Bismarck

Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) has gone down in history as a reactionary and militarist whose 1871 unification of Germany set Europe down the path of disaster to the First World War. But, as this accessible biography shows, the real Bismarck was far more complicated. Volker Ullrich demonstrates that the 'Founder of the Reich' actually opposed liberal German nationalism. After the wars of 1866 and 1870, Bismarck spent the rest of his career working to preserve peace in Europe and protect the empire he had created. Despite his reputation as an enemy of socialism, he introduced comprehensive health and unemployment insurance for German workers, and far from being 'man of iron and blood', this complex statesman was concerned with maintaining stability and harmony far beyond Germany's newly unified borders. Comprehensive and balanced, Bismarck shows us the value of looking anew at this monumental figure in European history.