Bismarck

Bismarck was one of the most dominant figures in nineteenth–century Europe. As minister–president and foreign minister of Prussia from 1862, he was the driving force behind the unification of Germany, and, as Chancellor of the new German Empire from 1871 to 1890, the dominating force in German politics, both at home and abroad. This book, now in an expanded and updated edition, provides a concise yet authoritative overview of Bismarck′s personality, his work and his legacy. The book examines the development of Bismarck′s political method, the evolution of his policies on German unification and his views on nationalism and liberalism. A new chapter explores his views on militarism, and relations with the military. Bruce Waller also now provides a fuller discussion of Bismarck′s period as Chancellor. Bismarck provides the ideal introduction to the public and private faces of this great statesman of the modern era.

1. Birth, School and Early Years, 1815–1847. 2. Realpolitik. 3. Bismarck and German Unification. 4. Bismarck, the Nation and the Constitution. 5. Imperial Foreign Policy. 6. Bismarck, the Catholics and the Workers: the Limits of Power. 7. The Social and Economic Interpretation of German History. 8. Bismarck, Militarism and the Military. 9. Bismarck: the Chancellor at Home in the Seventies and Eighties. 10. Assessment References and Further Reading. Index.