A. Plan of Investigation
The focus of this study is the effect that Otto Von Bismarck's leadership and politics had on Pre-World War One tensions in Europe. This study investigates to what extent the actions of Otto Von Bismarck led to World War One. The focus of this study is the period between Bismarck's appointment to Minister President of Prussia on September 23, 1862 and the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Bismarck's earlier career is discussed briefly but only as a method to understand his political attitudes. And similarly, as Bismarck was removed from office in 1890, the only events discussed between 1890 and 1914 will be based off of policies instilled by Bismarck, not those of Wilhelm II.
Research will be drawn from many sources including several historical studies and online articles. The sources used revolve around Bismarck's attitudes and actions toward German unification and general policy. Sources include works by historians A.J.P. Taylor and James Wycliffe Headlam. The policies of Bismarck during the interwar period were researched as well, through several scholastic journals and written works.
B. Summary of Evidence
Germany was already on its way to unification in the early 1800s. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 had set up the German Confederation, with both Prussia and Austria-Hungary lacking the power to impose their rule over the area (Greusel 71). Austria-Hungary was generally seen as the more dominant of the German states. The capital of the German Confederation was Frankfurt, in the Austrian state of Hesse-Kassel (Headlam 87). Two solutions were considered to this duality: "Großdeutsche" and "Kleindeutsche." The Großdeutsche approach suggested a unification of all Ger...
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...19th Century History. About.com, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Mowbray, James A. "Preceding the Outbreak of War." The Great War. United States Air Force: Air War College, n.d. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.
Otto Von Bismarck, Reden 1847-1869, Hg., Wilhelm Schüßler, Band 10, Bismarck: Die gesammelten Werke, Hg. Hermann von Petersdorff. Berlin: Otto Stolberg, 1924-35, S. 139-40.
Sarkin-Hughes, Jeremy. Germany's Genocide of the Herero: Kaiser Wilhelm II, His General, His Settlers, His Soldiers. Cape Town, South Africa: UCT, 2011. Print.
Schofield, Benedict. Private Lives and Collective Destinies: Class, Nation and the Folk in the Works of Gustav Freytag (1816-1895). London: Modern Humanities Research Association, 2012. Print.
Steinberg, Jonathan. Bismarck: A Life. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.
Taylor, A. J. P. Bismarck the Man and the Statesman. London: Hamilton, 1955. Print.
In the late 1800s, Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck used different strategical plans in order to gain as much power possible, the majority of the plans consisted of him taking advantage of the different political parties. Bismarck used many traditional political strategies in order to gain the power he craved for, such as creating harsh laws and prohibiting certain beliefs or ideas. Unfortunately, these strategies did not satisfy the people, so Bismarck later started to increase the welfare of the working class, apologized to the Socialists, and did much more to obtain more political strength which eventually created a new conservatism. In an effort to increase political power for the Kaiser, Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck uses liberal and traditional
Berghahn Books. 2000 Germany and the Germans. After the Unification of the. New Revised Edition. John Ardagh.
Bismarck believed that Germany should be united under Prussian leadership and that Austria should have nothing to do with Germany. Bismarck was chosen as chancellor by the Prussian king as he had a proven record as a monarchist and had little time for liberal and excessive parliamentary ideas. Bismarck helped his long term plan to unite Germany and to be the ruler by getting in a strong position with the king. The king owned Bismarck a 'favour´ as Bismarck had solved the king´s constitutional crisis. Bismarck played a crucial part in the unification of Germany as he helped to set up the Northern German Confederation after defeating Austria in the second of three wars.
The origins of World War One The Fritz Fisher thesis Fritz Fisher focuses on the Kaiser, Gottlieb von Jagow, Bethmann Hollweg and Helmut von Moltke. These four were the German leading figures at that time; Fischer is convinced that these people were responsible for the outbreak of World War One. Fischer’s three main claims were: 1. Germany was prepared to launch the First World War in order to become a great power. 2. Germany encouraged Austria-Hungary to start a war with Serbia, and continued to do so, even when it seemed clear that such a war could not be localized.
But Bismarck never actually attached himself to the National Liberal aims, and instead he ‘mainly sought to safeguard the position of the federal states, above all Prussia, and ensure their rights were protected’, so therefore it can be seen that he had planned unification from the outset, thus Bismarck playing a very important role in the unification of Germany. Furthermore his ‘domestic policies were driven by his determination to consolidate the new national state’, once again showing his large impact on the unification of Germany. However it is undeniable that the national liberal movement did play a large and important role in the unification of Germany and the most obvious and clear example of this is that ‘the National Liberals were the most powerful political party in Germany by the end of the unification process’ showing their political power. However, without Bismarck it could be argued that they would not have been able to get their views across but also Bismarck sought unification through war to secure the Germany he supposedly wanted. This is seen as Bismarck knew that ‘an agreement with Austria to divide Germany was always unlikely and that ultimately force would have to decide the issue’, this clearly linking into the Wars of Unification that followed which in the end secured the unification of Germany
One major problem arose where the relationship of Austria and Prussia should have shared influence in the unified German Confederation or to have only Prussia as the major power speaker for Germany. The parliament was separated by different fractions of members who some wanted a Grossdeutshland (Great Germany) which would include Austria in to the unified Germany and some who wanted a Kleindeutshland (Little Germany) which would exclude Austria and include the whole of Prussia.
Richard Watt’s Kings Depart: The German Revolution and the Treaty of Versailles, 1918-19 argues that the German Revolution played a major part in postwar Germany(Thesis). The history type is one of the German people after the defeat of WWI. Watt wants to bring to light the unknown history of Germany between the armistice of November and the Treaty of Versailles. The intended audience of Watt is those interested in the German revolution and the interwar period. The evidence used by Watt varies from personal diaries to newspapers of that era to re-accounts by those who survived.
Canning, Kathleen. “Responses to German Reunification.” The Journal of the International Institute. 2000. The Regents of the University of Michigan. 07 March 05
The importance of the alliance system that developed in Europe in the decades before World War I as a cause for it is still an important topic of debate and argument between modern historians. Some argue that the alliance system was a direct cause of the outbreak of war between all major countries in Europe while other historians prefer to state that the alliance configuration we observe before the war started was simply a symptom of the conflicts and disagreements, fears and envies that had been accumulating since the Bismarck system of alliances collapsed, and even before then. This last opinion is becoming more accepted as the one that describes the true importance of the actual alliance system as a cause of the war. In order to determine the importance of the alliance system as a cause for the war we must first explore the origins of these alliances. We will take high-point of the Bismarck system in 1878 as our starting point as the Franco-Prussian war is a key factor for the development of this system.
The Congress of Vienna in 1814-15 created the so-called German Confederation under Austrian and Prussian hegemony, but this unit disappointed the dreams of nationalists. The rivalry of Austria and Prussia paralyzed it in a way comparable to the effects of Soviet-American dualism on the United Nations during the Cold War. Almost everywhere, the old rulers repressed the nationalist movement after 1815. The German princes realized that nationalism required reform.... ...
He was an excellent strategizer and could see all the pawns and pieces and knew where and how they needed to move. He grew to power by giving advice to the German states. When Bismarck became foreign affairs chairman he had a main goal to unify Germany and then unify Europe. He succeeds at unifying Germany by alienating Austria and leaving them out of affairs. He also took on realpolitik, which was politics based on reality of the people and focused on the advancement of the nation (523). Bismarck makes a secret alliance with Italy then fires up a war with Austria in which Prussia wins over the grand Austrian army (548). France saw this as not only a defeat for Austria but a defeat for France and then France started feuds with Prussia, scared that Germany might use their power to starts taking over. Agitated with Prussia for slandering them France begins the Franco-Prussian war, which ends with France paying Prussia (551-552). Bismarck resigned at age 75 by Wilhelm II’s persistent requests and dislike of Bismarck’s policy of socialism leaving Germany in a powerful state with a monarch that believed Europe belonged to
Bismarck was one of the most dominant and significant statesmen of the nineteenth century. A political intellect who achieved the apparently impossible undertaking of unifying Germany without a political party to support him, despite an unsympathetic parliament and with no direct control over any army. His—Bismark— only arsenals were the utter force of his personality and his crafty ability to influence Emperor Wilhelm I.
Bismarck’s role in unification was unparalleled, and Germany may never have united if not for the efforts of this Prussian diplomat. Annotated Bibliography "Carlsbad Decrees." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 July 1998. Web.
Prior to unification in 1871 the territory that would become Germany was comprised of thirty-nine independent states and city states joined together in a loose German Confederation. The most powerful among these states was Prussia, both geographically the largest state and that with the largest population. The influential politicians and policies that came out of Prussia were instrumental in the gradual formation of a united Germany. Beginning with the rise of Napoleon, the nineteenth century was a time of incredible change which dramatically altered the political balance of Europe. In order to understand the factors that culminated in official German unification on January 18, 1871, it is necessary to examine the preceding decades.
Bismarck's Foreign Policy „Versuche zu Dreien zu sein, solange die Welt durch das un sunny“ Gleichweighed the five Großmächten bestimmt! “ This was the general formula of Bismarck’s foreign policies meaning “When there are. five great powers be one of three. “ The five great powers at that time. were France, England, Russia, Austria-Hungary and the new United States.