The German general who advised China and governed occupied Belgium
In short: He was a military advisor to Chiang Kai-shek and later the German military governor of occupied Belgium. Alexander von Falkenhausen’s life spanned the most turbulent decades of the 20th century, moving from the frontiers of East Asia to the heart of the Nazi occupation of Europe.
In 1934, FalkenHDen arrived in China to serve as a military advisor to the Republic of China's leader, Chiang Kai-shek. The two men shared a unique bond, having both studied in Japan; they often bypassed interpreters by conversing directly in Japanese. Falkenhausen was instrumental in training 80,000 Chinese troops across eight elite divisions. He advocated for a war of attrition, suggesting that China hold the Yellow River line and utilize guerrilla operations to exhaust the Japanese advance. However, his strategic advice was often disregarded, notably when Chiang committed his best troops to the Battle of Shanghai, resulting in the loss of one-third of those trained forces.
His career took a dramatic turn in 1937 when Nazi Germany formed an alliance with Japan. Under pressure to recognize the puppet state of Manchukuo, Germany withdrew support from China, and Falkenhausen was forced to resign. His departure was marked by a promise to Chiang that he would never reveal the Chinese battle plans he had developed to the Japanese. His later years saw him serving as the military governor of occupied Belgium from 1940 to 1944, a position once held by his uncle during the First World War.
Falkenhausen's legacy in Belgium remains deeply contested. While he attempted to uphold the Hague Convention and intervened to prevent some executions, he also yielded to Nazi pressure, leading to the deportation of 28,900 Jews in June 1942. Following the failure of the July 20 Plot against Hitler, he was arrested and sent through concentration camps. In 1951, he was convicted in Brussels and sentenced to twelve years of hard labour, though he was later pardoned by West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauere after serving one third of his sentence.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Alexander von Falkenhausen
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