Falkenhayn, Erich von

Falkenhayn, Erich von
(1861–1922)
   A Prussian general and chief of the German general staff from 1914 to 1916, Erich von Falkenhayn was born into a Prussian Junker family. His military career began at the age of 10 with his entry in a military school. He interrupted his successful military career and became a military adviser in China in 1896. Falkenhayn came to the attention of the kaiser while working as a general staff officer in the East Asian Expeditionary Corps. The peak of his prewar career was the appointment to Prussian minister of war in July 1913. Following Helmuth von Moltke’s dismissal after the Battle of the Marne in September 1914, Falkenhayn replaced him as the chief of the general staff. He initially attempted to achieve a victory by continuing the campaign on the Western Front but failed in the Battle of Ypres.
   He aimed at a negotiated peace, but was unable to convince the chancellor or other influential military leaders, above all Paul von Hindenburg and Erich von Ludendorff, of his strategy. Their attempts to achieve his dismissal in early 1915 failed, and Falkenhayn continued in his post until August 1916, when Rumania declared war on Germany and he lost the kaiser’s support, which had thus far protected him from his critics. He was replaced by Hindenburg and Ludendorff. His name is closely linked with the disastrous Verdun campaign and with a strategy of attrition aimed at a negotiated peace. After his dismissal he commanded the Ninth Army in Rumania, followed by stints in Turkey and Russia. In 1920, Falkenhayn published his memoirs; he died in 1922 from kidney failure.
   See also German Empire; Schlieffen Plan.
   FURTHER READING:
    Afflerbach, Holger. Falkenhayn. Politisches Denken und Handeln im Kaiserreich . Munich: Oldenbourg, 1996;
    Falkenhayn, Erich von. Die Oberste Heeresleitung 1914-1916 in ihren wichtigsten Entschliessungen , Berlin: E. S. Mitter, 1919;
    Foley, Robert T. German Strategy and the Path to Verdun: Erich von Falkenhayn and the Development of Attrition, 1870-1916 . New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
   ANNIKA MOMBAUER

Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800–1914. 2014.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Falkenhayn, Erich von — ▪ German general born November 11, 1861, near Graudenz, West Prussia died April 8, 1922, near Potsdam, Germany  Prussian minister of war and chief of the imperial German General Staff early in World War I.       Falkenhayn gained military… …   Universalium

  • Erich Von Falkenhayn — Erich von Falkenhayn …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Erich von falkenhayn — Erich von Falkenhayn …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Erich von Falkenhayn — Naissance 11 septembre 1861 Burg Belchau Décès 8 avril 1922 (à 60 ans) Potsdam …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Erich von Falkenhayn — Erich von Falkenhayn, Foto von Albert Meyer …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Erich von Falkenhayn — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Erich von Falkenhayn como Jefe del Estado Mayor alemán. Erich Georg Anton Sebastian von Falkenhayn (nació el 11 de septiembre de 1861 en Graudenz, Prusia Oriental Muerto el 8 de abril de 1922, cer …   Wikipedia Español

  • Erich von Falkenhayn — Infobox Officeholder name = Erich von Falkenhayn imagesize = small caption = order = Prussian Minister of War term start = June 7, 1913 term end = January 21, 1915 monarch = Wilhelm II primeminister = Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg predecessor =… …   Wikipedia

  • Falkenhayn — Erich von Falkenhayn Erich von Falkenhayn …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Erich Friedrich Wilhelm Ludendorff — (* 9. April 1865 in Kruszewnia bei Schwersenz (heute Swarzędz), Preußen, heute Polen; † 20. Dezember 1937 in Tutzing) war ein deutscher General und Politiker. Im Ersten Weltkrieg hatte er als Erster Generalquartiermeister und Stellvertreter Paul… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Erich — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Prénom comme Éric en Allemand Erich Abraham Erich Auerbach Erich Bärenfänger Erich Bautz Erich Beer Erich Carl Walter Erich Dethleffsen Erich Eliskases …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”