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Otto von Bismarck became Minister-President of Prussia in 1862. He was fiercly patriotic and belived in [[realpolitik]].
[[File:Otto von Bismarck.JPG|thumb|300px|Otto von Bismarck]]
'''Otto von Bismarck''' (Otto Eduard Leopold Fürst von Bismarck, Herzog von Lauenburg, Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen) (April 1, 1815–July 30, 1898) served as the minister president of [[Prussia]] (1862–71) and the first [[chancellor]] of the [[German Empire]] (1871–90). Known as the "Iron Chancellor," Bismarck was the dominant political leader of Europe in the late 19th century. He was a unifier who brought together the various Germanic states into a unified [[Germany]], under Prussian leadership. His capital was [[Berlin]], but his base of power were the rich landowning "Junkers" of the eastern part of Prussia. He was fiercely patriotic and believed in [[realpolitik]] (the use of power to get practical results).
Bismarck entered Prussian politics in 1847. He first served as ambassador to [[Russia]] and [[France]], and became the minister president and foreign minister in 1862. He supervised the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the [[Austro-Prussian War]] and annexed or coerced neighboring states into the [[North German Federation]]. He supervised the defeat of the French in the [[Franco-Prussian War]] and the creation of the new German Empire (the "Second Reich"); Bismarck was made its imperial chancellor and prince in 1871 and dominated the political system.
In domestic affairs, Bismarck was an arch-conservative [[Protestant]] and [[Lutheran]] who strengthened the economy, fought both the [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholics]] (in the "[[Kulturkampf]]" or "culture war") and the anti-clerical socialists. The Catholics and socialists reorganized and were more powerful at his death than when he attacked them. Bismarck began the German [[welfare state]] as a way to gain support for the national government while weakening the socialists.
He played a major diplomatic role in world affairs, from leading the war against France in 1870-71 to balancing the major nations against each other so as to prevent war. This was the "Bismarck System," but he was dismissed in 1890 by an arrogant new emperor [[Kaiser Wilhelm II]] who was oblivious to Bismarck's great achievements.
== Quotations ==
Though probably apocryphal, Prince Bismarck is credited with saying:
{{quote|To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making.<ref>https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/07/08/laws-sausages/</ref>}}
==See also==
* [[Kulturkampf]]
==Bibliography==
* Craig, Gordon A. ''Germany, 1866-1945'' (1978) [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=30331035 online edition]
* Crankshaw, Edward. ''Bismarck.'' (1981).
* Eyck, Erich. ''Bismarck and the German Empire.'' (1964).
* Feuchtwanger, Edgar. ''Bismarck'' (Routledge Historical Biographies) (2002) 276 pp, basic starting point
* Garr, Lothar. ''Bismark: The White Revolutionary'' (1986) 2 vol
* Kent, George O. ''Bismarck and His Times'' 1978 [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=7561027 online edition]
* Lerman, Katharine Anne. ''Bismarck: Profiles in Power'', 2004. ISBN 0-582-03740-9.
* Palmer, Alan. ''Bismarck,'' (1976)
* Pflanze, Otto. ''Bismarck and the Development of Germany.'' 3 vols. (1963–90). the standard scholarly biography
* Pflanze, Otto. ''Bismarck and German Nationalism,'' ''American Historical Review,'' Vol. 60, No. 3 (Apr., 1955), pp. 548–566 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/1845577 in JSTOR]
* Sheehan, James J. ''German History, 1770-1866'' (1989), dense, thorough political history
* Sheehan, James J. ''German liberalism in the nineteenth century'' 1978. [http://hdl.handle.net/2027/heb.01317.0001.001 online at ACLS e-books]
* Stern, Fritz. ''Gold and Iron: Bismarck, Bleichröder and the Building of the German Empire.'' (1977).
*Taylor, A.J.P. ''Bismarck: The Man and the Statesman'' (1955). [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=14683010 online edition]
===Primary sources===
* ''Bismarck, the Man & the Statesman: Being the Reflections and Reminiscences of Otto, Prince Von Bismarck.'' Volume: 1. (1899)[http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=77734130 online edition]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=dEgKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA2&dq=inauthor:Otto+inauthor:von+inauthor:Bismarck&as_brr=1#PPR3,M1 "Thoughts and Reminiscences" by Otto von Bismarck Vol. I, online]
*[https://books.google.com/books?id=IkgKAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1&dq=inauthor:Otto+inauthor:von+inauthor:Bismarck&as_brr=1#PPR3,M1 "Thoughts and Reminiscences" by Otto von Bismarck Vol. II, online]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/bismarckmanstate02bismuoft Bismarck's Memoirs Vol. II, online]
* [http://www.archive.org/details/correspondenceof00bismuoft ''The correspondence of William I and Bismarck: with other letters from and to Prince Bismarck'' ed Ford (1903), online]
*[http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWbismarck.htm Otto von Bismarck]
==References==
<references/>
==External links==
*[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck Otto von Bismarck] at the ''Encyclopædia Britannica''
*[http://www.history.com/topics/otto-von-bismarck Biography] at ''History.com''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bismarck, Otto von}}
[[Category:German History]]
[[Category:International Relations]]
[[Category:Welfare State]]
[[Category:German Chancellors]]
[[Category:Conservatives]]
[[Category:Statesmen]]
{{German Chancellors}}
{{Conservative Presidents}}