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Tags: History, Lang:en
Summary
Includes pictures
In 1832, 17 year old Otto von Bismarck had just entered
university and was already rejecting the republican
indoctrination of his grade school years. Unlike so many of his
day who had championed representative government, Bismarck
longed for the glory of a nation he believed would only be
found under a single, strong leader. Though his early
university days showed him he would be isolated by this
thinking, he strongly believed not only in the ideal of a
national German state, but in its possibility. In his memoirs,
Bismarck recalls that at this young age, he “retained
[his] own private National sentiments, and [his] belief that in
the near future events would lead to German unity; in fact,
[he] made a bet with [his] American friend Coffin that this aim
would be attained in twenty years.” Though it would take longer than he had predicted, Germany
would eventually be united and he would be the person
responsible for accomplishing it. Bismarck would go on to
accomplish his goal and strengthen Germany into a modern
political state by embracing specific political principles,
despite their lack of popularity. Bismarck biographer Jonathan
Steinberg refers to these principles as the “Prussian
legacy,” including “the army inherited from the
‘genius King’ Frederick the Great; the fusion of
the Junker class with the army and the bureaucracy, the
pervasive idea of ‘Deinst’ or service; the rigid
distinction between the nobility and the bourgeoisie; [and] a
military conception of honor.” As “the most interesting character of the nineteenth
century,” Bismarck would spend his life in service of the
Hohenzollern Kings, elevating William I from a Prussian King
near abdication King to the first German emperor. He would
alienate many along the way, but under William, he would retain
what he wanted most: the power to shape Germany's future. Otto von Bismarck: The Life and Legacy of the German
Empire’s First Chancellor looks at the life and work of
Germany’s most famous politician. Along with pictures of
important people, places, and events, you will learn about Otto
von Bismarck like never before. **
Includes Bismarck's quotes about his life and career
Includes online resources and a bibliography for further
reading
Includes a table of contents