Gustav von Senden-Bibran

His father was a Silesian landowner who had served in the Austro-Hungarian Cavalry. He entered the Prussian Navy at age 15, never married, and dedicated his life to building a strong German Navy.The Entourage of Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1888-1918 by Isabel V. Hull; Cambridge University Press, 2004 {{ISBN|052153321X}}, p. 178-80.

After service in the Franco-Prussian War, from 1871 to 1874 Senden-Bibran attended the post-graduate Naval War College, the Marineakademie, along with the future admiral and colleague Otto von Diederichs.Gottschall, Terrel D.: "By Order of the Kaiser. Otto von Diederichs and the Rise of the Imperial German Navy, 1865-1902", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2003. {{ISBN|1-55750-309-5}}

Senden-Bibran was stationed in China, Japan and the South Pacific, the Mediterranean and Constantinople. After a cruise around the world (1881–83) he was given more important commands at home.

He became Naval Adjutant or aide to Kaiser Wilhelm II 1888, and, in 1889, Chief of the German Imperial Naval Cabinet. In both positions he was very valuable for his ability to explain technical matters in a manner that the Kaiser could understand. In 1892, he became Rear Admiral and 1899, finally, Vice Admiral.

Senden-Bibran often came into strong conflict with army and civilian leaders over his naval building plans, but he often won his goals with the support of Kaiser Wilhelm II, who "had nothing but the navy in his head."The Kaiser and His Court: Wilhelm II and the Government of Germany by John C. G. Röhl; Translated by Terence F. Cole, Cambridge University Press; 288 pages. p. 119. He made no secret of his goal of building a navy which would wrest world economic and political power from the British. He was accused of having "delusions of grandeur" and little knowledge of the realities of world politics and power. His period of greatest influence was in the 1890, lessening after the triumph of Tirpitz. He was something of a "naval Éminence grise" to the Kaiser, with whom he had a standing appointment to meet on Tuesday mornings, either in Berlin or Potsdam.By order of the Kaiser, p. 112

His power waned after the appointment of Admiral Tirpitz to the Imperial Naval Office in 1897, partly because he took the losing pro-cruiser side in the debate within the government (and for the Kaiser's ear) over whether Germany should build a cruiser fleet or a great battleship fleet.By order of the Kaiser, p. 115

In the controversy over where Germany should seek a base in the Far East, Senden-Bibran preferred Chusan, an island in the mouth of Hangzhou Bay.By order of the Kaiser, p. 154

He retired from the Naval Cabinet in 1906 in favor of Georg Alexander von Müller.

In 1903 he was made full Admiral and Adjutant General to the Kaiser. He died in 1909.

;German orders and decorationsHandbuch über den Königlich Preußischen Hof und Staat fur das jahr 1908, [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb__34OAAAAYAAJ/page/n73/mode/2up p. 39]

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• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Kingdom of Prussia (1803-1892).svg}} Prussia:
• Knight of the Royal Crown Order, 4th Class, 18 November 1879;{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste|volume=1|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=531&skin=2021 523], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=949&skin=2021 877], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878831&view=1up&seq=1111&skin=2021 1039]|language=German|location=Berlin|publisher=Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei|year=1886|via=hathitrust.org}} 2nd Class, 1 January 1891;{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.)|volume=1|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=7&skin=2021|pages=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=85&skin=2021 79], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015049878823&view=1up&seq=644&skin=2021 20]|language=German|location=Berlin|publisher=Gedruckt in der Reichsdruckerei|year=1886|chapter=Rother Adler-orden|via=hathitrust.org}} with Star, 27 January 1897;{{citation|title=Königlich Preussische Ordensliste (supp.)|journal = Preussische Ordens-Liste|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015025921423&view=1up&seq=5&skin=2021|page=[https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015025921423&view=1up&seq=84&skin=2021 84], [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015025921423&view=1up&seq=412&skin=2021 160]|language=German|location=Berlin|year=1895|via=hathitrust.org}} 1st Class
• Knight of Honour of the Johanniter Order, 18 February 1880; Knight of Justice
• Knight of the Red Eagle, 4th Class, 18 January 1885; 2nd Class with Oak Leaves and Crown, 27 January 1894; Grand Cross with Swords
• Commander's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, with Star, 15 June 1898
• Knight of the Black Eagle, with Collar
• Service Award Cross
• {{flag|Baden}}: Commander of the Zähringer Lion, 1st Class with Star, 1895Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Großherzogtum Baden (1902), "Großherzogliche Orden" p. [https://digital.blb-karlsruhe.de/blbihd/periodical/pageview/1880082 184]
• {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Bavaria}}: Grand Commander of the Military Merit Order
• {{flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtum Hessen ohne Wappen.svg}} Hesse and by Rhine: Grand Cross of the Merit Order of Philip the Magnanimous, with Crown, 6 June 1905{{citation|title=Großherzoglich Hessische Ordensliste|chapter=Verdienst-Orden Philipps des Großmütigen|chapter-url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112089248600&view=1up&seq=148&skin=2021|page=126|language=German|location=Darmstadt|year=1907|publisher=Staatsverlag|via=hathitrust.org}}
• {{flagicon image|Flagge Fürstentum Lippe.svg}} {{flagicon|Schaumburg-Lippe}} Lippe: Cross of Honour of the House Order of Lippe, 1st Class
• {{Flagicon image|Flagge Großherzogtümer Mecklenburg.svg}} Mecklenburg:
• Grand Cross of the Wendish Crown, with Golden Crown
• Grand Cross of the Griffon
• {{flag|Oldenburg}}: Grand Cross of the Order of Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig, with Golden Crown
• {{flag|Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach}}: Grand Cross of the White Falcon
• {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Saxony}}: Grand Cross of the Albert Order
• {{flag|Württemberg}}:
• Commander of the Württemberg Crown, 1892Hof- und Staats-Handbuch des Königreich Württemberg (1907), "Königliche Orden" [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_Pc5CAAAAYAAJ/page/n83/mode/2up p. 48]
• Grand Cross of the Friedrich Order

}}

;Foreign orders and decorations

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• {{flagicon|Austrian Empire}} {{flagicon|Kingdom of Hungary|1896}} Austria-Hungary:{{citation|chapter-url=https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1908&size=45&page=367|chapter=Ritter-Orden|title=Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie|date=1908|access-date=14 January 2021|pages=[https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1908&size=45&page=385 71], [https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1908&page=415&size=45 101], [https://alex.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/alex?aid=shb&datum=1908&size=45&page=479 165]}}
• Commander of the Imperial Order of Leopold, 1889
• Grand Cross of the Order of Franz Joseph, 1895
• Knight of the Iron Crown, 1st Class, 1900
• {{flag|Belgium}}: Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold
• {{flag|Denmark}}: Grand Cross of the Dannebrog, 3 April 1903{{cite book |year=1908 |orig-year=1st pub.:1801 |editor1-last=Bille-Hansen |editor1-first=A. C. |editor2-last=Holck |editor2-first=Harald |title=Statshaandbog for Kongeriget Danmark for Aaret 1908 |trans-title=State Manual of the Kingdom of Denmark for the Year 1908 |url=https://slaegtsbibliotek.dk/921844.pdf#page=46 |format=PDF |series=Kongelig Dansk Hof- og Statskalender |language=da |location=Copenhagen |publisher=J.H. Schultz A.-S. Universitetsbogtrykkeri |pages=17–18 |access-date=10 February 2021 |via=:da:DIS Danmark}}
• {{flagicon image|Flag of France (1794–1815, 1830–1958).svg}} France: Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour
• {{flagicon|Greece|royal}} Greece: Grand Cross of the Redeemer
• {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Italy}}:
• Grand Cross of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
• Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy
• {{flagcountry|Empire of Japan}}: Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd Class
• {{flag|Netherlands}}: Commander of the Netherlands Lion
• {{flag|Ottoman Empire}}:
• Order of Osmanieh, 2nd Class
• Order of the Medjidie, 1st Class
• Gold and Silver Imtiyaz Medals
• {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Portugal}}: Grand Cross of the Royal Military Order of Our Lord Jesus Christ
• {{flagcountry|Kingdom of Romania}}: Commander of the Star of Romania
• {{flagcountry|Russian Empire}}: Knight of the White Eagle
• {{flagcountry|Restoration (Spain)}}: Grand Cross of Naval Merit
• {{flagicon|Sweden|1844}} {{flagicon|Norway|1844}} Sweden-Norway:
• Commander of St. Olav, 1st Class, 2 July 1890{{citation|title=Norges Statskalender for Aaret 1908|year=1907|pages=887–888|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bFU1AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA887|chapter=Den kongelige norske Sanct Olavs Orden|language=Norwegian|location=Kristiania|publisher=Forlagt av H. Aschehoug& Co. (w. Nygaard)|author1=Norway}}
• Commander Grand Cross of the Sword, 1895{{citation|title=Sveriges statskalender|year=1905|chapter=Kungl. Svenska Riddareordnarna|chapter-url=https://runeberg.org/statskal/1905/0462.html|access-date=10 February 2021|page=[https://runeberg.org/statskal/1905/0467.html 443]|language=sv}}
• {{flagcountry|United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland}}: Honorary Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order, 23 November 1899{{London Gazette|issue=27140|page=8089|date=1 December 1899}}

}}

• The Entourage of Kaiser Wilhelm II, 1888-1918 by Isabel V. Hull; Cambridge University Press, 2004 {{ISBN|052153321X}}
• Gottschall, Terrel D.: "By Order of the Kaiser. Otto Von Diederichs and the Rise of the Imperial German Navy, 1865-1902", Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, 2003. {{ISBN|1-55750-309-5}}
• The Kaiser and His Court: Wilhelm II and the Government of Germany by John C. G. Röhl; Translated byTerence F. Cole, Cambridge University Press; 288 pages.
• By order of the Kaiser: Otto von Diederichs and the rise of the Imperial German Navy, 1865-1902 by Terrell D. Gottschall; Institute Press, 2003, 337 pages, p. 154.
• {{cite book | last1 = Hildebrand | first1 = Hans | last2 = Henriot | first2 = Ernest | work = Deutschlands Admirale : 1849-1945 : die militärischen Werdegänge der See-, Ingenieur-, Sanitäts-, Waffen- und Verwaltungsoffiziere im Admiralsrang | volume = 3 | title = P — Z | publisher = Biblio-Verl | location = Osnabrück | year = 1990 | isbn = 3764814993 | language = German|pages=329–330}}

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Category:1847 births

Category:1909 deaths

Category:Prussian naval officers

Category:Admirals of the Imperial German Navy

Category:German military personnel of the Franco-Prussian War

Category:People from Legnica County

Category:Military personnel from the Province of Silesia

Category:Recipients of the Military Merit Order (Bavaria), 1st class

Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Franz Joseph

Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of the Dannebrog

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class

Category:Commanders of the Order of the Netherlands Lion

Category:Recipients of the Order of the Medjidie, 1st class

Category:Grand Crosses of the Order of Christ (Portugal)

Category:Commanders of the Order of the Star of Romania

Category:Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Russia)

Category:Grand Crosses of Naval Merit

Category:Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Sword

Category:Honorary Knights Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order