bismarck Leo von Caprivi
Preceded by	Helmuth von Moltke
Succeeded by	Alfred von Schlieffen
Personal details
Born	(1832-04-08)8 April 1832 Potsdam, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia in the German Confederation
Died	5 March 1904(1904-03-05) (aged 71) Hanover, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia in the German Empire
Relations	Georg von Waldersee
Military service
Allegiance	Kingdom of Prussia (1850–1871)  German Empire (1871–1904)
Branch/service	Prussian Army Imperial German Army
Years of service	1850-1904
Rank	Generalfeldmarschall
Battles/wars	Austro-Prussian War Franco-Prussian War Boxer Rebellion

Alfred Ludwig Heinrich Karl Graf von Waldersee^[1] (8 April 1832 – 5 March 1904) was a German field marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) who became Chief of the Imperial German General Staff.

Born into a prominent military family, von Waldersee saw distinguished service as an artillery officer, and became Prussian military attaché at the Paris embassy in 1870. This gave him insight into the French defences that would prove crucial in the upcoming Franco-Prussian War, in which he played a significant role. Later, as principal assistant to Field-Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, von Waldersee gained influence with the future Kaiser Wilhelm II, who promoted him Chief of Staff on his accession.

When the Peking legation compound was besieged by the Boxer insurgents in 1900, von Waldersee was appointed as head of an eight-nation relief force. Although he arrived too late to take part in the fighting, he conducted punitive expeditions, which succeeded in pacifying the Boxers, and took a Chinese mistress, Sai Jinhua.