Otto+von+Bismarck

Edited by Karen media type="custom" key="5441937" [|Full Timeline]

=Bismarck's Accomplishments =

German Unification
Otto von Bismarck, otherwise known as the Iron Chancellor, strategically unified the many small German states into the official German Empire in 1871. He achieved this feat by waging war when necessary but also knowing when to utilize diplomacy and suggest peace for Europe, demonstrating his brilliant leadership and ability to interact with others.

The Austro-Prussian War was a war between Austria and Prussia that lasted for only seven weeks during 1866. Prussia won easily with the help of Italy, Russia, and even France. After defeating Austria, Bismarck only demanded that it stay out of German affairs (McKay 821-2). This ensured that Bismarck's Prussia was the dominant German state and put it in an optimal position to unify an empire. As a result, Austria's domination of the loose alliance of German states came to an end ("Austro-Prussian War"). Bismarck created the North German Confederation, which unified the states north of the river Main. Prussia led this confederation until it was eventually reunited with its southern neighbors in 1871. (McKay 821-2)
 * Austro-Prussian War and the North German Confederation **[[image:Bismarck_&_army_officials.jpeg width="160" height="100" align="right" caption="Bismarck and his officers"]]

Following the formation of the North German Confederation, Bismarck aspired to a fully unified German nation. He knew that the southern states would only comply if he were at war with a common enemy: France (McKay 824-5). Bismarck then carefully goaded France's hotheaded Napoleon III into declaring war on Prussia. The conflict lasted from July 1870 to May 1871. Prussia won the war and subsequently became the German Empire with the addition of the southern German states to the nation. This marked a significant point in German history, as it was quickly evolving into the most powerful country in Europe, all thanks to Bismarck and his political abilities (Franco-Prussian War).
 * Franco-Prussian War and the German Empire **



Keeping the Peace
Once Bismarck's dream of a unified German nation had been achieved, he did all in his power to keep it in existence. He knew that he had brought the country together with war, but realized that the same violent tool could just as easily destroy it. He therefore tried to ensure that all of Europe remained peaceful so that his new state would not be dragged into a conflict. France was particularly bitter about its recent humiliation at the hand of Bismarck, so Bismarck began to isolate France politically to prevent an attack on his fragile nation.

The Congress of Berlin was a meeting of the major powers of Europe led by Bismarck that took place in 1878. It aimed to resolve longstanding conflicts that had arisen in an area of southeastern Europe known as the Balkans (McKay 861-2). Due to a recent war between Russia and the Turkish Ottoman Empire over this territory, an extremely pro-Russian treaty had been drafted that threatened Europe's balance of power and peace. Bismarck attempted to revise this treaty in the best interests of both Russia and the Ottoman Empire, as well as Austria-Hungary. His compromise involved returning some territory to the Ottoman Empire that Russia and other countries had claimed. Bismarck's congress also granted independence to the small nations of Montenegro, Serbia, and Romania that had formerly been part of the weakening Ottoman Empire (Stavrianos).
 * Congress of Berlin ** [[image:Berlin_Conference_1878.jpg width="320" height="158" align="right" caption="The Congress of Berlin of 1878"]]

Bismarck's primary goal after Germany's unification was to prevent a European war that would topple his new nation. Since he believed that his largest threat was France after its humiliation at Germany's hands in the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck began to isolate France politically. This would ensure that it had no allies if it tried to attack Germany, ensuring an easy victory for Bismarck. However, if France were to find any powerful allies, Germany would be in trouble. Bismarck firstly created the Three Emperors' League in 1873, an agreement between the absolute monarchs of Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany. Next Bismarck negotiated the Dual Alliance in 1879 with Austria-Hungary, which further tied Austria-Hungary with Germany. In 1882, Italy joined this alliance and it became the Triple Alliance. With these alliances, Bismarck had become friendly with three of the four countries that he considered to be potential French allies: Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Italy, with only Great Britain remaining at a distance. (McKay, 880-881)
 * Alliances **

=Social, Political, and Economic State of Affairs = = = =Embedded Technology =

** Speech: Blood and Iron **
media type="file" key="Bismarck Speech.mp3" height="20" width="240" ([|transcript] ) Bismarck addressed the Landtag, the lower parliamentary house in Prussia, in 1862 after it refused to pass an increased military budget. His short speech was successful in persuading the Landtag to eventually pass the bill by stressing the importance of military progress for the Prussian nation. Prior to Bismarck's interference, Wilhelm I (then king of Prussia) was seriously considering abdicating his rule, which would have drastically changed the world's history. Because of Bismarck's skill in persuading the reluctant Landtag, he was appointed the chief minister of Prussia. Bismarck's most famous quotation is an excerpt from this speech: "Not by speeches and decisions of majorities will the greatest problems of the time be decided... but by iron and blood." ("Bismarck Blood and Iron Speech")

Bismarckian Memorials
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Because of the importance of Bismarck's leadership to the country today known as Germany, there are innumerable statues and memorials dedicated to him throughout Germany. Even in neighboring countries, such as Poland, homage has been paid to this great man through impressive monuments. Although most were constructed after his death in 1898, some of these great testaments were being erected during his lifetime because of the popular recognition of his significance in German and Prussian history. ("Statues of Otto von Bismarck")

=Quiz = 

[|Test Your Knowledge!]
** Information Sources: **

> Project, n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. <[] >. > 9 Mar. 2010. <[] >. > 2010. <[] >. > history of world war one. N.p., 22 Aug. 2009. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. > <[] >. > <[] >. > James Chastain. Ohio University, 2007. Web. 23 Feb. 2010. > <[] >. > Mifflin Company, 2008. Print. > > <[] > . > Online, n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010. <[] >. > > <[] >. > Web. 10 Mar. 2010. <[] >. > > Since 1453. N.p.: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1963. N. pag. Rpt. in > History: Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. > Serbian Unity Congress. Web. 1 Mar. 2010. > <[] >. > 2010. <[] >. >
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">"Austro-Prussian War." World History Center. International World History
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Bismarck, Otto Von. "Blood and Iron." 29 Sept. 1862. Famous Short Speeches. Web.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">"Bismarck Blood and Iron Speech." Age-of-the-Sage. N.p., Oct. 2002. Web. 9 Mar.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; white-space: nowrap;">Duffy, Michael. "Who's Who - Otto von Bismarck." First World War: a multimedia
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Mar. 2010.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Hoffman, J.H. "Bismarck, Otto von." Encyclopedia of Revolutions of 1848. Ed.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> McKay, John P., et al. A History of Western Society. 9th ed. Boston: Houghton
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; white-space: nowrap;">"Otto von Bismarck." KBismarck. N.p., 2009. Web. 23 Feb. 2010.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> "Otto von Bismarck." Social Security Online History Archives. Social Security
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 12.1px; white-space: nowrap;">"Otto von Bismarck." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2010.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> "Statues of Otto von Bismarck." Wikimedia Commons. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; white-space: nowrap;">Stavrianos, L.S. "Balkan Crisis and the Treaty of Berlin: 1878." The Balkans
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Verdana,sans-serif;"> "Unification of Germany." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 3 Mar.

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