Otto von Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor and Unifier of Germany (1815 - 1898)

Otto von Bismarck, born in 1815, was the formidable Prussian statesman who masterminded the unification of Germany in 1871 and served as its first Chancellor. Known as the "Iron Chancellor," Bismarck utilized a mix of diplomacy and war, orchestrating the Danish War, the Austro-Prussian War, and the Franco-Prussian War to expand Prussian influence and unify the German states under Prussian leadership. His foreign policy, characterized by the balance of power in Europe, aimed to isolate France and maintain peace between the continent's great powers. Domestically, he implemented progressive social reforms, including the establishment of the world's first modern welfare state, to appease the working class and reduce the appeal of socialism. Bismarck's legacy is that of a pragmatic and strategic leader whose policies of Realpolitik significantly shaped the course of German and European history.