MOLTKE. inedt'kv, lIet.mt:TII EARL BERN HARD. Count von (1500-91). A famous Prussian general. lie was bore at Parchim. Alecklenburg !schwerin, october 20, 1800. In 1511 he was sent to the :Military Academy at Copenhagen. and in 151!1 became an officer in the Danish SVI'ViVt% hut in 1522 entered the Prussian Army is second lieutenant. From 1823 to 1820 he studied at the military college at Berlin. In 1532 he served on the general staff. and was several time pro moted. attaining the rank of captain in 1535. In the same year lie went to the Orient, and, with the sanction of the Prussian authorities, took a prominent part in the reorganization of the Turkish Army initiated by Alalinund II. In 1839 Mokke returned to Prussia. His promotion was fairly rapid; in 18511 110 was created major-gen eral, and in 1858 he became chief of the general staff. In 1559 he was appointed lieutenant-gen eral, \\line on the general stall Moltke con tinued that remarkable development of the Prus sian Army which had been begun by Seharnhorst in 1807. Staff schools were established, and .11oltke, who was himself a lucid lecturer, in inspiring his officers with an en thusiastic interest in their work. A constant interchange of line and stall' duties kept the stall in touch with the actual discipline, drill, and handling of troops. and the business ad ministration of each corps and division. over, plans for possible campaigns and topo graphical surveys of neighboring countries were made in the minutest details.
The first test of the system came in 1864, with the war of Prussia and Austria against Den mark. The full revelation of the Prussian effi ciency was brought about by the Seven War between Prussia and Austria in 18Mi. Europe was surprised to see a campaign so rapid and suceessfili directed, so to say, from the seat of government, for Midtke had not gone to the front until shortly before the end of the war. the great strategist received from his ling.
William I., the order of the b'lac'k Eagle, and from the Prussian Parliament fifty thousand marks. The Franco-Ccrman War of 1870-71 was the crowning triumph of career. The war had beim long expected, and the marvelous readiness of the Prussian Army was in striking contrast to the disorder existing in French mili tary affairs. did not himself enter France until the war had already been strategically 110 ei(1141, 1,111 it was his plan that hail been earried out with an astounding certainty and prevision. Ile was rewarded in September. 1871. by promo tion to the rank of lield-inarshal and a large grant of money; the title of Count had been conferred upon him in Isin. Othio- European States also showered upon him. On August 9, 1555, Moltke retired from active sereill'. but relllailled chairman of the National Defense Commission. he Inc.] April 21. 1591. In 1811 he had married a stepdaughter of his sister, Mary in Burt, who died as early as 14n8.
writ ings gal military matters. which include valuable essays on Turkish affairs, have all been in various editions, the best be ing Rehriften and Denkieurdigkeiten (S vols., Berlin, 1892). Some of his letters have been translated into English by Napier (London, 1575); and by Boll and Fischer, Letters of Moltke to His Mother and Brothers (London, 1891). Consult., also: it ilitiirische Werke Moltkcs, edited by the general stall' (Berlin. 1892 it seq.); Morris. Biographical and Critical Study of Moltke (London. 1894) ; VcHns. l'oa .1/o/tke, His Life and Character (ib., 1892) ; Buettner, Peldwarsehall Graf Helmut h ron oil ke (Lahr, 1895) ; Feldmarschall (Berlin. Altiller, J/o/tke Cid ed.. Stutt gart. 1559) ; Fircks, Fchimarschall Graf .1/0/tke and der preussische Gcneralstab (2d ed., Berlin, 1887).