Alfred Walderse Prussian Field Marshal Date of Birth: 08.04.1832 Country: Germany

1. Early Life and Military Career
2. Austro-Prussian War and the General Staff
3. Franco-Prussian War and Personal Life
4. Rise through the Ranks
5. The Boxer Rebellion and Final Appointment

Early Life and Military Career

Born on May 6, 1900, the Prussian Field Marshal received his education at the Prussian Cadet Corps and was commissioned as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Guards Artillery Brigade in 1850. He pursued his military studies at the United Engineering and Artillery School from 1850-1852.

Austro-Prussian War and the General Staff

During the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the Field Marshal participated actively and was promoted to Major. After the war, he was transferred to the General Staff and attached to the Prussian Embassy to France.

Franco-Prussian War and Personal Life

In the Franco-Prussian War, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the retinue of Prussian King Wilhelm I. With the war's conclusion, he was promoted to Colonel and appointed commander of the 13th Uhlan Regiment. In 1874, he married Mary Esther Lee, daughter of a New York merchant and former wife of Frederick of Schleswig-Holstein.

Rise through the Ranks

The Field Marshal accompanied Emperor Wilhelm I on foreign trips, notably to St. Petersburg in 1873. In 1876, he became Major General and in 1881, Assistant Chief of the General Staff under Moltke. He succeeded Moltke as Chief of the General Staff in 1888. In 1891, he assumed command of the IX Army Corps.

The Boxer Rebellion and Final Appointment

In 1900, with the consent of major powers, the Field Marshal was appointed commander-in-chief of international forces sent to suppress the Boxer Rebellion. However, he arrived in China after Allied troops had already captured Beijing and did not play a significant role.