Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter

Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter
State Secretary for Foreign Affairs
In office 27 June 1910 – 30 December 1912
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Chancellor	Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Preceded by	Wilhelm von Schoen
Succeeded by	Gottlieb von Jagow
German Minister to Romania
In office 21 January 1900 – June 1910
Preceded by	Hippolyt von Bray-Steinburg
Succeeded by	Friedrich Rosen
Personal details
Born	(1852-07-10)10 July 1852 Stuttgart, Kingdom of Württemberg
Died	30 December 1912(1912-12-30) (aged 60) Stuttgart, German Empire
Political party	Independent
Signature

Alfred von Kiderlen-Waechter (né Alfred Kiderlen; 10 July 1852 – 30 December 1912) was a German diplomat and politician who served as Secretary of State and head of the Foreign Office from June 1910 to December 1912. He is best known for his reckless role in the Agadir Crisis in 1911, when France militarily expanded its control of Morocco. He demanded compensation in an aggressive saber-rattling fashion, sent a warship to the scene and whipped up nationalist sentiment inside Germany. A compromise was reached with France, which took control of Morocco and gave Germany a slice of the French Congo. However, the British were angry at German aggressiveness and talked of war. The episode, although small itself, permanently soured prewar relations between Berlin and London.^[1]