Alexander von Monts

Who was Alexander von Monts?

Alexander Graf von Monts was an officer in the German Imperial navy, the Kaiserliche Marine.

Monts joined the Prussian Navy in 1849 becoming Leutnant zur See in 1856. In 1864 he was promoted to Kapitänleutnant and then served three years attached to the supreme naval command Oberkommando der Marine. In 1868 Monts was promoted to Korvettenkapitän as part of the section for naval and coastal affairs. During the Franco-German war of 1870-1871 he was responsible for port embargoes. Afterwards he became Inspector of Torpedoes and commanded the artillery school ship Renown. In 1874, he was promoted to the rank of Kapitän zur See. The following year, he captained the newly commissioned ironclad SMS Grosser Kurfürst during the ship's accidental sinking on 31 May 1875. Between 1875 and 1877 Monts undertook a journey around the world as commander of Vineta. In 1881 Monts became Konteradmiral and became the chief of naval station for the North Sea in August 1883. In September 1884 he was promoted to the rank of Vizeadmiral. In 1888 Kaiser William II appointed him head of the admiralty.