Bismarck, Otto Eduard Leopold von

Bismarck, Otto Eduard Leopold von, Prince Bismarck-Schonhausen (1815-98), German statesman.

In Bismarck's time, Germany was made up of many different states. Prussia and Austria were the chief states, and in September 1862, Bismarck became chief minister of Prussia.

He went to war in turn with Denmark, Austria and France. He wanted to make Germany a united country built around Prussia, and at the end of the Franco-Prussian War in 1871 he did so.

King William of Prussia was crowned kaiser (emperor) of Germany (not including Austria).

Bismarck was appointed Imperial Chancellor. He believed in settling problems with 'blood and iron' instead of talking about them, and people called him the 'Iron Chancellor'.

He made agreements of friendship with Austria, Italy and Russia and began to improve things inside Germany.

He made arrangements for people to be looked after when they were sick or old. Germany was the first country in Europe to do this.

In 1888 Kaiser William II became the new emperor of Germany. He did not agree with Bismarck's ideas and in 1890 he sacked him.

Bismarck spent the rest of his life quietly looking after his family estates.

See Louis L. Snyder Bismarck