Germany under Bismarck

The Historical Debate
The view of Bismarck over the years has changed and it is the historical debate surrounding our perception of him and his intentions that often shapes our interpretation of the German unification. No 19th century figure has attracted the attention and controversy that surround the achievement of Otto von Bismarck, with the exception perhaps of Napoleon Bonaparte. The success of Bismarck's work in unifying Germany has shifted from a determinist to a dialectic approach.

Early historiography had portrayed him as a master statesman, leading Germany to her rightful destiny. However, dissent from this thesis was at first from non-German historians who re-interpreted later events to conclude that there were more sinister implications to the work of the ‘Iron Chancellor', making him a more Machiavellian and immoral politician.

Later historians, after the Second World War adopted a teleological interpretation of Bismarck accusing him of......

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Title: Germany Under Bismarck
Approximate Word Count: 746
Approximate Pages: 3 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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