Unification of Germany and Bismarck's rule

Otto Von Bismarck’s rule began in 1847 when he became a Deputy in the Prussian United Diet and then, one year later became the Prussian Representative at the Diet in Frankfurt. He then became Minister-President when he was recommended by Prussia’s war minister. During his rule, he constantly tried to weaken Austria and make Prussia the dominant state. I strongly believe that without the steps taken by Bismarck, the unification of Germany would never have happened so it is possible that the World Wars wouldn’t have happened either. Many sources say that Bismarck used to make important decisions for the instant but never looked at the future. He once said “ Politics are not a science based on logic; they are the capacity of always choosing at each instant, in constantly changing situations, the least harmful the most useful,” (source 11). There was a long course of acts that had been made before the unification of Germany that added up to it.

After Napoleon’s victory, the states went from 350 to 39 and the largest two remained Prussia and Austria. Bismarck continually tried to weaken Austria and after the Crimean War, Austria was left isolated when it lost its allies (France, Russia, and Britain). This made Prussia able to take control over them so Bismarck made a secret alliance with Italy and increased tension when proposed to the Federal Diet a constitution that he knew they would strongly disagree with. Bismarck once wrote “Germany is clearly too small for the both of us” (pg 19). At the end of seven weeks, Austria was defeated by Prussia in Koniggratz. Furthermore, Bismarck made it seem that Kaiser Wilhelm did not like France so they became worst enemies. After the war had ended between them, France lost more than twice as many men as Germany did and Napoleon had also been captured but now Germany feared another war with France. That was the last push which helped the decision for the unification of the states.

A major factor of the unification of France was the dominance of Prussia and the weakening of Austria. If Austria was never weakened by Bismarck and if he had never provoked France, there wouldn’t have been a Franco-Germany war so the states would never have to be unified to become stronger in case of another attack from France. All this was because of the wrong decisions made by Bismarck. If he thought about the future and not just about the instant issue, the unification of Germany and maybe even the World Wars would never have happened.