Otto von Bismarck | Biography, Significance, Accomplishments ...

Bismarck was born at Schönhausen, in the Kingdom of Prussia. His father, Ferdinand von Bismarck-Schönhausen, was a Junker squire descended from a Swabian family ... OttovonBismarck Sections&Media Article Introduction&TopQuestionsLifeEarlyyearsEarlycareerPrimeministerImperialchancellorForeignpolicyDomesticpolicyLegacy FastFacts 2-MinSummary Quotes Facts&RelatedContent Media Images AdditionalInfo MoreArticlesOnThisTopic AdditionalReading Contributors ArticleHistory Home Politics,Law&Government WorldLeaders PrimeMinisters OttovonBismarck Germanchancellorandprimeminister Alternatetitles:OttoEduardLeopold,PrincevonBismarck,CountvonBismarck-Schönhausen,DukevonLauenburg Print print Print Pleaseselectwhichsectionsyouwouldliketoprint: TableOfContents Cite verifiedCite Whileeveryefforthasbeenmadetofollowcitationstylerules,theremaybesomediscrepancies. Pleaserefertotheappropriatestylemanualorothersourcesifyouhaveanyquestions. SelectCitationStyle MLA APA ChicagoManualofStyle CopyCitation Share Share Sharetosocialmedia Facebook Twitter URL https://www.britannica.com/biography/Otto-von-Bismarck More GiveFeedback ExternalWebsites Feedback Corrections?Updates?Omissions?Letusknowifyouhavesuggestionstoimprovethisarticle(requireslogin). FeedbackType Selectatype(Required) FactualCorrection Spelling/GrammarCorrection LinkCorrection AdditionalInformation Other YourFeedback SubmitFeedback Thankyouforyourfeedback Oureditorswillreviewwhatyou’vesubmittedanddeterminewhethertorevisethearticle. JoinBritannica'sPublishingPartnerProgramandourcommunityofexpertstogainaglobalaudienceforyourwork! ExternalWebsites JewishEncyclopedia.com-BiographyofOttoEduardLeopoldBismarck BritannicaWebsites ArticlesfromBritannicaEncyclopediasforelementaryandhighschoolstudents. OttovonBismarck-Children'sEncyclopedia(Ages8-11) OttovonBismarck-StudentEncyclopedia(Ages11andup) By KennethBarkin | ViewEditHistory FastFacts 2-MinSummary Quotes OttovonBismarck Seeallmedia Born: April1,1815 Prussia ...(Showmore) Died: July30,1898(aged83) nearHamburg Germany ...(Showmore) Title/Office: chancellor(1871-1890),GermanEmpire foreignminister(1862-1871),Prussia ChamberofDeputies(1849),Prussia ...(Showmore) RoleIn: CongressofBerlin Dreikaiserbund Emstelegram German-DanishWar SevenWeeks’War ...(Showmore) Seeallrelatedcontent→ TopQuestionsWhowasOttovonBismarck?OttovonBismarckservedasprimeminister of Prussia (1862–73,1873–90)andwasthefounderandfirst chancellor (1871–90)ofthe GermanEmpire.Aschancellor,hepursuedpacificpoliciesin foreignaffairs,succeedinginpreservingthepeacein Europe forabouttwodecades,butshowedauthoritariantendenciesindomesticaffairs.WhowereOttovonBismarck’sparents?OttovonBismarck wasbornatSchönhausen,intheKingdomofPrussia.Hisfather, FerdinandvonBismarck-Schönhausen,wasatypicalmemberofthePrussianlandowningelite.Hismother,WilhelmineMencken,camefromaneducatedbourgeoisfamilythathadproducedanumberofhighercivilservantsandacademics.WherewasOttovonBismarckeducated?AtagesevenOttovonBismarckenrolledintheprogressivePlamannInstitutein Berlin. HelaterattendedtheFrederickWilliamgymnasium.Hethenstudiedlawatthe UniversityofGöttingenbutevidentlywasa mediocre student,and,afterabriefstintattheuniversityinBerlin,heenteredthePrussian civilservice.OttovonBismarck,infullOttoEduardLeopold,Fürst(prince)vonBismarck,Graf(count)vonBismarck-Schönhausen,Herzog(duke)vonLauenburg,(bornApril1,1815,Schönhausen,Altmark,Prussia[Germany]—diedJuly30,1898,Friedrichsruh,nearHamburg),primeministerofPrussia(1862–73,1873–90)andfounderandfirstchancellor(1871–90)oftheGermanEmpire.Oncetheempirewasestablished,heactivelyandskillfullypursuedpacificpoliciesinforeignaffairs,succeedinginpreservingthepeaceinEuropeforabouttwodecades.Butindomesticpolicieshispatrimonywaslessbenign,forhefailedtoriseabovetheauthoritarianproclivitiesofthelandedsquirearchytowhichhewasborn.LifeEarlyyearsBismarckwasbornatSchönhausen,intheKingdomofPrussia.Hisfather,FerdinandvonBismarck-Schönhausen,wasaJunkersquiredescendedfromaSwabianfamilythathadultimatelysettledasestateownersinPomerania.FerdinandwasatypicalmemberofthePrussianlandowningelite.Thefamily’seconomiccircumstancesweremodest—Ferdinand’sfarmingskillsbeingperhapslessthanaverage—andBismarckwasnottoknowrealwealthuntiltherewardsflowedinaftertheachievementofGermanunification.Hismother,WilhelmineMencken,camefromaneducatedbourgeoisfamilythathadproducedanumberofhighercivilservantsandacademics.ShehadbeenmarriedtoFerdinandvonBismarckatage16andfoundprovinciallifeconfining.WhenhersonOttowasseven,sheenrolledhimintheprogressivePlamannInstituteinBerlinandmovedtothecapitaltobenearhim.TheyoungBismarckresentedexchanginganeasylifeinthecountryforamorecircumscribedlifeinalargecity,whereinschoolhewaspittedagainstthesonsofBerlin’sbest-educatedfamilies.HespentfiveyearsattheschoolandwentontotheFrederickWilliamgymnasiumforthreeyears.Hetookhisuniversityentranceexamination(Abitur)in1832.Withhismother’sencouragement,hetookupthestudyoflawattheUniversityofGöttingeninthekingdomofHanover.EvidentlyBismarckwasamediocrestudentwhospentmuchofhistimedrinkingwithhiscomradesinanaristocraticfraternity.AfterabriefstintattheuniversityinBerlin,heenteredthePrussiancivilservice,wherehewasplaguedbyboredomandaninabilitytoadheretothehierarchicalprinciplesofthebureaucracy.Hismother’sdeathin1839gavehimtheopportunityofresigninginordertocometotheassistanceofhisfather,whowasexperiencingfinancialdifficultiesinthemanagementofhisestate.From1839to1847BismarcklivedtheordinarylifeofaPrussiancountrysquire.Subsequentlyheromanticizedtheseyearsonthelandandwonderedwhyhehadabandonedanidyllicexistencefortheinsecuritiesofalifeinpolitics.Thisfrequentlyexpressednostalgiamayhavebeenmoreguisethanreality.DuringthisperiodhemetandmarriedJohannavonPuttkamer,thedaughterofaconservativearistocraticfamilyfamedforitsdevoutpietism.WhilecourtingJohanna,Bismarckexperiencedareligiousconversionthatwastogivehiminnerstrengthandsecurity.AsubsequentcriticwastoremarkthatBismarckbelievedinaGodwhoinvariablyagreedwithhimonallissues.Thereisnoquestionthatthemarriagewasaveryhappyone.Infact,Bismarck’slastwordsbeforedyingin1898expressedthewishthathewouldonceagainseeJohanna,whohadpassedawaysomeyearsearlier.Hispoliticsduringthe1840sdidnotdivergesubstantiallyfromthoseofatypicalcountrysquire.Ifanything,hispoliticsweremoreconservative.HebelievedinaChristianstatethatreceiveditssanctionultimatelyfromthedeity.TheexistingsocialandpoliticalorderwastobedefendedinordertopreventaHobbesianchaosofallagainstall.Givenhisviews,BismarckwaswelcomedasamemberofthereligiousconservativecirclearoundthebrothersvonGerlach,whowerestoutdefendersofthenobleestateagainsttheencroachmentsofbureaucraticcentralization.BismarckhadnothingbutsarcasmforaristocraticliberalswhoviewedEnglandasamodelforPrussia.In1847heattendedthePrussianUnitedDiet,wherehisspeechesagainstJewishemancipationandcontemporaryliberalismgainedhimthereputationofabackwoodsconservative,outoftouchwiththedynamicforcesofhisage.Bismarck’sresponsetotheliberalrevolutionthatsweptthroughEuropein1848confirmedhisimageasareactionary.Heopposedanyconcessionstotheliberalsandexpressedcontemptfortheking’swillingnesstobargainwiththerevolutionaries.HeevenconsideredmarchinghispeasantstoBerlintofreeFrederickWilliamIVfromthebanefulinfluenceoftherebels.Withotherarchconservatives,includingErnstLudwigvonGerlach,hebegancontributingtotheKreuzzeitungnewspaper(1848)asanorganofantirevolutionarysentiment.ForBismarck’sfuturerole,itisimportanttounderstandhisanalysisoftherevolution.Heidentifiedtheforcesofchangeasconfinedsolelytotheeducatedandpropertiedmiddleclass.ThevastmajorityofPrussians,however,werepeasantsandartisans,who,inBismarck’sview,wereloyalmonarchists.Thetaskoftheforcesoforderwastoconfirmtheloyaltyofthesetwogroupsbymeansofmaterialconcessions.Theeconomicpoliciesoftheurbanmiddle-classradicalswererootedinpureself-interest,hemaintained.Theradicalswouldspurindustrialgrowthattheexpenseofthelowermiddleclassandthefarmpopulation.Ultimately,eventhemiddleclassitselfmightbewonoverbytacticalconcessionsandsuccessinforeignpolicy.ThisstrategicandopportunistthinkingdistancedBismarckfromtheideologicalconservatives,whowereweddedtotraditionalconceptsofauthority.Hisvisionofamanipulativestatethatsustaineditspowerbyrewardingobedientgroupsremainedwithhimthroughouthispoliticalcareer.EarlycareerIn1849hewaselectedtothePrussianChamberofDeputies(thelowerchamberofthePrussianDiet)andmovedhisfamilytoBerlin.AtthisstagehewasfarfromaGermannationalist.Hetoldoneofhisfellowconservatives,“WearePrussians,andPrussiansweshallremain….WedonotwishtoseetheKingdomofPrussiaobliteratedintheputridbrewofcosysouthGermansentimentality.”In1851FrederickWilliamIVappointedBismarckasthePrussianrepresentativetothefederalDietinFrankfurt,aclearrewardforhisloyaltytothemonarchy.WiththedefeatoftherevolutionincentralEurope,AustriahadreasserteditssupremacyintheGermanConfederation,andBismarck,beinganarchconservative,wasassumedtosupportthestatusquo,whichincludedAustrianhegemony.HelivedinFrankfurtforeightyears,whereheexperiencedacommercialandculturalenvironmentquitedifferentfromthatofaPrussianestate.ItwasinFrankfurtthatBismarckbegantoreassesshisviewofGermannationalismandthegoalsofPrussianforeignpolicy.NotonlydidhefindtheconstantdeferencetotheAustriansinFrankfurtdemeaning,buthealsorealizedthatthestatusquomeantacceptanceofPrussiaasasecond-ratepowerincentralEurope.In1854heopposedclosecooperationwithAustria,arguingthatitentailed“bindingourspruceandseaworthyfrigatetothewormyoldwarshipofAustria.”GraduallyhebegantoconsidertheoptionsthatwouldmakePrussiatheundisputedpowerinGermany.AvisionofaPrussian-dominatednorthernEuropeandaredirectionofAustrianpowertotheSlavicareasinthesouthtookshapeinhismind.Ifnecessary,awarwithAustriatodestroyitshegemonywasnottobeexcluded.ImplementationofsuchapolicywouldbeanythingbutconservativebecauseitwouldentailradicalchangesinthemapofEuropeasithadbeendrawnbytheconservativepowersatVienna,Austria,in1815. 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