Alfred Graf von Schlieffenn is one of the more famous field marshals in German history, particularly because he lent his name to the Schlieffenn Plan, conceived in 1905, which carefully plotted out the means to defeating the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire.
Schlieffenn was born on February 28, 1833. He was given the opportunity to serve as Chief of the Imperial German General Staff in 1891, a position which he held until 1905. His military career was given its start when he enlisted in the army at the age of 20 years old. He was a part of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War from 1870- 1871. He was considered to be one of the best modern military strategists of his day by creating a method for keeping Germany's military battles in manageable size. His 1905 Schlieffenn Plan kept the German army from having to fight a war on two sides, by focusing attention on the French in an intensified battle and then pounding on the Russian forces.
Schlieffenn retired from military in 1906, following a 53 year-long period of service. His death on January 4, 1913 came just 19 months before the outbreak of World War I. However, his theories on military strategy were continually studied throughout the 20th century, particularly in the arena of maneuver warfare. Schlieffenn's intellect has been respected for decades following his life of service. Even United States General Dwight D. Eisenhower commented to the impact of Schlieffenn's military mind.
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