Leo von Caprivi (1831–1899)
Born 1831 CE, died 1899 CE.
Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprara de Montecuccoli (English: Count George Leo of Caprivi, Caprara, and Montecuccoli; born Georg Leo von Caprivi; 24 February 1831 – 6 February 1899) was a German general and statesman. He served as the imperial chancellor of the German Empire from March 1890 to October 1894, succeeding longtime chancellor Otto von Bismarck. Caprivi was born into a Prussian noble family of Italian origin. After graduating from the Prussian Staff College, he rapidly rose through the ranks and distinguished himself in particular during the Franco-Prussian War, where he served as chief of staff of the X Army Corps. In 1883, he was appointed chief of the Imperial German Navy, but upon the ascension of Wilhelm II he quickly came into conflict with the Emperor, who envisioned an offensive navy capable of challenging the British. He resigned in 1888 and returned to the Imperial German Army. In 1890, Wilhelm forced Bismarck's resignation and named Caprivi chancellor; he simultaneously became minister-president of Prussia.
Text from the Wikipedia article Leo_von_Caprivi, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.