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Why did Helmuth von Moltke resign as chief of the General Staff in 1888?
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Helmuth von Moltke
Helmuth von Moltke, 1871
Helmuth von Moltke resigned as chief of the General Staff in August 1888 primarily due to a lack of sympathy with the manners and ideas of the new sovereign, Emperor William II. By that time, he had served in the position for 17 years following the unification of Germany and had already selected Alfred von Waldersee as his immediate successor.1