Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck in his study in 1886.
1st Chancellor of Germany
In office 21 March 1871 – 20 March 1890
Monarch	William I Frederick III William II
Succeeded by	Leo von Caprivi
Minister-President of Prussia
In office 23 September 1862 – 1 January 1873
Preceded by	Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen
Succeeded by	Albrecht von Roon
In office 9 November 1873 – 20 March 1890
Preceded by	Albrecht von Roon
Succeeded by	Leo von Caprivi
Born	1 April 1815(1815-04-01) Schönhausen, Prussia
Died	30 July 1898 (aged 83) Friedrichsruh, Germany
Political party	None
Spouse	Johanna von Puttkamer
Signature

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg, Prince of Bismarck (born April 1, 1815 in Schönhausen, today Saxony-Anhalt; died July 30, 1898 in Friedrichsruh near Hamburg), was a Prussian and German statesman of the 19th century. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Schönhausen is a municipality in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, located 70km north of the state capital of Magdeburg Saxony-Anhalt ( Sachsen-Anhalt) is one of the sixteen ''Bundesländer'' (federal states that make up the Federal Republic of Germany. Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Friedrichsruh is a district in the municipality of Aumühle, Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany The Kingdom of Prussia (Königreich Preußen was a German kingdom from 1701 to 1918 and from 1871 was the leading state of the German Empire, comprising Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. A statesman or stateswoman or statesperson is usually a Politician or other notable figure of State who has had a long and respected career in As Minister-President of Prussia from 1862–90, he oversaw the unification of Germany. The unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, when Prussian Chief Minister Otto von Bismarck managed to unify a number of independent From 1867 on, he was Chancellor of the North German Confederation. Chancellor or chancellour (archaic ( Latin: cancellarius) is an official Title used in countries whose civilization has arisen The North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund came into existence in August 1866 as a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany with the Kingdom of When the second German Empire was formed in 1871, he served as its first Chancellor, gaining the nickname "Iron Chancellor". The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler As Chancellor, Bismarck held an important role in German government and greatly influenced German politics during his time of service.

Contents 1 Early life 2 Early political career 3 Ministerpräsident (Prime Minister) of Prussia 4 German unification 4.1 Defeat of Denmark and Austria 4.2 The Reptiles Slush Fund 4.3 Establishment of the German Empire 5 Chancellor of the German Empire 6 Foreign policies 7 Last years 7.1 Last warning and prediction 8 Bismarck’s social legislation 8.1 Health Insurance Bill of 1883 8.2 Accident Insurance Bill of 1884 8.3 Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889 9 Legacy 10 Documentaries 11 Place names 12 Titles from birth to death 13 References in fiction 14 Footnotes 15 References 16 See also 17 External links

Early life

Bismarck was born in Schönhausen, the wealthy family estate situated west of Berlin in the Prussian Province of Saxony. His father, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Bismarck (Schönhausen, November 13, 1771 - November 22, 1845), was a landowner and a former Prussian military officer; his mother, Wilhelmine Luise Mencken (Potsdam, February 24, 1789 - Berlin), the educated daughter of a politician. Events 1002 - English king Ethelred orders the killing of all Danes in England, known today as the St Year 1771 ( MDCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1845 ( MDCCCXLV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Landholder or landowner is a holder of the Estate in land with considerable rights of ownership or simply put an owner of land An officer is a member of an armed force who holds a position of authority Also see Potsdam New York (in the USA For the Potsdam Conference see Potsdam Conference. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. A. J. P. Taylor later remarked on the importance of this dual heritage: although Bismarck physically resembled his father, and appeared as a Prussian Junker to the outside world - an image which he often encouraged by wearing military uniform, even though he was not a regular officer - he was also more cosmopolitan and highly educated than was normal for men of such background. He was fluent in English, and as a young man would often quote Shakespeare or Byron in letters to his wife.

Bismarck was educated at the Friedrich-Wilhelm and the Graues Kloster-Gymnasium. Thereafter, at the age of seventeen, he joined the Georg August University of Göttingen, where he spent only a year as a member of the Corps Hannovera before enrolling in the Friedrich Wilhelm University of Berlin. The Corps Hannovera Göttingen is one of the oldest German Student Corps, a Studentenverbindung or student corporation founded 18 January For other universities in Berlin see List of Universities in Berlin. Although Bismarck hoped to become a diplomat, he could only obtain minor administrative positions in Aachen and Potsdam, and soon resigned. He also served in the army for a year and became an officer in the Landwehr (reserve), before returning to run the family estates at Schönhausen in his mid-twenties.

Bismarck married the noblewoman Johanna von Puttkamer (Viartlum, April 11, 1824 - Varzin, November 27, 1894) at Alt-Kolziglow on July 28, 1847. Johanna von Puttkamer ( 11 April 1824 - 27 November 1894) was a Prussian noblewoman also known as Johanna von Bismarck Events 491 - Flavius Anastasius becomes Byzantine Emperor, with the name of Anastasius I. Year 1824 ( MDCCCXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1540 - Thomas Cromwell is executed at the order of Henry VIII of England on charges of Treason. Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Like Puttkamer, he became a Pietist Lutheran. Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Their long and happy marriage produced one daughter (Marie) and two sons (Herbert and Wilhelm, known as "Bill"), all of whom survived into adulthood. Herbert Prince von Bismarck (Nicolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert von Bismarck ( 28 December 1849 &ndash 18 September 1904) was born in

Early political career

In the year of his marriage, 1847, at age 32, Bismarck was chosen as a representative to the newly created Prussian legislature, the Vereinigter Landtag. A Landtag ( Diet) is a representative assembly or Parliament in German-speaking countries with some legislative authority There, he gained a reputation as a royalist and reactionary politician; he openly advocated the idea that the monarch had a divine right to rule. The Divine Right of Kings is a general term that refers to the philosophy and ideas used to justify the authority and legitimacy of Monarchs in Medieval and

In March 1848, Prussia faced a revolution (one of the revolutions of 1848 in various European nations), which completely overwhelmed King Frederick William IV. " Germany " at the time of the Revolutions of 1848 had been a collection of 39 States loosely bound together in the German Confederation. Life Frederick William was educated by private tutors many of whom were experienced civil servants such as Friedrich Ancillon. The monarch, though initially inclined to use armed forces to suppress the rebellion, ultimately succumbed to the revolutionary movement. He offered numerous concessions to the liberals: he promised to promulgate a constitution, agreed that Prussia and other German states should merge into a single nation, and appointed a liberal, Ludolf Cam, as Minister-President. But the liberal victory perished by the end of the year. The movement became weak due to internal fighting, while the conservatives regrouped, gained the support of the King, and retook control of Berlin. Although a constitution was granted, its provisions fell far short of the demands of the revolutionaries.

In 1849, Bismarck was elected to the Landtag, the lower house of the new Prussian legislature. At this stage in his career, he opposed the unification of Germany, arguing that Prussia would lose its independence in the process. He accepted his appointment as one of Prussia's representatives at the Erfurt Parliament, an assembly of German states that met to discuss plans for union, but only in order to oppose that body's proposals more effectively. The Parliament failed to bring about unification, for it lacked the support of the two most important German states, Prussia and Austria. For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries.

In 1851, Frederick William appointed Bismarck as Prussia's envoy to the Diet of the German Confederation in Frankfurt. In Politics, a diet is a formal Deliberative assembly. The term is derived from Medieval Latin dietas, and ultimately comes from His eight years in Frankfurt were marked by changes in his political opinions. No longer under the influence of his ultraconservative Prussian friends, Bismarck became less reactionary and more moderate. He became convinced that Prussia would have to ally itself with other German states in order to countervail Austria's growing influence. Thus, he grew more accepting of the notion of a united German nation.

In 1858, Frederick William IV suffered a stroke that paralyzed and mentally disabled him. His brother, William, took over the government of Prussia as regent. Soon he replaced Bismarck as envoy in Frankfurt and made him Prussia's ambassador to the Russian Empire. This was a promotion in his career as Russia was one of the two most powerful neighbors of Prussia (the other was Austria). The regent also appointed Helmuth von Moltke as the new Chief of Staff for the Prussian Army, and Albrecht von Roon as Prussian Minister of War and to the job of reorganizing the army. Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf After the Franco-Prussian War Moltke superintended the preparation of its history which was published between 1874 and 1881 by the great general staff Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 23 February 1879) was a Prussian Soldier and Politician These three people over the next twelve years transformed Prussia.

Bismarck stayed in Saint Petersburg for four years, during which he befriended his future adversary, the Russian Prince Gorchakov. Saint Petersburg ( tr: Sankt-Peterburg,) is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov (16 July 1798 11 March 1883 was a Russian statesman from the Gorchakov princely family In June 1862, he was sent to Paris, so that he could serve as ambassador to France. Despite his lengthy stay abroad, Bismarck was not entirely detached from German domestic affairs; he remained well-informed due to his friendship with Roon, and they formed a lasting political alliance.

Ministerpräsident (Prime Minister) of Prussia

The regent became King William I upon his brother's death in 1861. The new monarch was often in conflict with the increasingly liberal Prussian Diet. A crisis arose in 1862, when the Diet refused to authorise funding for a proposed re-organization of the army. The King's ministers could not convince legislators to pass the budget, and the King was unwilling to make concessions. Wilhelm believed that Bismarck was the only politician capable of handling the crisis, but was ambivalent about appointing a person who demanded unfettered control over foreign affairs. When, in September 1862, the Abgeordnetenhaus (House of Deputies) overwhelmingly rejected the proposed budget, Wilhelm was persuaded to recall Bismarck to Prussia on the advice of Roon. On 23 September 1862, Wilhelm appointed Bismarck Minister-President and Foreign Minister. Events 1122 - Concordat of Worms. 1459 - Battle of Blore Heath, the first major battle of the English Year 1862 was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Monday This page lists Foreign Ministers of Prussia. See also Foreign Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Prussia.

Bismarck was intent on maintaining royal supremacy by ending the budget deadlock in the King's favour, even if he had to use extralegal means to do so. He contended that, since the Constitution did not provide for cases in which legislators failed to approve a budget, he could merely apply the previous year's budget. Thus, on the basis of the budget of 1861, tax collection continued for four years.

Bismarck's conflict with the legislators grew more heated during the following years. In 1863, the House of Deputies passed a resolution declaring that it could no longer come to terms with Bismarck; in response, the King dissolved the Diet, accusing it of trying to obtain unconstitutional control over the ministry. Bismarck then issued an edict restricting the freedom of the press; this policy even gained the public opposition of the Crown Prince, Friedrich Wilhelm (the future King Friedrich III). Frederick III (German Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl, English Frederick William Nicholas Charles; October 18 1831 – June 15 1888 (German Friedrich Despite attempts to silence critics, Bismarck remained a largely unpopular politician. His supporters fared poorly in the elections of October 1863, in which a liberal coalition (whose primary member was the Progress Party) won over two-thirds of the seats in the House. The German Progress Party ( Deutsche Fortschrittspartei or DFP) was the first modern political party with a program in Germany founded by the liberal members of the The House made repeated calls to the King to dismiss Bismarck, but the King supported him as he feared that if he dismissed him, a liberal ministry would follow.

German unification

Defeat of Denmark and Austria

Germany consisted of a multitude of principalities loosely bound together as members of the German Confederation. The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to Bismarck used both diplomacy and the Prussian military to achieve unification. He excluded Austria from unified Germany, for he sought to make Prussia the most powerful and dominant component of the nation.

Bismarck faced a diplomatic crisis when Frederick VII of Denmark died in November 1863. Family Frederick was born at Amalienborg Palace to Christian VIII of Denmark and Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Succession to the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein was disputed; they were claimed by Christian IX (Frederick VII's heir as King) and by Frederick von Augustenburg (a German duke). A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Holstein (ˈhɔlʃtain ( Low German: Holsteen, Danish: Holsten, Latin and historical English: Holsatia) Christian IX ( April 8, 1818 - January 29, 1906) was King of Denmark from November 16, 1863 to January 29 Duke Frederick VIII (Friedrich Herzog von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg; July 6, 1829 - January 14, 1880) claimed to Prussian public opinion strongly favoured Augustenburg's claim. Bismarck took an unpopular step by insisting that the territories legally belonged to the Danish monarch under the London Protocol signed a decade earlier. London Protocol is a name used to describe several different documents Nonetheless, Bismarck did denounce Christian's decision to annex the duchy of Schleswig to Denmark property. With support from Austria, he issued an ultimatum for Christian IX to return Schleswig to its former status; when Denmark refused, Austria and Prussia invaded, commencing the Second war of Schleswig and Denmark was forced to cede both duchies. The First Schleswig War occurred in 1848–1851. The Second Schleswig War (2 Originally, it was proposed that the Diet of the German Confederation (in which all the states of Germany were represented) should determine the fate of the duchies; but before this scheme could be effected, Bismarck induced Austria to agree to the Gastein Convention. The Gastein Convention was a Treaty signed in Bad Gastein on August 14, 1865 between the two principal powers of the German Confederation Under this agreement signed 20 August 1865, Prussia received Schleswig, while Austria received Holstein. Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1865 ( MDCCCLXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In that year he was made Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen.

But in 1866, Austria reneged on the prior agreement by demanding that the Diet determine the Schleswig-Holstein issue. Bismarck used this as an excuse to start a war with Austria by charging that the Austrians had violated the Convention of Gastein. Bismarck sent Prussian troops to occupy Holstein. Provoked, Austria called for the aid of other German states, who quickly became involved in the Austro-Prussian War. The Austro-Prussian With the aid of Albrecht von Roon's army reorganization, the Prussian army was nearly equal in numbers to the Austrian army. Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 23 February 1879) was a Prussian Soldier and Politician With the organizational genius of Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, the Prussian army fought battles it was able to win. Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf After the Franco-Prussian War Moltke superintended the preparation of its history which was published between 1874 and 1881 by the great general staff Bismarck had also made a secret alliance with Italy, who desired Austrian-controlled Venetia. Italy's entry into the war forced the Austrians to divide their forces.

To the surprise of the rest of Europe, Prussia quickly defeated Austria and its allies, in a crushing victory at the Battle of Königgrätz (aka "Battle of Sadowa"). The Battle of Königgrätz (Schlacht von Königgrätz also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive Battle As a result of the Peace of Prague (1866), the German Confederation was dissolved; Prussia annexed Schleswig, Holstein, Frankfurt, Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, and Nassau; and Austria promised not to intervene in German affairs. The Peace of Prague was a Peace treaty signed at Prague on 23 August, 1866, which ended the Austro-Prussian War. The Kingdom of Hanover (Königreich Hannover was established in October of 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later in the German Confederation. To solidify Prussian hegemony, Prussia and several other North German states joined the North German Confederation in 1867; King Wilhelm I served as its President, and Bismarck as its Chancellor. The North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund came into existence in August 1866 as a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany with the Kingdom of From this point on begins what historians refer to as "The Misery of Austria", in which Austria served as a mere vassal to the superior Germany, a relationship that was to shape history up to the two World Wars. A vassal (also called feodary or fedary) in the terminology that both preceded and accompanied the feudalism of Medieval Europe,

Bismarck, who held the rank of major in the Landwehr, wore uniform during the campaign, and was promoted to the rank of major-general after the war. Although he never personally commanded troops in the field, he is usually depicted wearing a general's uniform for the rest of his life. He was also given a new country estate, Varzin.

Military success brought Bismarck tremendous political support in Prussia. In the elections to the House of Deputies in 1866, liberals suffered a major defeat, losing their large majority. The new, largely conservative House was on much better terms with Bismarck than previous bodies; at the Minister-President's request, it retroactively approved the budgets of the past four years, which had been implemented without parliamentary consent. Hence, Bismarck is considered one of the most talented statesmen in history.

The Reptiles Slush Fund

Following the 1866 war, Bismarck annexed the Kingdom of Hanover, which had been allied with Austria against Prussia. An agreement was reached whereby the deposed King George V of Hanover was allowed to keep about 50% of the crown assets. The rest were deemed to be state assets and were transferred to the national treasury. Subsequently Bismarck accused George of organizing a plot against the state and sequestered his share (16 million thalers) in early 1868. The Thaler (or Taler or Tolar) was a Silver Coin used throughout Europe for almost four hundred Years Its name lives on Bismarck used this money to set up a secret slush fund (the "Reptilienfonds" or Reptiles Fund), which he used to bribe journalists and to discredit his political enemies. In 1870 he used some of these funds to win the support of King Ludwig II of Bavaria for making William I German Emperor.

Bismarck also used these funds to place informers in the household of Crown Prince Frederick and Victoria. Some of the bogus stories that Bismarck planted in newspapers accused the royal couple of acting as British agents by revealing state secrets to the British government. Frederick and Victoria were great admirers of Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. They planned to rule as consorts, like Albert and Queen Victoria, and they planned to reform the fatal flaws in the executive branch that Bismarck would create for himself. The office of Chancellor responsible to the Kaiser would be replaced with a British-style cabinet, with ministers responsible to the Reichstag. Government policy would be based on the consensus of the cabinet. In order to undermine the royal couple, when the future Kaiser William II was still a teenager, Bismarck would separate him from his parents and would place him under his tutelage. Bismarck planned to use William as a weapon against his parents in order to retain his own power. Bismarck would drill William on his prerogatives and would teach him to be insubordinate to his parents. Consequently, William II developed a dysfunctional relationship with his father and especially with his English mother.

In 1892, after Bismarck's dismissal, Kaiser William II stopped the abuse of the fund by releasing the interest payments into the official budget. ^[1]

Establishment of the German Empire

Prussia's victory over Austria increased tensions with France. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state The French Emperor, Napoleon III, feared that a powerful Germany would change the balance of power in Europe. Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President In International relations, a balance of power exists when there is parity or stability between competing forces Bismarck, at the same time, did not avoid war with France. He believed that if the German states perceived France as the aggressor, they would unite behind the King of Prussia.

A suitable premise for war arose in 1870, when the German Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen was offered the Spanish throne, which had been vacant since a revolution in 1868. Prince Leopold Stefan Karl Anton Gustav Eduard Tassilo von Hohenzollern ( 22 September 1835 – 8 June 1905) was the head of the Swabian The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the Cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty less known than the Franconian France blocked the candidacy and demanded assurances that no member of the House of Hohenzollern become King of Spain. The House of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen is the Cadet branch of the senior Swabian branch of the Hohenzollern dynasty less known than the Franconian To provoke France into declaring war with Prussia, Bismarck published the Ems Dispatch, a carefully edited version of a conversation between King Wilhelm and the French ambassador to Prussia, Count Benedetti. The Ems Dispatch (Emser Depesche sometimes called the Ems Telegram, is the document that was used by France as a pretext to declare the Franco-Prussian

France mobilized and declared war on July 19, five days after the dispatch was published in Paris. Events 711 - Muslim forces under Tariq ibn Ziyad defeat the Visigoths led by their king Roderic. It was seen as the aggressor and German states, swept up by nationalism and patriotic zeal, rallied to Prussia's side and provided troops. Both of Bismarck's sons served as officers in the Prussian cavalry. The Franco-Prussian War (1870) was a great success for Prussia. The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 The German army, commanded by Helmuth von Moltke the Elder, won victory after victory. Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf After the Franco-Prussian War Moltke superintended the preparation of its history which was published between 1874 and 1881 by the great general staff The major battles were all fought in one month (7 August till 1 September), the French were defeated in every battle. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Legal residents and citizens To be French according to the first article of the Constitution is to be a citizen of France regardless of one's origin race or religion ( The remainder of the war featured very careful German operations and massive confusion on the part of the French.

At the end, France was asked to surrender Alsace and part of Lorraine, because Moltke and his generals insisted that it was needed to keep France defensive. Alsace-Lorraine (Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen generally Elsass - Lothringen) was a territorial entity created by the German Empire in 1871 ^[2]. Bismarck opposed the annexation because he did not wish to make a permanent enemy of France. ^[3]

Bismarck acted immediately to secure the unification of Germany. He negotiated with representatives of southern German states, offering special concessions if they agreed to unification. The negotiations succeeded; King Wilhelm was proclaimed as a 'German Emperor' on 18 January 1871 in the Hall of Mirrors in the Château de Versailles. Events 350 - Generallus Magnentius deposes Roman Emperor Constans and proclaims himself Emperor Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region The new German Empire was a federation: each of its 25 constituent states (kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies, principalities, and free cities) retained some autonomy. The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" The King of Prussia, as German Emperor, was not sovereign over the entirety of Germany; he was only primus inter pares, or first amongst equals. Primus inter pares ( Latin) or First among equals is a phrase which indicates that a person is the most senior of a group of people But he held presidency of this body the Bundesrat, which met to discuss policy presented from the Chancellor (whom the president appointed. )

In his later years Bismarck claimed that Prussia's wars against Austria and France had come about through his manipulation of surrounding states according to his "master plan". However Bismarck himself once said "man cannot create the current of events. He can only float with them, and steer". This view was widely accepted by contemporaries and historians up to the 1950s. However, this view was largely based upon his Memoirs written after his resignation in which Bismarck's role is unsurprisingly placed in the foreground of events. The idea that Bismarck actually controlled major events is disputed by some historians such as the controversial Briton A.J.P. Taylor who challenged previous interpretations by claiming Bismarck to be a "flawed leader with little control of events. Alan John Percival Taylor ( March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English Historian of the 20th century " Bismarck's greatest talent as a statesman, according to this view, was the skill with which he merely reacted to events as they unfolded and turned them to his advantage.

Chancellor of the German Empire

In 1871, Otto von Bismarck was raised to the rank of Fürst (Prince) von Bismarck. (plural Fürsten) is a German title of nobility, usually translated into English as Prince. He was also appointed Imperial Chancellor of the German Empire, but retained his Prussian offices (including those of Minister-President and Foreign Minister). He was also promoted to the rank of lieutenant-general, and given another country estate, Friedrichsruh, near Hamburg. Because of both the imperial and the Prussian offices that he held, Bismarck had a large amount of control over domestic and foreign policy. The office of Minister-President (M-P) of Prussia was temporarily separated from that of Chancellor in 1873, when Albrecht von Roon was appointed to the former office. But by the end of the year, Roon resigned due to ill health, and Bismarck again became M-P.

In the following years, one of Bismarck's primary political objectives was to reduce the influence of the Catholic church in Germany. This may have been due to the anti-liberal message of Pope Pius IX in the Syllabus of Errors of 1864, and especially to the dogma of Papal infallibility (1870). Blessed Pope Pius IX (May 13 1792 &ndash February 7 1878 born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was Pope from June 16 1846 until 1878 The Syllabus of Errors ( Syllabus Errorum) was a document issued by Holy See under Pope Pius IX on December 8 1864, Papal infallibility is the Dogma in Catholic theology that by action of the Holy Spirit, the Pope is preserved from even the possibility of Bismarck feared that Pope Pius IX and future popes would use the definition of the doctrine of their infallibility as a political weapon for creating instability by driving a wedge between Catholics and Protestants. To prevent this, Bismarck attempted, without success, to reach an understanding with other European governments, whereby future papal elections would be manipulated. The European governments would agree on unsuitable papal candidates, and then instruct their national cardinals to vote in the appropriate manner. ^[4] Prussia (except Rhineland) and most other northern German states were predominantly Protestant, but many Catholics lived in the southern German states (especially Bavaria). Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Bavaria ( German:, with an area of 70553 Km² (27241 square miles and almost 12 In total, one third of the population was Catholic. Bismarck believed that the Roman Catholic Church held too much political power, and was also concerned about the emergence of the Catholic Centre Party (organised in 1870). The German Centre Party ( Deutsche Zentrumspartei or merely Zentrum) was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich

Accordingly, he began an anti-Catholic campaign known as the Kulturkampf. The German term (literally "culture struggle" refers to German policies in relation to Secularity and the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, enacted In 1871, the Catholic Department of the Prussian Ministry of Culture was abolished. In 1872, the Jesuits were expelled from Germany. The Society of Jesus ( Latin: Societas Iesu, SJ and SI or SJ, SI) is a Catholic religious order Bismarck somewhat supported the emerging anti-Roman Old Catholic Churches and Lutheranism. The Old Catholic Church is a Christian denomination originating with churches (many of them German -speaking that split from the Roman Catholic Church in Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther More severe anti-Roman Catholic laws of 1873 allowed the government to supervise the education of the Roman Catholic clergy, and curtailed the disciplinary powers of the Church. In 1875, civil ceremonies were required for weddings, which could hitherto be performed in churches. However, these efforts only ended up strengthening the Catholic Centre Party, and Bismarck abandoned the Kulturkampf im 1878 to preserve what political capital he had left. Pius died that same year, replaced by a more pragmatic Pope Leo XIII which would eventually establish a better relationship with Bismarck. Pope Leo XIII ( March 2, 1810 – July 20, 1903) born Count Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, was the 256th Pope

The Kulturkampf had won Bismarck a new supporter in the secular National Liberal Party, which had become Bismarck's chief ally in the Reichstag. The National Liberal Party ( Nationalliberale Partei) was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918 But in 1873, Germany and much of Europe had entered the Long Depression beginning with the crash of the Vienna Stock Exchange in 1873, the Gründerkrise. The Long Depression ( 1873 &ndash 1896) affected much of the world and was contemporary with the Second Industrial Revolution. The Wiener Börse AG (also known as the Vienna Stock Exchange (WBAG is a Stock exchange in Vienna, Austria and one of the most established exchanges in A downturn hit the German economy for the first time since vast industrial development in the 1850s after the 1848–49 revolutions. To aid faltering industries, the Chancellor abandoned free trade and established protectionist tariffs, which alienated the National Liberals who supported free trade. Free trade is a system in which the trade of goods and services between or within countries flows unhindered by government-imposed restrictions For other uses of this word see Tariff (disambiguation. A tariff is a tax imposed on goods when they are moved across a political boundary The Kulturkampf and its effects also stirred up public opinion against the party who supported it, and Bismarck used this opportunity to distance himself from the National Liberals. This marked a rapid decline in the support of the National Liberals, and by 1879 their close ties with Bismarck had all but ended. Bismarck instead returned to conservative factions — including the Centre Party — for support.

To prevent the Austro-Hungarian problems of different nationalities within one state, the government tried to Germanize the state's national minorities, situated mainly in the borders of the empire, such as the Danes in the North of Germany, the French of Alsace-Lorraine and the Poles in the East of Germany. Germanisation (also spelled Germanization) is either the spread of the German language, people and culture either by force or Assimilation After partitioning Poland in the end of 18th century the Kingdom of Prussia and later German Empire imposed a number of Germanisation policies and measures

His policies concerning the Poles of Prussia were generally unfavourable to them, and anti-Polish,^[5] furthering enmity between the German and Polish peoples. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. The terms Polonophobia, anti-Polonism, antipolonism and anti-Polish sentiment refer to a spectrum of hostile attitudes toward Poles. The policies were usually motivated by Bismarck's view that Polish existence was a threat to German state; Bismarck himself wrote about Poles "one shoots the wolves if one can",^[6] and spoke Polish.

Bismarck worried about the growth of the socialist movement — in particular, that of the Social Democratic Party. Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the Means of production and distribution In 1878, he instituted the Anti-Socialist Laws. The Anti-Socialist Laws or Socialist Laws ( German: Sozialistengesetze; officially Gesetz gegen die gemeingefährlichen Bestrebungen der Sozialdemokratie Socialist organizations and meetings were forbidden, as was the circulation of socialist literature. Socialist leaders were arrested and tried by police courts. But despite these efforts, the movement steadily gained supporters and seats in the Reichstag. Socialists won seats in the Reichstag by running as independent candidates, unaffiliated with any party, which was allowed by the German Constitution.

Then the Chancellor tried to reduce the appeal of socialism to the public, by trying to appease the working class. He enacted a variety of paternalistic social reforms, which can be considered the first European labor laws. Labour law (also known as employment or labor law is the body of Laws administrative rulings and precedents which address the legal rights of and restrictions The Health Insurance Act of 1883 entitled workers to health insurance; the worker paid two-thirds, and the employer one-third, of the premiums. Accident insurance was provided in 1884, and old age pensions and disability insurance in 1889. Other laws restricted the employment of women and children. Still, these efforts were not very successful; the working class largely remained unreconciled with Bismarck's conservative government.

Foreign policies

Bismarck devoted himself to keeping peace in Europe, so that the strength of the German Empire would not be threatened. He was forced to contend with French revanchism — the desire to avenge the loss in the Franco-Prussian War. Revanchism (from French revanche " Revenge " is a term used since the 1870s to describe a political manifestation of the will to reverse territorial Bismarck adopted a policy of diplomatically isolating France, while maintaining cordial relations with other nations in Europe. In order to avoid alienating the United Kingdom, he initially declined to seek a colonial empire or an expansion of the navy. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located In 1872, he offered friendship to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia, whose rulers joined Wilhelm I in the League of the Three Emperors, also known as the Dreikaiserbund. The League of the Three Emperors, also known as the Three Emperors' League (Dreikaiserbund was an 1873 alliance among the Emperors of Germany

Bismarck also maintained good relations with Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest He can be seen as partially responsible for Italian Unification. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian His role in pursuing the 1866, Austro-Prussian War against Austria allowed Italy to truly annex Venetia, which had been an Austrian vassal state since 1815, and the Congress of Vienna. The Austro-Prussian Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich The term vassal state commonly refers to any state that was subordinate to another in the pre-modern international system The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich Bismark's persual of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, made it necessary for Napoleon III to remove the French troops, which had been guarding the Pope, from Rome and The Papal States. The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 Napoléon III, also known as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte (full name Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte) (20 April 1808 9 January 1873 was the first President History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 The Papal States, State(s of the Church or Pontifical States (in Italian Stato Ecclesiastico, Stato della Chiesa, Stati della Chiesa Without both of these actions, the process of Italian Unification would have been hindered. Italian Unification ( Italian: il Risorgimento, or "The Resurgence" was the political and social movement that unified different states of the Italian

But after Russia's victory over the Ottoman Empire in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), Bismarck helped negotiate a settlement at the Congress of Berlin. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 had its origins in a rise in nationalism in the Balkans as well as in the Russian goal of recovering territorial losses it had suffered See also Berlin Conference (1884-85 re Africa and Berlin Conference of 1954 (Cold War The Treaty of Berlin, 1878, revised the earlier Treaty of San Stefano, reducing the great advantages it gave to Russia in southeastern Europe. The Treaty of Berlin was the final Act of the Congress of Berlin ( June 13 - July 13, 1878) by which the United Kingdom, Austria-Hungary The Preliminary Treaty of San Stefano was a treaty between Russia and the Ottoman Empire signed at the end of the Russo-Turkish War 1877–78. Bismarck and other European leaders opposed the growth of Russian influence, and so tried to protect the power of the Ottoman Empire (see Eastern Question). The " Eastern Question " in European history, encompasses the diplomatic and political problems posed by the decay of the Ottoman Empire As a result, Russo-German relations suffered; the Russian Prince Gorchakov denounced Bismarck for compromising his nation's victory. Gorchakov, or Gortchakoff (Горчако́в is a Russian Princely family of Rurikid stock descended from the Rurikid sovereigns of Peremyshl The relationship further suffered due to Germany's protectionist policies.

The League of the Three Emperors having fallen apart, Bismarck negotiated the Dual Alliance (1879) with Austria-Hungary. The Dual Alliance between Germany and Austria-Hungary was created by treaty on October 7, 1879. This became the Triple Alliance in 1882 with the addition of Italy. The Triple Alliance was a military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy that lasted from 1882 until the start of World War I Attempts to reconcile Germany and Russia did not have lasting effect: the Three Emperors' League was re-established in 1881, but quickly fell apart, and the Reinsurance Treaty of 1887 was allowed to expire in 1890. The Reinsurance Treaty ( June 18 1887) was an attempt by Bismarck to continue to ally with Russia after the League of the Three Emperors

At first, Bismarck opposed the idea of seeking colonies, arguing that the burden of obtaining and defending them would outweigh the potential benefits. But during the late 1870s public opinion shifted to favour the idea of a colonial empire. Other European nations also began to rapidly acquire colonies (see New Imperialism). New Imperialism refers to the colonial expansion adopted by Europe 's powers and later Japan and the United States, during the 19th During the early 1880s, Germany joined other European powers in the Scramble for Africa. The Scramble for Africa, also known as the Race for Africa, was the proliferation of conflicting European claims to African territory during the New Among Germany's colonies were Togoland (now part of Ghana and Togo), Cameroon, German East Africa (now Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania), and German South-West Africa (now Namibia). Togoland was a German Protectorate in West Africa from 1884 to 1914 The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa. It borders Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast to the west Burkina Faso to the north Togo to the TOGO was a Japanese roller coaster design company famous for inventing the Stand-up roller coaster. The Republic of Cameroon is a unitary republic of central and western Africa. German East Africa (Deutsch-Ostafrika was a German Colony in East Africa, including what is now Burundi, Rwanda and Tanganyika The Republic of Rwanda (ruːˈændə or /rəˈwɑːndə/ in English ɾwanda or in Kinyarwanda is a small Landlocked country in the Burundi (buˈɾundi officially the Republic of Burundi, is a small country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda Tanzania ˌtænzəˈniːə officially the United Republic of Tanzania (Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya German South West Africa ( German: Deutsch-Südwestafrika, DSWA) was a Colony of Germany from 1884 until 1915 when it was taken Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa on the Atlantic coast The Berlin Conference (1884–1885) established regulations for the acquisition of African colonies; in particular, it protected free trade in certain parts of the Congo basin. See also Congress of Berlin (1878 and Berlin Conference of 1954 (Cold War The Congo River (for a time known as the Zaire River) is the largest River in Western Central Africa.

In February 1888, during a Bulgarian crisis, Bismarck addressed the Reichstag on the dangers of a European war. The Bulgarian Crisis refers to an event as part of the Balkan crisis between 1885 and 1888 which saw a conflict between the Germans and the Russians

He warned of the imminent possibility that Germany will have to fight on two fronts; he spoke of the desire for peace; then he set forth the Balkan case for war and demonstrates its futility: Bulgaria, that little country between the Danube and the Balkans, is far from being an object of adequate importance… for which to plunge Europe from Moscow to the Pyrenees, and from the North Sea to Palermo, into a war whose issue no man can foresee. At the end of the conflict we should scarcely know why we had fought.

– ^[7]

Last years

In 1888, the German Emperor, Wilhelm I, died leaving the throne to his son, Friedrich III. Dropping the Pilot is a political cartoon by Sir John Tenniel, first published in the British magazine Punch, March 1890 Frederick III (German Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Karl, English Frederick William Nicholas Charles; October 18 1831 – June 15 1888 (German Friedrich But the new monarch was already suffering from an incurable cancer and spent all three months of his reign fighting the disease before dying. Cancer (medical term Malignant Neoplasm) is a class of Diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled He was replaced by his son, Wilhelm II. The new Emperor opposed Bismarck's careful foreign policy, preferring vigorous and rapid expansion to protect Germany's "place in the sun. "

Conflicts between Wilhelm II and his chancellor soon poisoned their relationship. Bismarck believed that he could dominate Wilhelm, and showed little respect for his policies in the late 1880s. Their final split occurred after Bismarck tried to implement far-reaching anti-Socialist laws in early 1890. Kartell majority in the Reichstag, of the amalgamated Conservative Party and the National Liberal Party, was willing to make most of the laws permanent. But it was split about the law allowing the police the power to expel socialist agitators from their homes, a power used excessively at times against political opponents. The National Liberals refused to make this law permanent, while the Conservatives supported only the entirety of the bill and threatened to and eventually vetoed the entire bill in session because Bismarck wouldn't agree to a modified bill.

As the debate continued, Wilhelm became increasingly interested in social problems, especially the treatment of mine workers who went on strike in 1889, and keeping with his active policy in government, routinely interrupted Bismarck in Council to make clear his social policy. Bismarck sharply disagreed with Wilhelm's policy and worked to circumvent it. Even though Wilhelm supported the altered anti-socialist bill, Bismarck pushed for his support to veto the bill in its entirety. But when his arguments couldn't convince Wilhelm, Bismarck became excited and agitated until uncharacteristically blurting out his motive to see the bill fail: to have the socialists agitate until a violent clash occurred that could be used as a pretext to crush them. Wilhelm replied that he was not willing to open his reign with a bloody campaign against his subjects. The next day, after realizing his blunder, Bismarck attempted to reach a compromise with Wilhelm by agreeing to his social policy towards industrial workers, and even suggested a European council to discuss working conditions, presided by the German Emperor.

Despite this, a turn of events eventually led to his distancing from Wilhelm. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1895 ( MDCCCXCV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Bismarck, feeling pressured and unappreciated by the Emperor and undermined by ambitious advisers, refused to sign a proclamation regarding the protection of workers along with Wilhelm, as was required by the German Constitution, to protest Wilhelm's ever increasing interference to Bismarck's previously unquestioned authority. Bismarck also worked behind the scenes to break the Continental labour council which Wilhelm had set so dearly to his heart.

The final break came as Bismarck searched for a new parliamentary majority, with his Kartell voted from power due to the anti-socialist bill fiasco. The remaining powers in the Reichstag were the Catholic Centre Party and the Conservative Party. The German Centre Party ( Deutsche Zentrumspartei or merely Zentrum) was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich Bismarck wished to form a new block with the Centre Party, and invited Ludwig Windthorst, the parliamentary leader to discuss an alliance. Ludwig Windthorst ( January 17, 1812 &ndash March 14, 1891) was a German Politician. This would be Bismarck's last political manoeuvre. Wilhelm was furious to hear about Windthorst's visit. In a parliamentary state, the head of government depends on the confidence of the parliamentary majority, and certainly has the right to form coalitions to ensure his policies a majority. However, in Germany, the Chancellor depended on the confidence of the Emperor alone, and Wilhelm believed that the Emperor had the right to be informed before his minister's meeting. Chancellor or chancellour (archaic ( Latin: cancellarius) is an official Title used in countries whose civilization has arisen After a heated argument in Bismarck's estate over imperial authority, Wilhelm, stormed out, both parting ways permanently. Bismarck, forced for the first time into a situation he could not use to his advantage, wrote a blistering letter of resignation, decrying Wilhelm's interference in foreign and domestic policy, which was only published after Bismarck's death. As it turned out, Bismarck became the first victim of his own creation, and when he realized that his dismissal was imminent:

All Bismarck’s resources were deployed; he even asked Empress Frederick to use her influence with her son on his behalf. But the wizard had lost his magic; his spells were powerless because they were exerted on people who did not respect them, and he who had so signally disregarded Kant’s command to use people as ends in themselves had too small a stock of loyalty to draw on. As Lord Salisbury told Queen Victoria: 'The very qualities which Bismarck fostered in the Emperor in order to strengthen himself when the Emperor Frederick should come to the throne have been the qualities by which he has been overthrown. ' The Empress, with what must have been a mixture of pity and triumph, told him that her influence with her son could not save him for he himself had destroyed it. ^[8]

Bismarck resigned at Wilhelm II's insistence in 1890, at age 75, to be succeeded as Chancellor of Germany and Minister-President of Prussia by Leo von Caprivi. Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli ( English: Count George Leo of Caprivi Caprera and Montecuccoli, born Georg Leo von Caprivi; Bismarck was discarded ("dropping the pilot"), promoted to the rank of "Colonel-General with the Dignity of Field Marshal" (so-called because the German Army did not appoint full Field Marshals in peacetime) and given a new title, Duke of Lauenburg, which he joked would be useful when travelling incognito. He entered into restless, resentful retirement to his estates at Varzin (in today's Poland). Warcino is a village in Poland, Pomeranian Voivodeship, Słupsk County, Kępice Commune. Within one month after his wife died on 27 November 1894, he moved to Friedrichsruh near Hamburg, waiting in vain to be petitioned for advice and counsel. Events 1095 - Pope Urban II declares the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Friedrichsruh is a district in the municipality of Aumühle, Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany.

As soon as he had to leave his office, citizens started to praise him, collecting money to build monuments like the Bismarck Memorial or towers dedicated to him. The Bismarck Memorial (Bismarck-Nationaldenkmal located in the Tiergarten in Berlin, is a prominent memorial Statue dedicated to Prince Otto von The Bismarck-Denkmal ( German for Bismarck monument) is a Monument in the city of Hamburg, in the centre of the St Much honour was given to him in Germany, many buildings have his name, books about him were best-sellers, and he was often painted, e. g. , by Franz von Lenbach and C.W. Allers. Franz von Lenbach ( December 13, 1836 - May 6, 1904) was a German painter Biography Lenbach was born Christian Wilhelm Allers ( August 6 1857 &ndash October 19 1915) was a German painter and Printmaker.

Bismarck spent his final years gathering his memoirs (Gedanken und Erinnerungen, or Thoughts and Memories), which criticized and discredited the Emperor. for other uses see Memoir (disambiguation As a literary Genre, a memoir (from the French: mémoire He died in 1898 (at the age of 83) at Friedrichsruh, where he is entombed in the Bismarck-Mausoleum. He was succeeded as Fürst von Bismarck-Schönhausen by Herbert.

On his Gravestone it is written "Loyal German Servant of Kaiser William I".

Last warning and prediction

In December 1897, Wilhelm II visited Bismarck for the last time. The Bismarck-Denkmal ( German for Bismarck monument) is a Monument in the city of Hamburg, in the centre of the St Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany Bielefeld (ˈbiːləfɛlt is a district-free town in the Regierungsbezirk Detmold in the north-east of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Bismarck again warned the Kaiser about the dangers of improvising government policy based on the intrigues of courtiers and militarists. Bismarck’s last warning was:

"Your Majesty, so long as you have this present officer corps, you can do as you please. But when this is no longer the case, it will be very different for you. "

– Alan Palmer, Bismarck, Charles Scribner’s Sons (1976) p. 267]

Subsequently, Bismarck made these accurate predictions:

"Jena came twenty years after the death of Frederick the Great; the crash will come twenty years after my departure if things go on like this" ― a prophecy fulfilled almost to the month. The twin battles of Jena and Auerstedt (older name Auerstädt were fought on October 14, 1806 on the plateau west of the river Saale Frederick II (Friedrich II January 24 1712 August 17 1786) was a King of Prussia (1740&ndash1786 from the

– A.J.P. Taylor, Bismarck, Alfred A Knopf, New York (1969) p. Alan John Percival Taylor ( March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English Historian of the 20th century 264]

Bismarck’s social legislation

„[. . . ] the actual complaint of the worker is the insecurity of his existence; he is unsure if he will always have work, he is unsure if he will always be healthy and he can predict that he will reach old age and be unable to work. If he falls into poverty, and be that only through prolonged illness, he will find himself totally helpless being on his own, and society currently does not accept any responsibility towards him beyond the usual provisions for the poor, even if he has been working all the time ever so diligently and faithfully. The ordinary provisions for the poor, however, leaves a lot to be desired [. . . ]. “

– Otto von Bismarck, 20. 03. 1884^[9]

The 1880s were a period when Germany started on its long road towards the welfare state it is today. This article refers specifically to the Welfare state of the United Kingdom. The Social Democratic, National Liberal and Center parties were all involved in the beginnings of social legislation, but it was Bismarck who established the first practical aspects of this program. Social democracy is a Political ideology of the left and centre-left The National Liberal Party ( Nationalliberale Partei) was a German political party which flourished between 1867 and 1918 The German Centre Party ( Deutsche Zentrumspartei or merely Zentrum) was a Catholic political party in Germany during the Kaiserreich The program of the Social Democrats included all of the programs that Bismarck eventually implemented, but also included programs designed to preempt the programs championed by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels. Friedrich Engels (28 November 1820 – 5 August 1895 was a German social scientist and philosopher, who Bismarck’s idea was to implement the minimum aspects of these programs that were acceptable to the German government without any of the overtly Socialistic aspects.

Bismarck opened debate on the subject on 17 November 1881 in the Imperial Message to the Reichstag, using the term applied Christianity to describe his program. Events 284 - Diocletian is proclaimed emperor by his soldiers Year 1881 ( MDCCCLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Reichstag ( German for "Imperial Diet " was the Parliament of the Holy Roman Empire, the North German Confederation, In 1881 Bismarck had also referred to this program as Staatssozialismus, when he made the following accurate prediction to a colleague:

"It is possible that all our politics will come to nothing when I am dead but state socialism will drub itself in. (Der Staatssozialismus paukt sich durch. )"^[10]

Bismarck’s program centered squarely on insurance programs designed to increase productivity, and focus the political attentions of German workers on supporting the Junker's government. The program included Health Insurance; Accident Insurance (Workman’s Compensation); Disability Insurance; and an Old-age Retirement Pension, none of which were then currently in existence to any great degree.

Based on Bismarck’s message, The Reichstag filed three bills designed to deal with the concept of Accident insurance, and one for Health Insurance. The subjects of Retirement pensions and Disability Insurance were placed on the back burner for the time being. ^[11]

Health Insurance Bill of 1883

The first bill that had success was the Health Insurance bill, which was passed in 1883. The program was considered the least important from Bismarck’s point of view, and the least politically troublesome. The program was established to provide health care for the largest segment of the German workers. The health service was established on a local basis, with the cost divided between employers and the employed. The employers contributed 1/3rd, while the workers contributed 2/3rds . The minimum payments for medical treatment and Sick Pay for up to 13 weeks were legally fixed. The individual local health bureaus were administered by a committee elected by the members of each bureau, and this move had the unintended effect of establishing a majority representation for the workers on account of their large financial contribution. This worked to the advantage of the Social Democrats who – through heavy Worker membership – achieved their first small foothold in public administration. ^[11]

Accident Insurance Bill of 1884

Bismarck’s government had to submit three draft bills before they could get one passed by the Reichstag in 1884. Bismarck had originally proposed that the Federal Government pay a portion of the Accident Insurance contribution. Bismarck’s motive was a demonstration of the willingness of the German government to lessen the hardship experienced by the German workers as a means of weaning them away from the various left-wing parties, most importantly the Social Democrats. The National Liberals took this program to be an expression of State Socialism, which they were dead set against. State Socialism is a term introduced to describe the type of government in countries ruled by communist parties such as the former USSR, which are generally known as Communist The Center party was afraid of the expansion of Federal Power at the expense of States Rights. As a result, the only way the program could be passed at all was for the entire expense to be underwritten by the Employers. To facilitate this, Bismarck arranged for the administration of this program to be placed in the hands of “Der Arbeitgeberverband in den beruflichen Korporationen”, which translates as “The organization of employers in occupational corporations”. This organization established central and bureaucratic insurance offices on the Federal, and in some cases the State level to perform the actual administration. The program kicked in to replace the health insurance program as of the 14th week. It paid for medical treatment and a Pension of up to 2/3rds of earned wages if the worker was fully disabled. This program was expanded in 1886 to include Agricultural workers. ^[11]

Old Age and Disability Insurance Bill of 1889

The Old Age Pension program, financed by a tax on workers, was designed to provide a pension annuity for workers who reached the age of 70 years. At the time, the life expectancy for the average Prussian was 45 years. Life expectancy is the average number of years of life remaining at a given age Unlike the Accident Insurance and Health Insurance programs, this program covered Industrial, Agrarian, Artisans and Servants from the start. Also, unlike the other two programs, the principle that the Federal Government should contribute a portion of the underwriting cost, with the other two portions prorated accordingly, was accepted without question. The Disability Insurance program was intended to be used by those permanently disabled. This time, the State or Province supervised the programs directly. ^[11]

Legacy

Bismarck's most important legacy is the unification of Germany. Germany had existed as a collection of hundreds of separate principalities and Free Cities since the formation of the Holy Roman Empire. In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city (in German: freie Reichsstadt) was a City formally ruled by the Emperor only &mdash The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Over the next thousand years various kings and rulers had tried to unify the German states without success until Bismarck. Largely as a result of Bismarck's efforts, the various German kingdoms were united into a single country. Following unification, Germany became one of the most powerful nations in Europe. Bismarck's astute, cautious, and pragmatic foreign policies allowed Germany to retain peacefully the powerful position into which he had brought it; maintaining amiable diplomacy with almost all European nations. France, the main exception, was devastated by Bismarck's wars and his harsh subsequent policies towards it; France became one of Germany's most bitter enemies in Europe. Austria, too, was weakened by the creation of a German Empire, though to a much lesser extent than France. Bismarck's diplomatic feats were accidentally undone, however, by Kaiser Wilhelm II, whose policies unified other European powers against Germany in time for World War I. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

During most of his nearly 30 year-long tenure, Bismarck held undisputed control over the government's policies. He was well supported by his friend Albrecht von Roon, the war minister, as well as the leader of the Prussian army Helmuth von Moltke. Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 23 February 1879) was a Prussian Soldier and Politician Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf After the Franco-Prussian War Moltke superintended the preparation of its history which was published between 1874 and 1881 by the great general staff Bismarck's diplomatic moves relied on a victorious Prussian military, and these two people gave Bismarck the victories he needed to convince the smaller German states to join Prussia.

Bismarck took steps to silence or restrain political opposition, as evidenced by laws restricting the freedom of the press, the Kulturkampf, and the anti-socialist laws. The castle ruin Rudelsburg lies on the east bank of the river Saale atop a rocky shell limestone ridge approximately above the river and above Saaleck a suburb of the town His king (later Emperor) Wilhelm I rarely challenged the Chancellor's decisions; on several occasions, Bismarck obtained his monarch's approval by threatening to resign. However, Wilhelm II intended to govern the country himself, making the ousting of Bismarck one of his first tasks as Kaiser. Bismarck's successors as Chancellor were much less influential, as power was concentrated in the Emperor's hands.

Two ships of the German Imperial Navy (Kaiserliche Marine), as well as the German battleship Bismarck from the World War II-era, were named after him. The Kaiserliche Marine or Imperial Navy was the German Navy created by the formation of the German Empire. Background Design of the ship started in the early 1930s following on from Germany's development of the ''Deutschland'' class cruisers and the ''Scharnhorst'' class

Numerous statues and memorials dot the cities, towns, and countryside of Germany, including numerous Bismarck towers on four continents, and the famous Bismarck Memorial in Berlin. Bismarck Towers are a unique German monument genre to honor the ex-chancellor Otto von Bismarck. The Bismarck Memorial (Bismarck-Nationaldenkmal located in the Tiergarten in Berlin, is a prominent memorial Statue dedicated to Prince Otto von The only memorial showing him as a student at Göttingen University (together with his dog Ariel) and as a member of his Corps Hannovera was re-erected in 2006 at the Rudelsburg. The Corps Hannovera Göttingen is one of the oldest German Student Corps, a Studentenverbindung or student corporation founded 18 January The castle ruin Rudelsburg lies on the east bank of the river Saale atop a rocky shell limestone ridge approximately above the river and above Saaleck a suburb of the town The gleaming white The Bismarck-Denkmal (German for Bismarck monument) is a monument in the city of Hamburg. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany It stand in the centre of the St. Pauli district. St Pauli (sankt pa̯li located in the Hamburg-Mitte borough is one of the 105 quarters of the city of Hamburg, Germany. Built in 1906, it is the largest and probably most well-known memorial to Bismarck world-wide.

His fellow student at Göttingen university, John Lothrop Motley, describes Bismarck as Otto v. John Lothrop Motley ( April 15, 1814 - May 29, 1877) was an American Historian. Rabenmark in his novel Morton's Hope, or the Memoirs of a Provincial (1839).

Documentaries

• Bismarck - Chancellor and Demon, a two-part German documentary from 2007 which sheds light on Bismarck's contradictory personality. Written and directed by Christoph Weinert. ^{[12] [13]}

Place names

• Bismarck Archipelago, near the former German colony of New Guinea
• Bismarck, Illinois
• Bismarck, North Dakota, a city and state capital in the United States. The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and part of Papua New Guinea. New Guinea, located just north of Australia, is the world's second largest island, having become separated from the Australian mainland when the area now known Bismarck is a village in Newell Township, Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. Bismarck is the Capital of the US state of North Dakota, the County seat of Burleigh County, and the second most populous city in The United States of America —commonly referred to as the
• Bismarck Sea

Titles from birth to death

• 1865-30 July 1898: High Born Count Otto of Bismarck-Schönhausen
• 1871-30 July 1898: His Serene Highness The Prince of Bismarck
• 1890-30 July 1898: His Serene Highness The Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg

References in fiction

Otto von Bismarck appears as a character in the historical novel Royal Flash, part of the Flashman series of books by George MacDonald Fraser. The Bismarck Sea lies in the southwestern Pacific Ocean to the north of the island of Papua New Guinea and to the south of the Bismarck Archipelago and Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Royal Flash is a 1970 Novel by George MacDonald Fraser. It is the second of the Flashman novels George MacDonald Fraser, OBE (2 April 1925 &ndash 2 January 2008 was a British Author of both Historical novels and Non-fiction books In the novel, von Bismarck is portrayed as a very aggressive and ambitious character with excellent horsemanship skills. In the film version, he was portrayed by Oliver Reed. Royal Flash is a 1975 Film based on George MacDonald Fraser 's second Flashman novel Royal Flash. Robert Oliver Reed (13 February 1938 &ndash 2 May 1999 was an English Actor known for his burly screen presence

After meeting Bismarck at the Congress of Berlin, Disraeli cast him as the Count of Ferroll in his 1880 novel Endymion. Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, KG, PC, FRS (born Benjamin D'Israeli; 21 December 1804 &ndash 19 April 1881 was Endymion is a Novel published in 1880 by Benjamin Disraeli 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, the former Conservative Prime Minister

In the 1941 film The Prime Minister, a biopic of Disraeli, Bismarck is shown ranting whilst his shadow falls across the map of Europe, implying that the 1870s Eastern crisis was caused by German desire to dominate the Balkans.

In D.H. Lawrence's Women in Love a pet rabbit is named Bismarck after him. David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short "Il n'etait que chancelier. " p238.

Footnotes

References

• Crankshaw, Edward. Bismarck. The Viking Press. (1981).
• Eyck, Erich. Bismarck and the German Empire. W. W. Norton & Company. (1964).
• Hiss, O. C. Bismarck: Gesetze und Würste. Sans Souci Druck (1931)
• Lerman, Katharine Anne. Bismarck: Profiles in Power. Longman, 2004. ISBN 0-582-03740-9.
• Philip Bartoli, Bismark's Portal, A new way of thinking'. ' http://bismarck1870.webng.com/
• Emil Ludwig, Wilhelm Hohenzollern: The last of the Kaisers, New York (1927)
• Palmer, Alan. Bismarck, Charles Scribner’s Sons. (1976)
• Otto Pflanze. Bismarck and the Development of Germany. 3 vols. (Princeton University Press, 1963–90).
• Werner Richter, Bismarck, G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York (1965).
• Stern, Fritz. Fritz Richard Stern (born February 2, 1926) is a German - American Historian of German history, Jewish history Gold and Iron: Bismarck, Bleichröder and the Building of the German Empire. Penguin. (1977).
• Taylor, A. J. P. Bismarck: the Man and the Statesman. Alan John Percival Taylor ( March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English Historian of the 20th century Hamish Hamilton. (1955).

See also

• Wilhelm Stieber

External links

• Life of Otto von Bismarck
• Gedanken und Erinnerungen "Thoughts and Remeniscences" by Otto von Bismarck Vol. I
• Gedanken und Erinnerungen "Thoughts and Remeniscences" by Otto von Bismarck Vol. II
• Bismarck's Memoirs Vol. II. In English at archive.org
• Complete German text of Bismarck's autobiography
• The correspondence of William I. and Bismarck : with other letters from and to Prince Bismarck at archive.org
• The Kaiser vs. Bismarck : suppressed letters by the Kaiser and new chapters from the autobiography of the Iron Chancellor at archive.org
• Bismarck: his authentic biography. Including many of his private letters and personal memoranda at archive.org
• The love letters of Bismarck; being letters to his fiancée and wife, 1846-1889; authorized by Prince Herbert von Bismarck and translated from the German under the supervision of Charlton T. Lewis at archive.org
• Prince Bismarck's Letters to His Wife, His Sister, and Others, from 1844-1870
• Rede des Reichskanzlers Fürsten Bismarck über das Bündniss zwischen Deutschland und Oesterreich Speech of Reich Chancellor Prince Bismark on the League between Germany and Austria Oct. 7 1879

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by '	Prussian Ambassador to the German Confederation 1852–1858	Succeeded by '
Preceded by '	Prussian Ambassador to Russia 1858–1862	Succeeded by '
Preceded by '	Prussian Ambassador to France June — September 1862	Succeeded by '
Political offices
Preceded by Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen	Prime Minister of Prussia 1862–1873	Succeeded by Albrecht von Roon
Preceded by Albrecht von Bernstorff	Foreign Minister of Prussia 1862–1890	Succeeded by Leo von Caprivi
New title Formation of the North German Confederation	Chancellor of the North German Confederation 1867–1871	Elevation to empire
New title Formation of the German Empire	Chancellor of Germany 1871–1890	Succeeded by Leo von Caprivi
Preceded by Albrecht von Roon	Prime Minister of Prussia 1873–1890
German nobility
New title	Fürst von Bismarck 1871–1898	Succeeded by Herbert von Bismarck
	Duke of Lauenburg (for life) 1890–1898	extinct

Persondata
NAME	Bismarck, Otto von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Der Eiserne Kanzler
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Chancellor of Germany, Diplomat
DATE OF BIRTH	April 1, 1815
PLACE OF BIRTH	Schönhausen, Elbe
DATE OF DEATH	July 30, 1898
PLACE OF DEATH	Friedrichsruh near Hamburg

Wilhelm Johann Carl Eduard Stieber ( 3 May 1818 &ndash January 29, 1882) was Otto von Bismarck 's master Spy and director The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya The Second French Empire or Second Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870 between the Second Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 23 February 1879) was a Prussian Soldier and Politician Albrecht Graf von Bernstorff ( March 22, 1809 &ndash March 26, 1873) was a Prussian Statesman. This page lists Foreign Ministers of Prussia. See also Foreign Minister of Germany and Prime Minister of Prussia. Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli ( English: Count George Leo of Caprivi Caprera and Montecuccoli, born Georg Leo von Caprivi; The North German Confederation (Norddeutscher Bund came into existence in August 1866 as a military alliance of 22 states of northern Germany with the Kingdom of The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification The Head of government of Germany is called Chancellor (Kanzler Georg Leo Graf von Caprivi de Caprera de Montecuccoli ( English: Count George Leo of Caprivi Caprera and Montecuccoli, born Georg Leo von Caprivi; Albrecht Theodor Emil Graf von Roon ( 30 April 1803 23 February 1879) was a Prussian Soldier and Politician The German nobility (Adel was the elite hereditary ruling class or aristocratic class in the Holy Roman Empire and what is now Germany. Several noble titles were conferred on the great German statesman and diplomat Otto von Bismarck during the course of his career Herbert Prince von Bismarck (Nicolaus Heinrich Ferdinand Herbert von Bismarck ( 28 December 1849 &ndash 18 September 1904) was born in The title Duke of Lauenburg derives from the Duchy of Lauenburg, which has been ruled by various people since its foundation in 1269. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1419 - First Defenestration of Prague. 1502 - Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands off Year 1898 ( MDCCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Friedrichsruh is a district in the municipality of Aumühle, Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Hamburg (English, German: ˈhambʊɐk local pronunciation Low German / Low Saxon: Hamborg) is the second-largest city in Germany

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