Quotes & anectdotes from
the wise,
the foolish,
the courageous &
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Otto von Bismarck Statesman

  • Gender: Male
  • Citizenship: Germany
  • Born: Apr 1815
  • Died: Jul 30, 1898

Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg, known as Otto von Bismarck, was a conservative Prussian statesman who dominated German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. In the 1860s he engineered a series of wars that unified the German states into a powerful German Empire under Prussian leadership. With that accomplished by 1871 he skillfully used balance of power diplomacy to preserve German hegemony in a Europe which, despite many disputes and war scares, remained at peace. For historian Eric Hobsbawm, it was Bismarck, who "remained undisputed world champion at the game of multilateral diplomatic chess for almost twenty years after 1871, [and] devoted himself exclusively, and successfully, to maintaining peace between the powers."

In 1862 King Wilhelm I appointed Bismarck as Minister President of Prussia, a post he would hold until 1890. He provoked three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria and France, aligning the smaller German states behind Prussia in defeating his arch-enemy France. In 1871 he formed the German Empire with himself as Chancellor, while retaining control of Prussia.

A government must not waiver once it has chosen it's course. It must not look to the left or right but go forward.

People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.

The secret of politics? Make a good treaty with Russia.

The main thing is to make history, not to write it.

Politics is the art of the possible.

To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making.

The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood.

Politics is the art of the next best.

Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied.

Laws are like sausages, it is better not to see them being made.

Politics is not an exact science.

When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.

Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.

Politics ruins the character.

Be polite write diplomatically even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.

An appeal to fear never finds an echo in German hearts.