Albrecht von Roon Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 – 23 February 1879 ) was a Prussia n soldier and statesman . As Minister of War 1859 – 1873 Roon , along with Otto von Bismarck and Helmuth von Moltke , was a dominating figure in Prussia ' s government during the key decade of the 1860s , when a series of successful wars against Denmark , Austria and France led to German unification under Prussia ' s leadership . A conservative and reactionary supporter of the monarchy , he was an avid modernizer who worked to improve the efficiency of the army . Education . Roon was born at Pleushagen , near Kolberg ( Kołobrzeg ) , in Pomerania . His family was of Flemish origin , and had settled in Pomerania . His father , an officer of the Prussian army , died in poverty during the French occupation ( see Napoleonic Wars ) , and the young Roon was brought up by his maternal grandmother in a country ravaged in the War of Liberation . Roon entered the corps of cadets at Culm ( Chełmno ) in 1816 , from where in 1818 he proceeded to the military school at Berlin , and in January 1821 received a commission in the 14th ( 3rd Pomeranian ) regiment quartered at Stargard in Pomerania . In 1824 he went through the three years higher course of study at the General War School in Berlin ( later called the Prussian Military Academy ) , where he improved his general education . In 1826 he was transferred to the 15th regiment at Minden . Publications . Also in 1826 , he was appointed an instructor in the military cadet school at Berlin , where he devoted himself especially to the subject of military geography . He was a student of the noted geographer Carl Ritter who taught at the Berlin military school . In 1832 , Roon published the well - known " Principles of Physical , National and Political Geography " , in three volumes ( " Grundlage der Erd - , Völker - und Staaten - Kunde " ) , which gained him a great reputation , and of which over 40 , 000 copies were sold in a few years . This work was followed in 1834 by " Elements of Geography " ( " Anfangsgrunde der Erdkunde " ) , in 1837 by " Military Geography of Europe " ( " Militärische Landerbeschreibung von Europa " ) , and in 1839 by " The Iberian Peninsula " ( " Die Iberische Halbinsel " ) . Early military career . In 1832 , Roon rejoined his regiment , and was afterwards attached to the headquarters of General von Müffling ' s corps of observation at Krefeld , when he first became aware of the very inefficient state of the Prussian army . In 1833 he was appointed to the Topographical Bureau at Berlin , in 1835 he entered the General staff , and in the following year was promoted captain and became instructor and examiner in the military academy at Berlin . In 1842 , after an illness of two years brought on by overwork , he was promoted to major and attached to the staff of the VII Corps , in which post he was again impressed with the inefficiency of the organization of the army , and occupied himself with schemes for its reform . Two years later , as tutor to Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia , he attended him at Bonn University and in his European travels . In 1848 he was appointed chief of the staff of the VIII Corps at Koblenz . During the disturbances of that year he served under Prince William , later king and emperor , in the suppression of the insurrection at Baden , and distinguished himself by his energy and bravery , receiving the 3rd class of the order of the Red Eagle in recognition of his services . While attached to the Prince ' s staff at that time he broached to him the subject of his schemes of army reform . In 1850 came the revelation of defective organization and efficiency which led to the humiliating treaty of Olmütz . In the same year Roon was made a lieutenant - colonel , and in 1851 full colonel . His army reform : the “ System ” . Promoted to major - general in 1856 and lieutenant - general in 1859 , Roon had held several commands since 1850 and had been employed on important missions . Prince Wilhelm became regent in 1858 , and in 1859 he appointed Roon a member of a commission to report on the reorganization of the army . During the Austro - Sardinian War he was charged with the mobilization of a division . At the end of 1859 , although he was a junior lieutenant - general in the army , he succeeded Eduard von Bonin as war minister . Two years later , in 1861 the ministry of marine was also entrusted to him . Supported by Edwin von Manteuffel and the new Prussian Chief of Staff Helmuth von Moltke , Roon drew up plans to adapt Scharnhorst ' s system to Prussia ' s altered circumstances . To attain this he proposed an increase in universal military service to three years , with new regiments raised and a reduced role for the reserve ( " Landwehr " ) , whose role in the War of Liberation ( 1813 ) was still celebrated in nationalist myth . Roon , by contrast , believed that the Landwehr was both a politically and militarily false institution ; limited in utility and lacking martial qualities . Roon ' s proposals for army reorganization met with strong opposition from the Prussian Landtag , which was dominated by the Progressive Party ( i . e . liberals ) , who wanted parliamentary control over the military budget . It took years of political fighting and the strong support of the new Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck and Moltke , before he carried the day . National hero . After the successful outcome of the Second Schleswig War of 1864 , Roon went from being the most - hated man in Prussia to a popular man in the country . At the start of the Austro - Prussian War , Roon was promoted general of infantry . He was at the decisive victory at Königgrätz , under the command of Moltke . He received the Black Eagle at Nikolsburg on the road to Vienna . His army system was adopted after 1866 by the whole North German Confederation . In later years , his army system was copied throughout continental Europe . During the Franco - Prussian War in 1870 - 71 , Roon was in attendance on the ( then ) king Wilhelm . The war was a great victory for Prussia and Roon ' s contribution to success was considerable . He was created a " Graf " ( count ) on January 19 , 1871 , just after Moltke . In January 1873 , he succeeded Bismarck ( who continued to be Imperial Chancellor ) as Minister President of Prussia . Ill - health compelled him to resign later that year , handing the job back to Bismarck . Roon was promoted to field marshal on January 1 , 1873 . Roon died in Berlin on February 23 , 1879 . He was interred in the Roon family crypt at Schloss Krobnitz , west of Görlitz . Memorials . The armored cruiser SMS " Roon " , completed in 1906 , was named for Albrecht von Roon . Bibliography . His son published " Denkwürdigkeiten aus dem Leben des Generalfeldmarschalls Kriegsministers Grafen Roon " ( Memorable experiences from the life of General Field Marshal and Minister of War Count Roon ) ( 2 vols . , Breslau , 1892 ) , and " Kriegsminister von Roon als Redner politisch und militärisch erläutert " ( Minister of War Roon ' s Political and Military Speeches Examined ) ( Breslau , 1895 ) . His correspondence with his friend Professor Cl . Perthes , 1864 – 67 , was also published at Breslau in 1895 .