Otto von Bismarck forged modern Germany through sheer force of will, sharp diplomacy, and a well-timed war or two.
As Prime Minister of Prussia in the 1860s, he had one goal: unite the German-speaking states under Prussian rule. He famously said, “Not by speeches and votes of the majority, but by blood and iron.” In other words, diplomacy was fine, but war? War got things done.
And it did. Through a series of calculated conflicts—first against Denmark, then Austria, and finally France—Bismarck reshaped Europe’s balance of power. After crushing France in 1871, he declared the German Empire in the Palace of Versailles, with King Wilhelm I as emperor and himself as chancellor.
He introduced social reforms like health insurance and pensions to keep the working class from turning to socialism. For nearly two decades, he balanced European politics with skillful alliances.
Emperor Wilhelm II forced him to resign in 1890. Bismarck spent his final years watching the empire he built begin to unravel.
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