Helmuth von Moltke the Younger

Graf Helmuth von Moltke the Younger
Moltke in 1906
Chief of the German Great General Staff
In office 1 January 1906 – 14 September 1914
Monarch	Wilhelm II
Chancellor	Bernhard von Bülow T. von Bethmann Hollweg
Preceded by	Alfred von Schlieffen
Succeeded by	Erich von Falkenhayn
Personal details
Born	Helmuth Johannes Ludwig von Moltke (1848-05-25)25 May 1848 Biendorf, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, German Confederation
Died	18 June 1916(1916-06-18) (aged 68) Berlin, Province of Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Resting place	Invalidenfriedhof
Spouse	Eliza von Moltke-Huitfeldt ​ ​ (m. 1878)​
Parent	Adolf von Moltke [de] (father)
Relatives	Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke (uncle)
Alma mater	War Academy
Nickname(s)	Moltke the Younger (Moltke der Jüngere)
Military service
Allegiance	North German Confederation  German Empire
Branch/service	Prussian Army  Imperial German Army
Years of service	1868–1916
Rank	Generaloberst
Unit	7th Grenadier Regiment
Commands	1st Guards Infantry Brigade 1st Guards Infantry Division
Battles/wars	Franco-Prussian War World War I
Awards	Pour le Mérite Order of the Red Eagle House Order of the Wendish Crown Royal Victorian Order Order of the Sword

Helmuth Johannes Ludwig Graf^[a] von Moltke (German: [ˈhɛlmuːt fɔn ˈmɔltkə]; 25 May 1848 – 18 June 1916), also known as Moltke the Younger, was a German general and Chief of the Great German General Staff, a member of the House of Moltke. He was also the nephew of Generalfeldmarschall Graf Helmuth Karl Bernhard von Moltke, who is commonly called "Moltke the Elder" to differentiate the two.

Upon becoming the head of the General Staff, Moltke led the German Army from 1 January 1906 to 14 September 1914 during the opening months of World War I. His legacy remains a matter of controversy, due to his involvement in Germany's decision to go to war and in the execution of the invasion of France and Belgium that culminated in the First Battle of the Marne.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).