THE BLOOD & IRON POLICY OF BISMARCK
Before 1848, Germany was a confederation of 38 states ruled by princes or kings. Prussia was the largest and most powerful of these states. Prussia and Austria were the two most powerful states. In 1848 the states tried to create a unified Germany, but the attempt failed. Many Germans believed that unification could only be achieved under Prussian leadership. But the Prussian king did not want to take a crown from the hands of revolutionaries and liberals. Unification would have to be on his terms. He appointed Otto von Bismarck to be his chief minister in 1862. Bismarck set forth a policy called “blood and iron”. Bismarck intended to use war to achieve his aims of unifying Germany. Bismarck started three wars. The Prussians fought against the Danes, the Austrians, and the French. By 1871, Germany was united. The policy of “blood and iron” had worked. Bismarck’s “Blood and Iron” Speech (1862) is one of the more famous political speeches in the history of Germany and of the world. T