“The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood.” With this famous quote, we understand the policies and legacy that defined one of history’s chronically overlooked greats: the Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck.
Unlike the rest of history’s greats, Otto von Bismarck is seldom known or addressed. For a man so cunning and of high stature, it is almost tragic his overcoming of great odds is not recognized.
Despite being the youngest in Europe, the nation Bismarck created arguably was and still is the most capable and powerful on the continent. Despite his monumental achievement, Bismarck remains wholly overlooked.
A brief history is necessary to understand the times Bismarck lived in. Bismarck was born into post-Napoleonic Europe that was still recovering from the recent wars and was locked in a delicate balance of power. For Bismarck to turn 39 small German states into a united empire without upsetting the other great powers would pose a significant challenge for the statesman.
His ability to maneuver in this political theater would prove Bismarck’s mastery of realpolitik, a political philosophy of pragmatism. By way of careful diplomacy and decisive military campaigns, Bismarck successfully unified the German Empire, while at the same time, weakening its enemies without turning Europe against it.
Bismarck’s Germany was a monumental achievement, considering what came before. The 39 states of Germany formed a loose confederation similar to the large but divided Holy Roman Empire. Compared to all the great empires surrounding Central Europe, these states were powerless and would have been forced to accept hegemony from the Austrian Empire.
Likewise, without Bismarck reviving the authority of the Kaiser, Prussia would have likely fallen victim to the revolutions of 1848. Instead, guided by the doctrine of iron and blood, Prussia rose to match and surpass the increasingly backward states around it.
It is essential also to consider that Bismarck did not wield war lightly or without extensive forethought. He would choose his targets carefully and with an extensive plan.
Bismarck always had a plan. Each campaign he embarked on had a set goal, and Bismarck, unlike Napoleon Bonaparte, knew when to stop. On his first campaign against Denmark, he aligned Prussia with Austria and offered territory in exchange for military aid. The war was short, but it set Austria up as failing to uphold its end of the Prussian-Austrian agreement, giving Bismarck a justification to go to war with them.
With this campaign, Bismarck also unified North Germany and formed the North German Confederation, but there was no harsh peace imposed on Austria despite having lost pathetically. The Iron Chancellor knew Austria would be a valuable ally, but it would only set the other powers against Germany to impose strict terms.
In his final significant campaign, France and Germany were poised to go to war, but neither wanted to be considered the aggressor. To force France into aggression, Bismarck commented on the succession of the Spanish crown in such a way that outraged the French but without explicitly saying anything. Inspired by nationalist zeal, the rest of the German states joined the North German Confederation, creating the German Empire. In a decisive campaign, the German Empire defeated the Second French Empire, cementing Germany as the new great power on the continent.
As renowned as he was in the political theater, Bismarck made a concerted effort aimed at the well-being of the German people, creating the first welfare state. Besides the first social security system, he also introduced bills for insurance for the sick, elderly and victims of accidents. His peacetime influence would also permeate throughout Europe, maintaining the balance of power and perpetuating the second-longest European peace.
There is a very evident reason that Bismarck has not been remembered in the same way as or as much as other significant figures from the modern history of the world. The Germany Bismarck created would, in the 20th century, twice attempt the conquest of Europe and the world. It is also doubtless that Bismarck was an authoritarian and militarist and suppressed opposition. Nevertheless, Bismarck’s realpolitik and strategic vision set the stage for modern European politics.