Helmut von Moltke. The father of the modern war. Vlasov N.

Helmut von Moltke (1800-1891) is one of the most famous figures in military history. His personality, unexpectedly grabbed from twilight with the bright rays of world glory in the second half of the 60s of the XIX century, became a symbol of the German military machine with all its strong and weak sides. Having become the chief of the Prussian military headquarters, Moltke developed plans for the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and the famous battle of Sedan, where the French army headed, led by Emperor Napoleon III. Moltke, along with Bismarck, played a huge role in the unification of the German lands and the formation of the German Empire. The Russian government granted him the honorary title of Field Marshal of the Russian army. It is Helmut von Moltke that stands at the origins of the military art of the industrial era, he also also owns the merit of creating the “brain of the army” - the General Staff of the modern type.

The life and activity of Moltka to this day is the subject of disputes. The “Great Silence” left his descendants a lot of riddles. The author of the book, N. A. Vlasov, set himself the task of not only introducing the Russian reader to this extraordinary and ambiguous person, but also try to find answers to key questions related to the biography of Helmut von Moltke.