This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article.(April 2024)
Graf
Helmuth von Moltke
the Elder
Helmuth von Moltke, c. 1889
1st Chief of the German General Staff
In office 18 January 1871 – 10 August 1888
Monarchs
Wilhelm I
Frederick III
Wilhelm II
Chancellor
Otto von Bismarck
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
Alfred von Waldersee
11th Chief of the Prussian General Staff
In office 7 October 1857 – 18 January 1871
Monarch
Wilhelm I
Minister President
Otto von Bismarck
Minister of War of Prussia
Albrecht von Roon
Preceded by
Karl von Reyher
Succeeded by
Himself (as Chief of the German General Staff)
Personal details
Born
(1800-10-26)26 October 1800 Parchim, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Holy Roman Empire
Died
24 April 1891(1891-04-24) (aged 90) Berlin, Prussia, German Empire
Spouse
Mary von Burt
(m. 1842; died 1868)
Relatives
Helmuth von Moltke the Younger (nephew)
Signature
Nickname(s)
Moltke the Elder (Moltke der Ältere) The Great Taciturn (Der große Schweiger)
Military service
Allegiance
Denmark Kingdom of Prussia Ottoman Empire German Empire
Branch/service
Prussian Army Imperial German Army
Years of service
1819–88
Rank
Second lieutenant (Danish Army) Generalfeldmarschall (German Army)
Battles/wars
Tree-like list
Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841)
Battle of Nezib
Second Schleswig War
Austro-Prussian War
Battle of Langensalza (1866)
Battle of Königgrätz
Franco-Prussian War
Battle of Gravelotte
Battle of Sedan
Siege of Paris (1870–1871)
Awards
see below
Helmuth von Moltke's voice
Helmuth von Moltke reciting Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act 1, Scene 3, "Dein Ohr leih Jedem, Wen’gen deine Stimme" – Give every man thy ear but few thy voice. (recorded Oct 1889)
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke (German:[ˈhɛlmuːtfɔnˈmɔltkə]; 26 October 1800 – 24 April 1891) was a Prussian field marshal.[1] The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field and one of the finest military minds of his generation. He commanded troops in Europe and the Middle East, in the Second Schleswig War, Austro-Prussian War and Franco-Prussian War. He is described as embodying "Prussian military organization and tactical genius".[2] He was fascinated with railways and pioneered their military use.[3][4] He is often referred to as Moltke the Elder to distinguish him from his nephew Helmuth von Moltke the Younger (Helmuth Johann Ludwig von Moltke), who commanded the German army at the outbreak of the First World War. He is notably the earliest-born human to have been audio-recorded, being born in the last year of the 18th century (1800). He made 4 recordings, 2 of which are preserved to this day, that were recorded in October 1889.
^Regarding personal names: Graf was a title before 1919, but now is regarded as part of the surname. It is translated as Count. Before the August 1919 abolition of nobility as a legal class, titles preceded the full name when given (Graf Helmuth James von Moltke). Since 1919, these titles, along with any nobiliary prefix (von, zu, etc.), can be used, but are regarded as a dependent part of the surname, and thus come after any given names (Helmuth James Graf von Moltke). Titles and all dependent parts of surnames are ignored in alphabetical sorting. The feminine form is Gräfin.
^"Optimism has made wars likelier and bloodier". The Economist. 12 October 2017.
^Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^"Helmuth von Moltke - Prussian General, Strategist, Reformer | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
and 24 Related for: Helmuth von Moltke the Elder information
Helmuth James Graf vonMoltke (11 March 1907 – 23 January 1945) was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights...
Helmuth Johannes Ludwig Graf vonMoltke (German: [ˈhɛlmuːt fɔn ˈmɔltkə]; 25 May 1848 – 18 June 1916), also known as Moltkethe Younger, was a German general...
Godske MoltkeHelmuthvonMoltketheElder (1800–1891), Chief of the Prussian, and then German, General Staff Adam Friedrich Adamson vonMoltke (1816–1885)...
assistant to Field-Marshal HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, von Waldersee gained influence with the future Kaiser Wilhelm...
(Colonel-General) HelmuthvonMoltkethe Younger succeeded Schlieffen as Chief of the German General Staff in 1906 and was dismissed after the First Battle of the Marne...
Pasha, while the Ottomans were led by Hafiz Osman Pasha, with HelmuthvonMoltketheElder playing an advisory role, in command of the Ottoman artillery...
Willy-Brandt-Straße and the Chancellery on the south bank. The bridge is named after Field Marshal HelmuthvonMoltketheElder (1800–1891), chief of staff of the Prussian...
Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, to whom a monument was...
SMS Moltke was the lead ship of theMoltke-class battlecruisers of the German Imperial Navy, named after the 19th-century German Field Marshal Helmuth von...
1871. In 1857, HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, a widely travelled officer who was a confidante of King William I, was appointed Chief of the General Staff...
1783) 1889 – Zulma Carraud, French author (b. 1796) 1891 – HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, German field marshal (b. 1800) 1924 – G. Stanley Hall, American...
spent the rest of his life in Tekirdağ, a city near to Constantinople. His work is known as Letters from Turkey. HelmuthvonMoltketheElder (1800-1891)...
person from the 18th century (d. 1909) October 23 – Henri Milne-Edwards, French zoologist (d. 1885) October 26 – HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, German field...
Albert, Crown Prince of Saxony August Karl von Goeben Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel Helmuth Graf vonMoltketheElder Prince Frederick Charles of Prussia Crown...
field marshal Helmuth vonMoltketheElder. In a widely cited event, the painting provoked a confused, startled reaction from Moltke, who ordered that German...
Staatenkriege, or state wars, was popularized by HelmuthvonMoltketheElder who oversaw the modernization of the Prussian and Ottoman militaries. This classifications...
international conflicts have a moral purpose. For instance, HelmuthvonMoltketheElder, who was instrumental in Prussia's victories over Denmark, Austria...
Albrecht von Roon and HelmuthvonMoltketheElder from 1859 to 1863, the Dreyse needle gun played an important role in the Austro-Prussian victory in the Second...
Prussian Army HelmuthvonMoltke. Bismarck's diplomatic moves relied on a victorious Prussian military, and these two men gave Bismarck the victories he...
McCormick – theorist on the "Magic Diamond" model of counter-insurgency Steven Metz Billy Mitchell HelmuthvonMoltketheElder – theorist and strategist;...