Born in the Prussian town of Brandenburg an der Havel on September 1, 1860, Georg Friedrich Wilhelm Graf von Waldersee was the
son of Colonel Georg Ernst von Waldersee, (who died during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71). He was also the nephew of Prussian Chief of General Staff Count Alfred von Waldersee, who had embarrassed the young Kaiser Wilhelm II during army maneuvers in Sliesia in late 1890. Alfred was replaced by Count Alfred von Schlieffen (author of Imperial Germany’s Great War plan).
On May 14, 1880, nineteen-year-old Georg entered the Prussian Army with the rank of second lieutenant. Over the next twenty years, he rose through the ranks. Waldersee became a first lieutenant in November 1888, then a cavalry captain (Rittmeister) on the Kaiser’s 34th birthday (January 27, 1893). Exactly six years later, Waldersee attained the rank of major.
In April 1905, Waldersee joined VII Corps (based in Münster) and became the chief of staff to Moritz von Bissing. He then became the deputy commander of the First Grand Ducal Mecklenburg Dragon Regiment Number 17 (based in Ludwigslust) in early 1907. Waldersee would become the unit’s commander two years later… holding the rank of a full colonel.
Then in April 1911, Waldersee was named commander of the Third Csvalry Brigade based in the Rhineland town of Stetten. Just a little under one year later, he was promoted to major general. One month later (April 22, 1912) Waldersee joined Windheim’s Cavalry Commission in Berlin. And in 1913, he was named Senior Quartermaster of the General Staff, succeeding Oskar von Hutier.
When the First World War began, Waldersee joined the German Eighth Army based in Marienburg, West Prussia. He was the chief of staff to the army’s commander, Maximilian von Prittwitz und Gaffron. Sadly, it soon became apparent that both these men were unsound in times of crisis! After being defeated by the Russians at Gumbinnen on August 20, 1914, the German Eighth Army was in full retreat! The next day, both Prittwitz and Waldersee were formally relegated to the unattached list by the Kaiser. The two men were replaced by Paul von Hindenburg and Erich Ludendorff.
Georg Graf von Waldersee later became the military governor of Sevastopol in the Crimea. He eventually retired and died in Ivenack on September 7, 1932, six days after his 72nd birthday.