Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian statesman who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1871 to 1890. He came from a noble Prussian family and studied law. Through a series of wars in the 1860s, Bismarck helped Prussia defeat Denmark, Austria, and France to unite Germany under Prussian leadership. He orchestrated the unification of Germany in 1871 and served as its first Chancellor. Bismarck introduced Germany's social welfare state in the 1880s to counter socialists. He retired in 1890 and spent his final years in Friedrichsruh, where he died in 1898.

1. Otto von Bismarck

2. Early Years

Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck,

Born April 1, 1815 in Schoenhausen, Prussia

Father – Ferdinand von Bismarck-Schoenhausen – a
fifth generation Junker (landowning noble)

Mother – Wilhelmine Mencken came from a family of
successful academics
(history.com/topics/Otto-von-Bismarck)

(www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/bismarck)

3. Today- Schoenhausen
belongs to Germany
Schloss (castle) Schoenhausen -
This was Bismarcks place of birth

4. Education

His Mother enrolled Otto von Bismarck to Progressive Plamann
institute in Berlin at age 7

After 5 years at the institute he went to Frederick Wilhelm
Gymnasium for 3 years and took his abitur (university entrance
exam) in 1832

His mother encouraged him to go to university of Goettingen in the
Kingdom of Hannover to take the study of law

I lived in Hannover. The city today has a street named after Otto
von Bismarck (Bismarckstrasse)
www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/Bismarck

5. 
As a young man he was known as a heavy drinker with no
real direction in life

In his early 30s he changed from being an atheist to being
religious.

He got married in 1847 and got involved in politics

He became a substitute member of the Prussian Parliament
(history1800s.about.com/od/leaders/a/bismarck.bio.htm)
(History.com/topics/Otto-von-Bismarck)

6. 
Germany became a modern,unified nation
under the leadership of “Iron Chancellor” Otto
von Bismarck (1815-1898)

He first ruled Prussia and than all Germany
between 1862 and 1890

7. Blood and Iron Speech

His statement of his Blood and Iron speech of late September 1862
became notorious

“The great Question of the day will not be decided by speeches and
resolutions but by blood and Iron.”

He later complained that his words were taken out of context.

Blood and iron became a popular nickname for his politics
(history1800s.about.com/od/leaders/a/bismarckbio.htm)

8. Unification of Germany

From 1851 to 1862 Bismarck served a series of ambassadorships
at German confederation in Frankfurt, St Petersburg and Paris

Wilhelm I became Prussia King in 1861 and made Bismarck his
chief minister a year later

1864 – Bismark began a series of wars to get Prussian power in
europe

1864 – attacked Denmark to gain German speaking territories and 2
years later provoked Kaiser Franz Joseph I into starting the Austro-
Prussian war (1866)

Austrian Empire was defeated

9. 
Franco-Prussian War (1870-71)

Bismarck stirred political tensions between France and Prussia

He edited a telegram from Wilhelm the first to make both countries
feel insulted by the other.

France declared war – Prussians and Germans won

Prussia annexed the French border provinces of Alsace and
Lorraine and crowned Wilhelm emperor of unified Germany (second
Reich) in the Hall of Mirrors in Versialle
(History.com/topics/Otto-von-Bismarck)

10. Germany before unification

11. Germany after unification

12. Germany was unified

Wilhelm and Bismarck turned to entrenching their
power

1870 Bismarck pursued a Kulturkampf (culture war)
against catholics who made up 36 percent of
Germany's population

He placed parochial schools under state control and
expelled the Jesuits

13. 
1880s – Bismarck set aside his conservative impulses to
counter socialists

He created Europe's first modern welfare state

He established national healthcare (1883) accident
insurance (1884) and old age pensions (1889)

1885 Bismarck hosted the Berlin Conference which
ended the scramble of Africa

This divided the continent between European powers and
established German colonies in Cameroon, Togoland
and East and Southwest Africa.
(History.com/topics/Otto-von Bismarck)

14. Germany and social insurance

Germany became the first nation in the world to adopt an old
age social insurance program in 1889 designed by Otto von
Bismarck

Idea was first put forward, at Bismarcks behest, in 1881 by
Germany's Emperor Wilhelm the first in a letter to the
parliament

Letter states: Those who are disabled from work by age and
invalidity have a well grounded claim to care from the state

Bismarck was motivated to introduce social insurance in
Germany in order to promote well being of workers to keep
the German economy in maximum efficiency.

15. Germany and social insurance

The social insurance system provides
contributory retirement and disability benefits.

Participation is mandatory

Contribution is taken from Employee,
employer and the government

1927 an unemployment insurance was added
to the system to make it complete

(www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html).

16. Bismarcks Final Years

His wife Johanna died 1894

He lived in Friedrichsruh, alone, resentful and bored

The Kaiser came to see him in 1897

By than, Bismarck was confined to a wheelchair

1898 he developed an inflammation of the lungs

He had difficulty breathing and laid in bed most of the time

July 30th 1898 – He had a relapse and his family gathered round
his bed

At last, he drank off a glass and cried “vorwaerts” (forward) and
sank down his pillow. At about 11 o clock, his daughter saw he was
no longer breathing
(www.Historytoday.com)

17. The city Friedrichsruh were Otto von Bismarck
died

18. Schloss (castle) Friedrichsruh and a memorial of Otto von Bismarck

19. references

www.History.com/topics/Otto-von-Bismarck

www.History1800s.about.com/od/leaders/a/Bismarckbio.htm

www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/notes/bismarck

www.ssa.gov/history/ottob.html

http://www.historytoday.com/richard-cavendish/death-
bismarck