Rob Bloom
Mirendorff
Rookie
Posts: 65
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« on: October 30, 2015, 07:09:43 PM » |
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The fact that he united Germany was probably Bismarck's best achievement. Bismarck waged war to get there and thus initialized the overwhelming role of the military in Germany during the following decades. But you also have to keep in mind that the other powers like France under Napoleon III were equally ready for war.
But Germany could have been united under more peaceful and democratic circumstances in 1848. And Bismarck was one of the fiercest enemies of the revolution of 1848. That's why to me he was on the wrong side of history.
Bismarck was a very gifted politician and the Reich he created wasn't set for WWI from the beginning. The social reforms that became law under his administration are basically still in place today. But he was unable or rather didn't want to overcome the deep frictions that existed in the German society between industry and labor, between Protestants and Catholics.
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