Erich von Falkenhayn

Erich von Falkenhayn (11 November 1861 - 8 April 1922) was a German soldier and Chief of the General Staff during World War I.

Between 1899 and 1903 Falkenhayn served in China, and saw action during the Boxer Rebellion. In 1913, he became Prussian Minister of War, a post he held until succeeding Moltke as Chief of Staff after the Battle of the Marne on 14 September 1914. Confronted with the failure of the Schlieffen Plan, Falkenhayn attempted to outflank the British and French in what has been called the Race to the Sea, a series of engagements throughout northern France and Belgium. The Germans were eventually stopped by the British at First Ypres.

Falkenhayn preferred a defensive strategy on the Western Front, which brought him into conflict with Hindenburg and Ludendorff, who favored massive offensives in the east. Eventually, in the hope that a massive slaughter would lead Europe's political leaders to consider ending the war, Falkenhayn staged a massive battle of attrition at Verdun in early 1916. Although well over half a million soldiers eventually died, neither side's resolve was lessened. After the failure at Verdun, coupled with several reverses in the east and incessant lobbying by H-L, Falkenhayn was replaced as Chief of Staff by Hindenburg.

Falkenhayn assumed command of the Ninth Army in Transylvania, and launched a joint offensive with Mackensen's army against Romania. Beginning at the end of August, Mackensen and Falkenhayn were in Bucharest by December. Following this success, Falkenhayn went to Palestine, where he failed to prevent the British under General Edmund Allenby from conquering Jerusalem in December of 1917. The following February he was dismissed by Sanders, and retired.

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