Otto von Bismarch

74

Otto von Bismarch : biography

01 April 1815 – 30 July 1898

Bismarch didn’t have chances to get in the new Prussian national meeting, which was elected by general elections of male population, because of his reputation of an incorrigible conservative. Otto worried with junkers’ traditional rights but soon he settled down and admitted that the revolution turned out to be less radical than he thought. He returned in his estate and wrote to the new conservative newspaper “Kreuzzeitung”. At this time gradual strengthening of so-called camarilla happened – it was a group of conservative politicians with Otto von Bismarch.

A logical result of this camarilla’s strengthening was a counter-revolutionary overturn of 1848 when the king interrupted parliament’s meeting and brought troops into Berlin. In spite of Bismarch’s services in preparing to this overturn the king refused to make him a minister and called him “an inveterate revolutioner”. The king didn’t intend to unbind reactioners’ hands, after the overturn he published the constitution which combined the principle of monarchy with the creation of bicameral parliament. The monarch had the right of the absolute veto and the right to rule with extraordinary decrees. This constitution didn’t justified liberals’ hopes but Bismarch considered it to be very progressive.

But Bismarch had to resign himself and decided to try and work his way up in the Lower chamber of parliament. With serious difficulties he managed to pass two rounds of elections. He got the post of a deputy on the 26th of February in 1849. But his negative attitude to German unification and Frankfurt parliament influenced on his reputation a lot. After the parliament was dismissed by the king Bismarch practically lost all the chances to be reelected. But this time he was lucky because the king changed the electoral system and Bismarch didn’t have to conduct election struggle. On the 7th of August Otto von Bismarch became a deputy again.

Some time later Austria and Prussia had a serious conflict which was going to turn into a full-scale war. Both states considered themselves to be the leader of German world and tried to have little German counties in the orbit of influence. This time a stumbling block was Erfurt ws Prussia had to give in, concluding “Olmutz agreement”. Bismarch actively supported this agreement as he thought that Prussia couldn’t win this war. After some hesitations the king made Bismarch a representative of Prussia in Frankfurt Alliance Seim. Soon Bismarch met an Austrian famous political figure Klemens Mettemich.

During Crimean war Bismarch resisted Austrian attempts to conduct mobilization of German armies for the war with Russia. He became an ardent follower of German alliance and opponent of Austrian domination. As a result Bismarch became the main supporter of Russian and French alliance (which lately had war with each other) against Austria. Firstly it was necessary to make contact with France and Bismarch went to Paris on the 4th of April in 1857 where he met Napoleon III who didn’t impress him. But because of the king’s illness anв sharp turn of Prussian foreign policy Bismarch’s plans wasn’t realized and he became an ambassador in Russia.

In Saint Petersburg

When Bismarch was in Russia his forming as a diplomat was influenced by his communication with Russian vice-chancellor Gorchakov whom Otto von Bismarch called a teacher. At that time Bismarch already had characteristics necessary for diplomat post. He had a natural wit and political insight.

Gorchakov ended for Bismarch great future. Once when he was already a chancellor he said pointing on Bismarch: “Look t this man! He could be a minister of Frederick the Great”. Afterwards it was influenced on their future relationships which were brightly shown in Pikul’s novel “The struggle of iron chancellors”.

In Russia Bismarch learnt the Russian language and spoke rather well. He understood the essence of Russian way of thinking and it helped it a lot when he chose the right political line towards Russia.

He took part in Russian tsar’s fun – hunting for bears and even killed two bears and stopped this amusement, he said that it was dishonorable to hunt unarmed animals with guns. During one of these huntings he got his legs frostbitten and doctors even wanted to amputate legs.