JoshuaJetton

AM.History,1stperiod
September25,2014

Am.History
OttoVonBismarckandTheReunificationofGermany

OttoVonBismarckwasagreatmanwhowasnotonlywellknownforhisroleonthe
battlefieldbutalsoforhissharpwit,whichheemployedalotofthetimewiththepeopleofhis
armies.Duringhisearliestcareerinhismilitarylife,hewasgreatlyadmiredforhisgiftin
Rhetoric.Oneofhismostcontroversialideasofhispoliticalthoughtsistheideathatthe
monarchwasgiventhegiftofrulingoverhispeoplethroughdivineright.Inmost1848,in
PrussiaKingFrederickWilliamIV.TheKingatfirstwantedtosuppressthisnewrevolution,
butfinallycametotheconclusionofleavingBerlinforthesafetyofamilitarybaseatPotsdam.
TheKingtriedtopleasehispeoplebyattemptingtoappearmoreliberalbydoingvariousthings
tokeephimselfinfavourofhispeople.HewouldweartheRevolutionarycoloursofBlack,Red
andGoldandappointedaliberalasPrimeMinisterPresident.
BismarckconjuredalargegroupofpeasantsandencouragedthemtomarchtoBerlinin
honouroftheKing,doingthiswouldenablethepeopletocomebackandbeonewiththe
King,andtrytogainhishonourandfavourwiththepeopleback.Bismarckalsodisagreedwith
theideathattheunificationofGermanyshouldbeallowed,forhethoughtitwoulddestroythe
independencethatPrussianowhad.

TogainpowerasPrimeMinister,forPrussia,heincreasedthefriendlyrelationswith
Russiaandhisally,NapoleonIIIofFrance.DoingthiswouldalsothreatenAustriaandkeep
themfromgainingpowerandtakingoverPrussia.In1871,OttoVanBismarckwaspromotedas
beingFurst,ofprinceofPrussiaandTheFirstImperialChancelloroftheGermanEmpire,but
retainedhisPrussianoffices(IncludingMinisterPresidentandForeignMinister)Duringand
especiallyafter,OttoVanBismarcktookahastilydecisiontoGermanizetheminoritiesof
Germany,whichweremainlysituatedalongGermanysborders.
SomeofthegreatestlawspassedbyBismarckwereknownastheAntiSocialistLaws
Theselawsfoughtagainstthenewsocialisticviewsofthepeoplethatwerestartingtooverrun
parliament.By1871,Bismarckfeltasthoughhegainedenoughland,sohedecidedtousehis
powertopromotepeacethroughoutEuropeandstopanywarfromforminginEuropeagain.
InBismarcksideasofgovernmentandattainingland,beingdifferentinhis
governmentalaffairsevenasayoungman,hegreatlydisagreedwiththeideaofacquiringland
throughcolonization.Hesawthisasmainlyafinancialburden,becausetheydontpayfor
themselves,ifyouweretocolonizealandorcountry,youwouldhavetopayforthe
maintenance,obtaininganddefendingone,whichwouldoutdoanythingthatwouldbeagainst
gainingprofit.
ThenewmonarchofGermanyopposedBismarckscarefulanddiplomaticwaysofhis
ForeignPolicy,ashepreferredrapid,vigorousexpansionofGermanysbordersinordertogain
land.Bismarckwasaroundseventeenyearsolderanddidntexpecttooutliveandseethe
ascensionofthisnewkingtothethrone,sohehadnosetplanofdealingwithhim.Afterallthe
variousquarrelsthatBismarckandthisnew,verydifferentKingwentthrough,theirrelationship

asMinisterandKingdegradedsomuchtothepointofBismarcktryingtosabotageeverylaw
thatWilhemdecidedtogetpassed.
ThereweremanythingsthatledtoOttosdecisiontoresignandwheneverhedecidedto
notsignanewbillthatwouldbetterprotectBismarckandhisotherhighrankingofficalsjobs.
ThiswasseenasthelaststrawfortheKingandhebasicallyrefusedtoadheretoanythinghe
hadtosay.In1890,BismarcksentaresignationlettertoKingWilhem,whichcriticized
WilhemsviewonForeignPolicyandheabruptlyleftandnevermessedinpoliticsforthe
remainderofhislife.
InJulyof1898,OttoVonBismarckdiedandleftbehindmanymemoires,inwhichhe
alwayspromotedhisviewsandshowedWilhelm'sForeignPolicyasbadanddisgraceful.
BismarckisviewedbymanyasaheroandhisnameisheldatagreatrespectHisachievements
bymilitary,andmoresobypeace,arenowdeemedastheGreatestdiplomaticandpolitical
achievementsbyanyDiplomatorpersoninhighgovernmentalofficeinthelasttwohundred
year.

JoshuaJetton

OttoVonBismarckEssay

Am.History

14November,2014

WorksCitedPage

"OttoVonBismarck."History.com.A&ETelevisionNetworks,12Oct.2013.Web.13
Nov.2014.

Steinberg,Jonathan.Bismarck:ALife.NewYork:OxfordUP,2011.Print.

GermanBibliographyofOttoVonBismarck.Perf.Others.GoogleBooks.
DocumentaryTube,Jan.Feb.2011.Web.14Nov.2014.