View source for Otto von Bismarck

{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Otto von Bismarck
|image = Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0057, Otto von Bismarck.jpg
|office = [[Chancellor of the German Empire]]
|term_start = 21 March 1871
|term_end = 20 March 1890
|monarch = [[William I, German Emperor|Wilhelm I]]<br />[[Frederick III, German Emperor|Friedrich III]]<br />[[Wilhelm II, German Emperor|Wilhelm II]]
|deputy = [[Otto Graf zu Stolberg-Wernigerode]]<br>[[Karl Heinrich von Boetticher]]
|predecessor = Position established
|successor = [[Leo von Caprivi]]

|office2 = [[Minister President of Prussia]]
|term_start2 = 9 November 1873
|term_end2 = 20 March 1890
|monarch2 = Wilhelm I<br />Friedrich III<br />Wilhelm II
|predecessor2 = [[Albrecht von Roon]]
|successor2 = Leo von Caprivi
|term_start3 = 23 September 1862
|term_end3 = 1 January 1873
|monarch3 = Wilhelm I
|predecessor3 = [[Prince Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen|Adolf zu Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen]]
|successor3 = Albrecht von Roon

|office4 = [[List of Chancellors of Germany|Chancellor of the North German Confederation]]
|term_start4 = 1 July 1867
|term_end4 = 21 March 1871
|president4 = Wilhelm I
|predecessor4 = Position established
|successor4 = Position abolished

|office5 = [[List of foreign ministers of Prussia|Minister of Foreign Affairs]]
|term_start5 = 23 November 1862
|term_end5 = 20 March 1890
|primeminister5 = Himself <br> Albrecht von Roon
|predecessor5 = [[Albrecht von Bernstorff]]
|successor5 = Leo von Caprivi
|birth_name = Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen
|birth_date = 1 April 1815
|birth_place = [[Schönhausen]], Kreis Jerichow II, [[Province of Saxony]], [[Kingdom of Prussia|Prussia]]<br><small>(now [[Saxony-Anhalt]], Germany)</small>
|death_date = 30 July 1898 (aged 83)
|death_place = [[Friedrichsruh]], [[Schleswig-Holstein]], [[German Empire|Germany]]
|party  = [[Independent politician|Independent]]
|spouse = {{marriage|[[Johanna von Puttkamer]]|1847|1894|reason=d}}
|children = Marie <br> [[Herbert von Bismarck|Herbert]] <br> [[Wilhelm von Bismarck|Wilhelm]]
|alma_mater = [[University of Göttingen]] <br> [[Humboldt University of Berlin|University of Berlin]] <br> [[University of Greifswald]]<ref name=Steinberg>{{cite book| last=Steinberg| first=Jonathan| title=Bismarck: A Life| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HAppAgAAQBAJ&dq=Bismarck+studied+Agriculture+in+Greifswald+in+1838.&pg=PA51| page=51| isbn=9780199782529| date=2011-06-01}}</ref>
|profession =Lawyer
|parents = Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Bismarck (1771–1845) <br> Wilhelmine Luise Mencken (1789–1839)
|signature = Otto vonBismarck Signature.svg
}}
[[File:Hamburg-Bismarck-Denkmal.jpg|thumb|right|Bismarck-Monument, Hamburg]]

'''Prince Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen''' Duke of Lauenburg, (1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898), was an [[aristocrat]] and statesman of the [[19th century]] in [[Europe]]. As Prime Minister of [[Prussia]] from 1862 to 1890, he was most responsible for the uniting most of the many independent [[Germany|German]] countries into the new [[German Empire]] in 1871 and became its first [[chancellor]] until 1890.

He was ''[[Graf]] von Bismarck-Schönhausen'' (Count Bismarck-Schönhausen) in 1865. In 1871, he was ''[[Fürst]]'' von Bismarck (Prince Bismarck). In 1890, he became the ''Herzog von Lauenburg'' (Duke of Lauenburg). At first, he did not want to become a duke, but he accepted the title later.

== Unification of Germany ==
In the 1860s, he engineered a series of wars that lasted until 1871 and [[Unification of Germany|unified most of the German states]] except [[Austria]] into the new [[German Empire]], which was led by [[Prussia]]. He "remained undisputed world champion at the game of multilateral diplomatic chess for almost twenty years after 1871, [and] devoted himself exclusively, and successfully, to maintaining peace between the powers".<ref>[[Eric Hobsbawm]], ''The Age of Empire: 1875–1914'' (1987), p. 312.</ref>

Bismarck conducted wars against [[Denmark]] (1864), Austria (1866) and [[France]] (1871) to make Prussia more powerful. The [[Franco-Prussian War]] was very significant in the long run. France lost [[Alsace]]{{ndash}}[[Lorraine]] during the German victory, which was led by the brilliant [[Helmuth von Moltke]]. The war also made Germany the most important country in [[Central Europe]].

After the death of [[Kaiser]] Wilhelm I and that of his son, [[Frederick III]], who briefly replaced him in 1888, a new era began without Bismarck and Moltke, with [[Wilhelm II]] now on the throne.

== Policy at home ==
Bismarck was very [[conservative]], strongly connected to the [[monarchy]] and opposed to [[democracy]]. His most important goal was to make [[Prussia]] stronger, which he did by unifying Germany. Bismarck tried to stop the rise of [[socialism]] and to reduce the power of the [[Catholic Church]].

One way to stop socialism was to make the [[working class]] happy. Bismarck did so by introducing many social reforms like public [[Health insurance|health]] and accident insurance, as well as [[pension]]s for old people. His 's pension scheme was the forerunner of the modern [[welfare state]] in Germany, and many other countries started similar systems.<ref>Steinberg, Jonathan. 2011. ''Bismarck: a life'' Oxford University Press. p. 8, 424, 444.</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{commons|Otto von Bismarck}}
{{wikiquote|Otto von Bismarck}}

{{Kanzler}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bismarck, Otto von}}
[[Category:1815 births]]
[[Category:1898 deaths]]
[[Category:Chancellors of the German Empire]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Germany]]
[[Category:Prussian generals]]
[[Category:Prussian nobility]]
[[Category:Members of the Reichstag (German Empire)]]
[[Category:Prime Ministers of Prussia]]
[[Category:Prussian politicians]]
[[Category:People with foods named after them]]
[[Category:Politicians from Saxony-Anhalt]]