Bismark and the Unification of German Speaking States

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Otto van Bismarck (1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a noble and Prussian German statesman in the 19th century. He was appointed PM (Prime Minister) of Prussia by King Wilhelm I and Minister for Foreign Affairs at the age of forty seven. His objective as PM was to unify the German speaking states under Prussia. Other various rulers and kings of Prussia had attempted to unify the German states without success until Bismarck. Bismarck used strategies such as foreign relations, nationalism, planning and taking opportunities to unify the German speaking states. The main factor which Bismarck used in unifying the German states was based on the concept of nationalism. Nationalism is the idea that people with a common culture and language should group together as one’s own nation. He was a part of the Junkers (upper class), although he didn’t always behave the way people expected a member of the Junker class to behave. Therefore, Bismarck had a great deal of independence. An aim of his which contributed to the unity of the German states was to redirect focus from liberals onto focusing on nationalism. Liberalism is the idea that favoured representative government, which would give the middle class/ factory owners a say but was not full democracy. Through nationalism; Germany could unite as a nation without liberals seeking greater power which could have possibly overthrown the king. Bismarck used wars against other European nations to lure and cause national unity within the German states and German people. Bismarck’s effective ideas through dealing with France saw the result of a unified Germany. The French ambassador, Count Benedetti told Prussia’s King William I that the German prince Leopold of Hohenzollern’s acceptance of the thrown was not acceptable in France. William telegraphed an account of the meeting with Benedetti to Bismarck in Berlin. Bismarck edited the
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