Waldersee, Alfred Von

Born Apr. 8, 1832, in Potsdam; died Mar. 5, 1904, in Hanover. Count, German general field marshal (1900).

In 1870, Waldersee was military attaché in France and in 1871 the first German ambassador to France. In 1882, Waldersee became quartermaster general and deputy chief of the general staff of H. Moltke (the elder), whom he replaced in this post in 1888. He had great influence over Emperor William II and advocated a preventive war against France and Russia; he came in conflict with Chancellor O. von Bismarck in an attempt to gain his post. In 1891 he was removed from his post and appointed corps commander. In 1900-01 Waldersee commanded the allied troops of the imperialist pow- ers that suppressed the I Ho T’uan [Boxer] Rebellion in China.