Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck was the dominant European statesman of the second half of the 19th century, who as Minister-President of Prussia and then Chancellor of the German Empire engineered German unification through three swift, precisely calculated wars against Denmark (1864), Austria (1866), and France (1870-1871). His governing philosophy — Realpolitik — held that power, not principles, determined international relations. After 1871 he devoted his formidable talents to preserving the new German Empire through a complex system of defensive alliances.
- Lived: 1815 CE – 1898 CE
- Nationality: prussian
- Roles: chancellor, statesman, realpolitiker
