Bismarck, the Man and the Statesman"Politics is the art of the possible," Otto Von Bismarck famously said, and here, in his own words, the art of politics is laid bare by one of the most prominent and influential European statesmen of the nineteenth century. These are the intimate reflections and reminiscences of the man who unified the independent Germanic states into one nation, and whose subsequent promotion of the new country's colonial ambitions earned him the title of the founder of the German empire. This first volume of what must be considered an essential historical document details Bismarck's early life, from the political views of his youth and his entrance into public life through his work in government ministries and his time at the Court of Munich. It is vital reading for any informed, in-depth understanding of modern European history. AUTHOR BIO: OTTO EDUARD LEOPOLD VON BISMARCK (1815-1898) was born into a family that had belonged to the nobility from the fourteenth century. He studied law at the Universities of G ttingen and Berlin, and later served as prime minister of Prussia, from 1862 to 1873, and as Germany's first chancellor, from 1871 to 1890. |
Contents
8 | |
13 | |
19 | |
25 | |
Prince Lichnowski | 34 |
Bismarck against the proposal of Vincke respecting the abdication of | 40 |
With the Prince at Babelsberg | 42 |
National Assembly | 50 |
Bismarck develops his programme | 262 |
His journey to Berlin | 270 |
Aversion to the pigtail and periwig bureaucracy of the | 275 |
Summons of Bismarck from St Petersburg to Berlin April 1862 | 276 |
Bismarcks answer | 282 |
Alteration of tone in the Conservative party through Bismarck | 285 |
Telegraphic summons of September 18 | 293 |
Determining influence of the Polish question | 299 |
Precautions for their safety | 56 |
Party life formerly and | 65 |
28 | 69 |
Baron von Budberg | 82 |
PARTY OF THE WOCHENBLATT THE CRIMEAN | 100 |
Bismarck represents to the King the opportunity afforded of raising | 106 |
A letter from Niebuhr | 112 |
Usual course of Cabinet crises | 118 |
Objection to Prussia fighting Russia | 124 |
SANSSOUCI AND COBLENZ | 132 |
Her differences with Oberpräsident von KleistRetzow | 138 |
Manteuffel sulks | 149 |
A paper of Manteuffels and one of Frederick William IVs upon | 159 |
Attitude of Queen Victoria | 165 |
The Kings wrath at Bismarcks delay | 216 |
The Prince appointed Regent | 222 |
Interview with the Prince of Prussia continuation the Ministry of | 233 |
CHAPTER X | 239 |
Life in the streets at St Petersburg | 245 |
the sentinel dating from Catherine II | 250 |
Correspondence with Prince Obolenski | 256 |
Prussia waits in the antechamber at Paris for admission to sign as | 305 |
Want of plan in the Prussian policy of the time under the domination | 311 |
DYNASTIES AND STOCKS | 318 |
2 | 321 |
CHAPTER XIV | 328 |
Count zur Lippe | 334 |
on the insecurity of the Polish possessions | 340 |
Advantages of Russian friendship for German struggles towards unity | 342 |
3 | 343 |
CHAPTER XVI | 349 |
Conference with the Crown Prince at Gastein | 355 |
7 | 358 |
CHAPTER XVII | 366 |
Overestimate of the weakening effect of the conflict on Prussias foreign | 372 |
Belief in the military superiority of Austria | 373 |
II | 374 |
Seriousness of the situation 316 | 376 |
Brilliant commencement of the Dual policy | 379 |
Extracts from letters of Thile Abeken and Goltz | 385 |
Passages from the correspondence of King Lewis with Bismarck | 399 |
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able affairs alliance ambassador answer asked Austria Baden Bavaria Berlin Bernstorff Bismarck Bismarck-Jahrbuch Bodelschwingh Bonaparte Bund Buol cabinet consider constitution Count Court Crimean war Crown Prince Czar danger decision diplomatic diplomatist dynasty Emperor England expression favour fear Federal Diet feeling foreign France Frankfort Frederick William Frederick William IV French Gerlach German hand Herr honour House idea imperial impression influence interests King King's Kreuzzeitung Leopold von Gerlach letter Liberal Majesty Manteuffel March matter ment military minister ministry monarch Napoleon occasion Olmütz opinion palace Paris party peace peace of Basle Petersburg Poland Polish political position possible present Prince of Prussia Princess Prus Prussian policy Quehl question recognise regard Regent relations remain replied result Revolution Roon Royal Highness Sans-Souci Schleinitz sian teuffel things tion to-day troops Usedom Vienna Western Powers wife wish Zollverein
Popular passages
Page 18 - These may be present, and yet male and female favorites (in the best case the lawful wife), the monarch's own vanity- and susceptibility to flattery, will nevertheless diminish the fruits of his good intentions, inasmuch as the monarch is not omniscient and cannot have an equal understanding of all branches of his office. As early as 1847 I was in favor of an effort to secure the possibility of public criticism of the government in parliament...
Page 2 - These impressions remained in the stage of theoretical reflections, and were not strong enough to extirpate my innate Prussian monarchical sentiments. My historical sympathies remained on the side of authority. To my childish ideas of justice Harmodius and Aristogeiton, as well as Brutus, were criminals, and Tell a rebel and murderer. Every German prince who resisted the Emperor before the Thirty Years' war roused my ire; but from the Great Elector onwards I was partisan enough to take an anti-imperial...
Page 11 - Board in 1816 the same procedure was adopted as at the organization of Elsass-Lothringen in 1871. The authorities who had to contribute a portion of their staff would not be likely to respond to the call of state requirements by putting their best foot foremost to accomplish the difficult task of assimilating a newly acquired population, but would have chosen those members of their offices whose departure was desired by their superiors or wished by themselves; in the board were to be found former...