Arrogant Prussian field marshal and Chief of General Staff who was married to an American woman. His budding political career was shortened due to a penchant for intrigue. Born the son of a Prussian general, von Waldersee's military career was thus predestined. He graduated from artillery and engineering school at the age of 20, later joining the General Staff during the Seven Week's War (1866) as an adjutant. He served as military attache and spy in Paris and was made Kaiser Wilhelm I's aide-de-camp in 1869. 

     In 1871, von Waldersee was chief of staff to the military governor of Paris. In 1873 he became the commanding general of X. Army Corps in Hannover, and five years later became von Moltke's deputy in the Great General Staff, attaining a fair share of military and political influence. Developing strategies for a preventative war against Russia and France brought him into confrontation with Bismarck, but also paved the way to a friendship with Prince Wilhelm of Prussia, the future Kaiser Wilhelm II who ascended the throne in June of 1888. In August of 1888, Waldersee was appointed to succeed Moltke as Chief of General Staff, a position he held until 1891 when he was replaced by von Schlieffen. 

     Although von Waldersee's intrigues led to von Bismarck's downfall in 1890, he never realized his ambition of replacing Bismarck. Instead, personal differences with Wilhelm II resulted in his demotion to commanding general of IX. Army Corps in Altona, and then later to Inspector General of the Third Army Inspectorate in Hannover. In 1900, Waldersee was promoted field marshal and became the figure-head commander of the German expedition sent to China in order to quell the Boxer Rebellion. In 1901, Waldersee returned to again head the Third Army Inspectorate, dying in Hannover on 5 March 1904.