Bismarck was an astute politician, an expert was international affairs and an able diplomat and it because of his such qualities that the Prussian emperor Wilhem I appointed him his Prime Minister.
The Blood and Iron policy of Bismarck : Bismarck wanted to unify Germany through military power. Tension arose between Bismarck and Parliament over the military budget. Bismarck took the unconstitutional decision of disregarding the lower house of parliament and to get the budget ratified by the upper house. From 1862 to 1866, he continued to get the budget ratified in the upper house. Although, he had to face many dificulties in doing this, yet Bismarck through his firm resolve, he reorganised the Prussian army and made it the most powerful in Europe. The international circumstances also favoured Bismarck at that time. Thus, he took the step to weaken Austria.
Foreign pollicy of Bismarck : After re-organising and strengthening the army, Bismarck began looking for powerful allies and worked to render Austria without allies.
To achieve this objective, Bismarck made the following efforts :
- Alliance with Russia : The Rusian Czar Alexander II was a friend of Bismarck. Prussia had supported Russia during the Poland revolt of 1863, which further strengthened this friendship. Bismarck sent his special envoy to Russia and made a treaty with Russia.
- Alliance with France : France opposed Austria indirectly. Bismarck took advantage of this and gave his promise that if France remained neutral in a Austro-Prussian conflict, territories towards the Rhine coast or towards Belgium would be ceded to France. Bismarck also made a trade treaty with France.
- Alliance with Italy : Italy also saw Austria as the main obstacle in its unification. It wanted to end Austrian influence in Italy. In such a situation, a treaty was made between Italy and Prussia in 1866.
In this way, Bismarck strengthened his position through diplomacy and soon he went ahead for unification of Germany.
Bismarck completed Germany’s unification in these stages :
1. War with Denmark : In 1864, the combined armies of Prussia and Austria attacked Demark. Denmark did not receive help from any other country and it was defeated. A treaty was signed between Austrian ruler Francis Joseph and Prussian king Wilhem I at a place named Gestine. This treaty was a diplomatic victory for Bismarck. This further strengthened Prussia’s miltary might.
2. War with Austria : After the Gestine treaty, a conflict between Prussia and Austria became inevitable. Even before the war began, Bismarck had completely isolated Austria through his diplomatic efforts and now he began to look for an opportunity to invade Austria, while preparing the army for war. Prussia defeated Austria in the battle of Sedova in 1866. The Treaty of Prague was signed consequently after the war on 23 August, 1866. Bismarck kept a soft stand against Austria in this treaty so that Prussia could gain Austria’s support in future.
3. War with France : France remained neutral in the battle of Sedova. The expectations of France from this war were not fulfilled. Prussian influence grew while French prestige declined, as a result of which tension grew between the two nations. War began between Prussia and France on 15 July, 1870. The decisive battle was fought at Sedan on 1 September 1870, in which France was defeated.. Bismarck’s army reached Paris.
4. Formation of Unified German Empire : On January 18,1871, Bismarck organised a grand court in the Versailles palace. The four states of Southern Germany had already ceded to Germany. Wilhem I was declared the emperor of unified Germany in that grand court and was coronated by Bismarck. Berlin became the capital of unified Germany and Bismarck was appointed chancellor of Germany. In this way, Bismarck’s contribution in the unification of Germany is unforgettable.
