The Democratic advocate., 1891-05-02
Won Moltke Dead.

BERLIN, April 24.-The death of Field
Marshal Count Won Motke has just been an
nounced.
Count Won Moltke attended the session OF
the Reichsiag held this afternoon. His death
was very sudden, and the physicians who were
Summoned said that it was caused by failure
of the heart. He died at 9.45 P. NJ, passing
away quietly and painlessly. The news of the
Counts unexpected death has caused great
sorrow in this city.
Helmuth Charles Bernard Moltke, Baron,
and General of the Prussian Army, was de
scended from well known Mecklenburg
family, and was born at Parchim, October 2G
1900. Helmuth, in his 18th year, went to
Copenhagen, in order to devote himself, in
the barracks there, to the military profession.
In 1922 he entered the Prussian service, as q
lieutenant in the Eighth Infantry Regiment
and studied in the Military Academy. After
having spent some time in the School of Di
vision of Frankfort on the Oder, Moltke was
entered into the general staff. In 1885 he
undertook tour in Turkey, which brought
him under the notice of the Sultan Mahmond
who advised with the young Prussian officer
on the reorganization of the Turkish army.
Moltke remained several years in Turkey,
and in 1899 took part in the campaign of the
Turks in Syria against the Viceroy Mehemed
Ali, of Egypt, and his adopted son, Ibrahinl
Pasha. In lSi5, having returned to Prussia
and published an account of his Turkish eX.
periences, he became adjutant to Prince
Henry of Prussia, then resident in Rome, and
after his death, in 1917, was engaged in con
nection with the general command on the
Rhine, becoming. in 1913, u member of the
Grand General staff, and, in 1919, Chief OF
the Staff Of the Fourth Army Corps, in Mag
III In ha aHts n
rank Of Chief of the Grand General Staff OF
the Prussian Army, and, in 1859, became a
Lieutenant General. In the Austro Italian
war Moltke was present in the Austrian head
quarters. After the conclusion of peace he
spared no pains that he might fully develop
the capacities of the Prussian General staff
and the Prussian army. When the war oi
1864 against Denmark broke out, Mlltke
sketched the plan of the campaign, and as,
sisted in its execution, acting similarly in the
case of the war of 1866. The whole plan OF
the Bohemian campaign was due to the Lieu
tenant General, who was personally present
in the battle of koniggratz, which he led, and
in like manner arranged the bold advance oi
the Prussian columns against 0lmutz and
Vienna, and negotiated the armistice and the
preliminaries of peace. For these services
he received the Order of the Black Eagle and
Il natlOlldl uOltllOH- 10 EdIueT hOlthG
Water Moltke), as he was familiarly termed
in the German army, and his brilliant strategy
are ascribed the splendid victories of the
German arms in the recent Franco German
war. He was the Commander-in-Ch Chief The
whole plan of the campaign was due to him.
Upon the opening of the Franco-Prussian
war, being already Informed of the manage
ment and position of the French troops, he
so deployed his force as to overwhelm the
enemy by detachments. The capture of Paris
was made the principal object Of the plans of
the Prussians, which Won Moltke insisted
upon in spite of the resistance of the rest oi
the Council of War.
In recognition of his unrivalled services
Moltke, who was already baron, was ere
ated count October %, 1870, made the
Chief Marshal of the German Empire (Sep-
tember lS7l), and again received a national
dotation. The illustrious Marshal, who was
generally regarded as the first strategist OF
the day, received from the Czar the Order of
st. George, the highest military decoration
of Russia, in October, 1870, and from his
own sovereign the Grand Cross of the Order
of the Iron Gross, March -, 1871. On Jan
uary 2Sth, 1872, he was made life member
of the Upper House of the Reichstag.