Otto von Bismarck - Biography, World Wars & Facts - HISTORY

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck was born April 1, 1815, at his family's estate in the Prussian heartland west of Berlin. 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ContentsOttovonBismarck:EarlyYearsOttovonBismarck:TheIronChancellorOttovonBismarck:Kulturkampf,WelfareState,EmpireOttovonBismarck:FinalYearsandLegacyGermanybecameamodern,unifiednationundertheleadershipofthe“IronChancellor”OttovonBismarck(1815-1898),whobetween1862and1890effectivelyruledfirstPrussiaandthenallofGermany.Amasterstrategist,BismarckinitiateddecisivewarswithDenmark,AustriaandFrancetounite39independentGermanstatesunderPrussianleadership.Althoughanarch-conservative,Bismarckintroducedprogressivereforms—includinguniversalmalesuffrageandtheestablishmentofthefirstwelfarestate—inordertoachievehisgoals.HemanipulatedEuropeanrivalriestomakeGermanyaworldpower,butindoingsolaidthegroundworkforbothWorldWars.OttovonBismarck:EarlyYearsOttoEduardLeopoldvonBismarckwasbornApril1,1815,athisfamily’sestateinthePrussianheartlandwestofBerlin.Hisfatherwasafifth-generationJunker(aPrussianlandowningnoble),andhismothercamefromafamilyofsuccessfulacademicsandgovernmentministers.ThroughouthislifeBismarckwouldemphasizehisruralJunkerroots,underplayinghisconsiderableintellectandcosmopolitanoutlook.Didyouknow?AlthoughGermanleaderOttovonBismarckworeageneral'suniforminpublicformuchofhislaterlife(andsuccessfullyprosecutedthreewarsaschancellor),hisonlypriormilitaryservicewasabrief,unwillingstintinareserveunit.BismarckwaseducatedinBerlinandafteruniversitytookaseriesofminordiplomaticpostsbeforeretiring,atage24,torunhisfamily’sestateatKneiphof.In1847hemarriedandwassenttoBerlinasadelegatetothenewPrussianparliament,whereheemergedasareactionaryvoiceagainsttheliberal,anti-autocraticRevolutionsof1848.From1851to1862Bismarckservedaseriesofambassadorships—attheGermanConfederationinFrankfurt,inSt.PetersburgandinParis—thatgavehimvaluableinsightintothevulnerabilitiesofEurope’sgreatpowers.Recommendedforyou1960Greensborosit-inbeginsHowFigureSkatingOriginated—andBecameaWinterOlympicsFavoriteAbrahamLincolnandFrederickDouglass:InsideTheirComplicatedRelationshipOttovonBismarck:TheIronChancellorWilliamIbecamePrussia’skingin1861andayearlaterappointedBismarckashischiefminister.ThoughtechnicallydeferringtoWilliam,inrealityBismarckwasincharge,manipulatingthekingwithhisintellectandtheoccasionaltantrumwhileusingroyaldecreestocircumventthepowerofelectedofficials.In1864BismarckbegantheseriesofwarsthatwouldestablishPrussianpowerinEurope.HeattackedDenmarktogaintheGerman-speakingterritoriesofSchleswig-HolsteinandtwoyearslaterprovokedEmperorFranz-JosefIintostartingtheAustro-PrussianWar(1866),whichendedinaswiftdefeatfortheagingAustrianempire.Atthetime,BismarckwiselydeclinedtolevyawarindemnityagainsttheAustrians.BismarckwaslesscircumspectinhisconductoftheFranco-PrussianWar(1870-71).SeeingtheopportunitytounifyGermany’slooseconfederationsagainstanoutsideenemy,BismarckstirredpoliticaltensionsbetweenFranceandPrussia,famouslyeditingatelegramfromWilliamItomakebothcountriesfeelinsultedbytheother.TheFrenchdeclaredwar,butthePrussiansandtheirGermanallieswonhandily.Prussialeviedanindemnity,annexedtheFrenchborderprovincesofAlsaceandLorraineandcrownedWilliamemperorofaunifiedGermany(theSecondReich)intheHallofMirrorsatVersailles—atremendousinsulttotheFrench.OttovonBismarck:Kulturkampf,WelfareState,EmpireWithGermanyunified,WilliamIandBismarckturnedtoentrenchingtheirdomesticpower.Formuchofthe1870sBismarckpursuedaKulturkampf(culturalstruggle)againstCatholics,whomadeup36percentofGermany’spopulation,byplacingparochialschoolsunderstatecontrolandexpellingtheJesuits.In1878Bismarckrelented,allyingwiththeCatholicsagainstthegrowingsocialistthreat.Inthe1880sBismarcksetasidehisconservativeimpulsestocounterthesocialistsbycreatingEurope’sfirstmodernwelfarestate,establishingnationalhealthcare(1883),accidentinsurance(1884)andoldagepensions(1889).Bismarckalsohostedthe1885BerlinConferencethatendedthe“ScrambleforAfrica,”dividingthecontinentbetweentheEuropeanpowersandestablishingGermancoloniesinCameroon,TogolandandEastandSouthwestAfrica.OttovonBismarck:FinalYearsandLegacyWilliamIdiedin1888andwassucceededbyhissonFrederickIIIandthenhisgrandsonWilliamII,bothofwhomBismarckfounddifficulttocontrol.In1890thenewkingforcedBismarckout.WilliamIIwasleftincontrolofaflourishingunifiedstatebutwasill-equippedtomaintainBismarck’scarefullymanipulatedbalanceofinternationalrivalries.Respectedandhonoredbythetimeofhisdeatheightyearslater,Bismarckquicklybecameaquasi-mythicfigureinvokedbypoliticalleaderscallingforstrongGermanleadership—orforwar.FACTCHECK:Westriveforaccuracyandfairness.Butifyouseesomethingthatdoesn'tlookright,clickheretocontactus!VIDEOSVonRibbentropAddressestheGermanPeopleHowClosewasHitlertotheA-Bomb?KarlMarxThisDayinHistory:05/27/1941-BismarckSunkSubscribeforfascinatingstoriesconnectingthepasttothepresent.SIGNUPRELATEDCONTENTPaulvonHindenburgPaulVonHindenburg(1847-1934)wasaGermanWorldWarImilitarycommanderandpresident.HefoughtintheAustro-PrussianWarandintheFranco-GermanWar,andretiredasageneralin1911.RecalledtodutyatthestartofWorldWarI,HindenburgsharedpowerwithErich...readmoreFrederickIIFrederickII(1712-1786)ruledP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