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He made France attack him as a way of uniting the German states together. The German victory in the Franco Prussian War won over the southern German states. In 1871 they agreed to join a German empire.

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Otto von Bismarck (1815–1898) / German Unification

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Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian politician who became Germany's first-ever chancellor. He served from 1871 to 1890. Through a series of wars he unified 39 individual states into one German nation in 1871.

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Who was Otto von Bismarck? What is he known for? And how did he unify Germany? Here's everything you need to know about the Prussian politician dubbed the founder of 'modern Germany'...
Who was Otto von Bismarck?

Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian politician who became Germany's first-ever chancellor, a position in which he served from 1871 to 1890. Through a series of wars, he unified 39 individual states into one German nation in 1871. His policies as chancellor were aimed at holding the newly-formed state together in the face of religious, political and social divisions - all while trying to maintain the fragile peace in Europe.

What is Otto von Bismarck's background?

When Bismarck was born in April 1815, Napoleon was about to be defeated for good by a coalition that included a collective German force with many enthusiastic volunteers. The warm afterglow of this joint effort coloured Bismarck's childhood with bloodthirsty war stories about heroism and sacrifice. His father Karl was a junker (Prussian aristocrat) with staunchly conservative views. By contrast, his mother Wilhelmine was the daughter of a cabinet secretary and was keenly intelligent and witty. Their son Otto would be a combination of the two: an arch-conservative junker with the Machiavellian mind of a politician.

How did Otto von Bismarck rise to power?

As a young man, Bismarck led a drifter's life, trying to find purpose and meaning as the second son of a minor noble family. But in 1847 his life changed forever. By chance, he was asked to step in for a member of the Prussian parliament who had fallen ill. There, he found his calling in the intrigues and machinations of the political world. He quickly made a name for himself as a sharp-tongued supporter of Prussia and its king, which gained him the position of Prussian envoy to Frankfurt (1851), St Petersburg (1859) and Paris (1862) before becoming Minister-President in 1862. In this position, he gained near-total control of the political course the kingdom would take.

How did Bismarck unify Germany?

When Otto von Bismarck was born in 1815, Germany did not exist as a single country. Instead, there were 39 individual states. As minister-president, he sought to bring more and more of the German-speaking lands under Prussian control. Having grown up in the aftermath of the successful fight against Napoleon's troops, he knew that the states would rally together when faced with foreign enemies, so Bismarck provoked wars against Denmark (1864), Austria (1866) and France (1870). All three victories gained Prussia increasing respect for its military strength and allowed the German people to feel a sense of common identity. After the Franco-Prussian War, Bismarck seized the opportunity to invite even the most sceptical German states in the south, such as Bavaria, to join his Prussian-led North German Confederation - having refused Bismarck's previous overtures, this time they agreed.

What was Otto von Bismarck like?

Bismarck is now mostly known for his political acumen; he was a good judge of character and unusually knew whether threat, bribery, argument or flattery was required. At 6ft 2in, he was also physically imposing with steely-blue eyes and broad shoulders. Sharp-tongued, witty and extremely eloquent, he knew how to reach the desired effect with almost any audience. Bismarck also had a strongly impulsive side, examples of which are his tragic love for Marie von Thadden-Trieglaff, the occasional pistol duel with political rivals, and the frequent tears shed in frustration, anger or genuine sadness.

Bismarck: why was the WW2 German battleship named after the Iron Chancellor so feared?

What were Otto von Bismarck's most notable policies?

Having unified Germany through war, Bismarck tried to hold the country together as chancellor by suppressing minorities such as Catholics with his so-called Kulturkampf policies, and by 'Germanising' the Poles, Danes and Frenchmen that ended up within the new boundaries. He also spun an intricate web of foreign policy connections in Europe that allowed the new German state to become a respected entity on the continent.

What is Otto von Bismarck's legacy?

When he died in 1898, Bismarck was an embittered man. His successors had allowed the new German kaiser, Wilhelm II, to direct policy from 1890. Thus, tensions in Europe began to mount and threaten to engulf the newly formed Germany. However, Bismarck also inspired a cult following that would continue long after his death. Hundreds of monuments, such as the famous Bismarck Towers, were erected in his honour across the German empire. Many people still regard him as a brilliant statesman today.

Katja Hoyer is a German-British historian and bestselling author. She specialises in the history of modern Germany with a focus on the Second Reich. Her book Blood and Iron: The Rise and Fall of the German Empire 1871-1918 is out now, published by The History Press. You can find her on Twitter @hoyer_kat

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Otto von Bismarck: a brief guide to the 'founder of modern Germany'

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As a Prussian politician, Otto von Bismarck transformed a collection of small German states into the German empire, his style of rule later gaining him the nickname the 'Iron Chancellor'. Katja Hoyer shares a brief guide to one of 19th-century Europe's most influential statesman...

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Slaves made up nearly 90% of Saint Domingue's population and in 1789 they kept hearing all of the talk of liberty, equality, and fraternity sounded good to a person in slavery so the slaves rebelled.

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Haitian Revolutions: Crash Course World History #30

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Napoleon sent General Charles Leclerc to overthrow him and restore French rule, but Haitians, led by Jean-Jacques Dessalines and Henry Christophe, prevailed over the French, and Dessalines declared Haiti independent in 1804.

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Jean-Jacques Dessalines | Revolutionary leader, Liberator, Haitian independence

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Jean-Jacques Dessalines, emperor of Haiti who proclaimed his country’s independence in 1804. Dessalines was brought to the French West Indian colony of Saint-Domingue (Haiti) as a slave. He worked as a field hand for a black master until 1791, when he joined the slave rebellion that broke out in

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Columbian Flag 1810

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Simón Bolívar was a military and political leader in Latin America. He helped several countries gain their independence from Spain in the early 19th century.

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Simón Bolivar is remembered today as the greatest leader of South American independence. Highly influenced by the examples of the United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon, he led a massive revolt against Spanish colonial rule in South America, beginning in 1810.

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Simón Bolivar is remembered today as the greatest leader of South American independence. Highly influenced by the examples of the United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon, he led a massive revolt against Spanish colonial rule in South America, beginning in 1810. He personally dominated the revolutionary period until his death in 1830, but struggled to consolidate the revolution. Success initially inspired hope for a fully-unified Spanish South America, Bolivar's Gran Colombia, which led from 1819 to 1830, including today's countries of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

Bolivar believed only authoritarian government was possible in such a diverse region. But unable to maintain unity against strong regional interests, he gave up in 1830, famous confessing 'all who served the revolution have plowed the sea'.

Did it have to end this way? Could Bolivar have succeeded in his effort to create a unified South American super-state? Could South American regional leaders achieved the domestic political goals of the American and French Revolutions?

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Tyranny or Victory! Simon Bolivar's South American Revolt

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Simón Bolivar is remembered today as the greatest leader of South American independence. Highly influenced by the examples of the United States, the French Revolution and Napoleon, he led a massive revolt against Spanish colonial rule in South America, beginning in 1810.