A reevaluation of Bismarck's motives and methods, focusing on the chancellor's rise to power in the 1860's and his removal from office in 1890.

"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. It is vital reading for any informed, in-depth understanding of modern European history. 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 Gottingen and Berlin, and later served as prime minister of Prussia, from 1862 to 1873, and as Germany's first chancellor, from 1871 to 1890."

OTTO EDUARD LEOPOLD VON BISMARCK (18151898) was born into a family that had belonged to the nobility from the 14th century. He studied law at the Universities of Gttingen and Berlin, and later served as prime minister of Prussia, from 1862 to 1873, and as Germanys first chancellor, from 1871 to 1890. In this two-volume set, Otto von Bismarck gives a full account of his life, from his formative years through to his resignation from the office of chancellor. Bismarck spent many years editing and revising the story of his life before arriving at this final product. He explains how the idea of a unified Germany took hold and manifested in his diplomatic work. Volume II covers the formation of the unified state and Bismarcks attempts to remove Catholicism from Germany and ends with the rule of Emperor Frederick III. History buffs will love this firsthand account from one of the most influential figures in European history.

OTTO EDUARD LEOPOLD VON BISMARCK (1815 1898) was born into a family that had belonged to the nobility from the 14th 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. In this two-volume set, Otto von Bismarck gives a full account of his life, from his formative years through to his resignation from the office of chancellor. Bismarck spent many years editing and revising the story of his life before arriving at this final product. He explains how the idea of a unified Germany took hold and manifested in his diplomatic work. Volume II covers the formation of the unified state and Bismarck s attempts to remove Catholicism from Germany and ends with the rule of Emperor Frederick III. History buffs will love this firsthand account from one of the most influential figures in European history.

This riveting, New York Times bestselling biography illuminates the life of Otto von Bismarck, the statesman who unified Germany but who also embodied everything brutal and ruthless about Prussian culture. Jonathan Steinberg draws heavily on contemporary writings, allowing Bismarck's friends and foes to tell the story. What rises from these pages is a complex giant of a man: a hypochondriac with the constitution of an ox, a brutal tyrant who could easily shed tears, a convert to an extreme form of evangelical Protestantism who secularized schools and introduced civil divorce. Bismarck may have been in sheer ability the most intelligent man to direct a great state in modern times. His brilliance and insight dazzled his contemporaries. But all agreed there was also something demonic, diabolical, overwhelming, beyond human attributes, in Bismarck's personality. He was a kind of malign genius who, behind the various postures, concealed an ice-cold contempt for his fellow human beings and a drive to control and rule them. As one contemporary noted: "the Bismarck regime was a constant orgy of scorn and abuse of mankind, collectively and individually." In this comprehensive and expansive biography--a brilliant study in power--Jonathan Steinberg brings Bismarck to life, revealing the stark contrast between the "Iron Chancellor's" unmatched political skills and his profoundly flawed human character.