Bismarck's Feelings On Napoleon example essay topic

II. Summary 1) The book I have reviewed, Bismarck, is a complex look at the life of the German legend, and is certainly intended for historians not unlike the author himself. Palmer does not exclude any part of the man's life even dwelling into his childhood and adolescence. His attention to details is very apparent, even to his own admission, using public and private letters written by Bismarck himself. This book is not intended for a student looking for a little more information on the subject, nor the minimal information needed to satisfy the general public.

The book was obviously written by someone who greatly admired Bismarck, and spared no expense in writing as much as he could about him. 2) Otto Van Bismarck was born April 1st 1815, son of mother Wilhelmina von Bismarck, and father Ferdinand, a Prussian landowner. He studied at Goettingen and Berlin, and after holding minor administrative offices he was elected to the Prussian Landtag in 1847. While in the Landtag, he advocated the unification of Germany under the aegis of Prussia, and was opposed to the liberal movements.

He gained the position of ambassador to St. Petersburg, in 1859, and soon after became the ambassador to Paris in 1862. There he would gain much insight and experience that would determine his future policies. Bismarck was appointed premier by the King of Prussia, William I, in the king's effort to secure his military program, which was strongly opposed by the parliament. With his new position Bismarck ultimately, instigated the Austro-Prussian War, as well as the Franco-Prussian War, in order to rid the German Confederation, and fully unify Germany.

A struggle for power ensued between Bismarck and William II, which finished with Bismarck's dismissal and finally his retirement.. Analysis 1) The author of this book, Alan Palmer, is a reliable historian educated at Oxford University. He is an expert in European History and even headed the History Department in Highgate School. He left his post of sixteen years to concentrate on historical writing and research. He went on to publish eighteen books on numerous leaders and empires of Europe. His work includes, Napoleon in Russia, Alexander I: Tsar of War and Peace, The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire and many more.

2) The author's basic theme of his book is to concentrate more on the life of Bismarck himself, and not so much on the social and economic background of Germany during his time. The author felt that Bismarck himself was fascinating in what he wrote and said, and that concentrating on him was his primary goal and reason for writing this book. As the author points out, he does not want his own interest in Bismarck, which he states goes back to about 30 years, to manipulate his writings into a book that is either strongly for or against the Iron Chancellor. Instead he solely tries to concentrate on what he has collected, and studied about him.

3) In my own opinion, I feel that the author supported his interpretations very well. He uses numerous letters written by Bismarck himself, as well as prints from newspapers and documented speeches made by him at the time to support his facts in his writings. In one such letter it can be seen Bismarck's feelings on Napoleon. In the letter, written to Prussian Prime Minister Schleinitz, Bismarck explains how he feels Napoleon can not be trusted, and that his "supreme talent" is to be able to hide himself in a cloud of vapor in a way that nobody knows whether or not he will emerge, and hopes he will remain in steam and drift off into limbo.

(Chptr. 5, p. 63) He uses another letter written by Bismarck to his wife, to illustrate Bismarck's personality after a near tragedy. The letter was written by Bismarck after a needless battle took place that almost took the lives of both his sons. He complains of his generals of whom he feels", abuse the courage of the men, always using their fists rather than their heads. (Chptr. 9, p. 148) I felt the author included this excerpt to express Bismarck's nature, as a tough yet compassionate man.

In another excerpt from a speech made by Bismarck late in his life, a rare praise for another Great Power is made for England. In the speech he regards England as an old ally whose interests do not clash with ours. Claiming that Britain was indirectly apart of the Triple Alliance, an ironic speech that was included, considering that in only a relatively short time the two nations would be at war in World War I. (Chptr. 15, p. 245) 4) It's obvious in reading the book, and in the authors preface, that he has a natural conflict of interest in writing a book about Bismarck. As he is a great admirer of him he does realize that truth and fact are needed for a true biography.

The book is riddled with many speeches iterating Bismarck's greatness for Germany, there are also examples of unpopular actions made. The author writes about Bismarck's attack on the Church. In a speech made in 1872 Bismarck declares to the German people that "We shall not go to Canossa, either in body or spirit", showing that the Second Reich would continue to defy the Papacy. This continued assault on the Church was often a criticism of Bismarck among other European countries. In a letter from the British ambassador Russel, he states that foreign observers believed Bismarck made a mistake in attacking the Church, and that he was dividing rather than uniting the German States.

(Chptr. 11, p. 168) 5) The book covers the history of the events in the time presented. In effect it appears to the reader that each event is presented in the order and way that it happened. It proceeds from one event to another, with full details, and explanations of how each event came to take place. From wars to domestic affairs every event is fully explained and the cause of and consequences are made clear. IV.

Personal Opinion Although overall I enjoyed the book, I did feel that the author's detail was a bit much for what I was after. I did however, feel that everything the author was saying was factual and well presented. I felt the author was a credible historian who understood the complexity of Europe at the time and reveled in it. His credentials were well established having graduated from Oxford and writing many other books based on the same period of time in Europe. The book was written very straightforward, and did not zig zag from different periods of time, but instead stayed in a chronological order, which helped the book flow easily from one event to the other. The book also stayed on topic, never straying off the topic of Bismarck, and remaining a biography, rather than a history book.

Bismarck's nature and personality were shown through examples such as letters, articles and speeches. The author also stayed true to his word, and did not force his own opinions or interests into the book. The author left it up to facts to prove his own feelings, and did not mettle with history in order to preserve his own feelings. He showed Bismarck as a great, but not perfect man. In closing, I would recommend this book to anyone with a strong interest in Germany, and someone who wanted to know more about the man who helped create it. Bismark Copyright 1976 by Alan Palmer Copyright under the Berne Convention Charles Scribner's Sons, New York.