Freepedia is a series of free encyclopaedias. We currently specialize in history but we intend to branch out into other areas. This section is about Erich von Falkenhayn.

Erich von Falkenhayn was born near Graudenz in West Prussia. He served as an adviser with the Chinese Army and with the International Army in the Boxer Rebellion (1900).

Falkenhayn was appointed Prussian war minister in 1913 and succeeded Hermuth von Moltke as Chief of General Staff in September 1914. Falkenhayn disagreed with General Paul von Hindenburg and Eric von Ludendorff about concentrating German efforts to defeat Russia. Instead he believed the war would be won in the west and concentrated all available forces against France and Britain.

The German Chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, was highly critical of Falkenhayn's inability to achieve victory on the Western Front. Falkenhayn lost his post as Chief of General Staff to Paul von Hindenburg after the failure to capture Verdun in August 1916.

Falkenhayn was transferred to Palestine in July 1917. After being beaten several times by General Edmund Allenby in Palestine, Falkenhayn was replaced by General Liman von Sanders. His last command before retirement was in 1918 with the German Tenth Army in Lithuania. Erich von Falkenhayn died in 1922.

 

Erich von Falkenhayn: The Great War

Erich von Falkenhayn: History of War

Erich von Falkenhayn: Channel 4

Erich von Falkenhayn: History Learning Site

Erich von Falkenhayn: Wikipedia

Erich von Falkenhayn: Spartacus Biography

Forum Debates

War Propaganda Bureau

Military Commanders and the First World War

Battle of the Somme

Erich von Falkenhayn

 

 

 

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(1) Erich von Falkenhayn, memorandum (December, 1915)

Germany can expect no mercy from this enemy so long as he retains the slightest hope of achieving his object. England is obviously staking everything on a war of exhaustion. We have not been able to shatter her belief that it will bring Germany to her knees, and that belief has given the enemy the strength to fight on.