Germany's Unification example essay topic
346 words
Otto von Bismarck was a very important and influential person in the history of Germany, as well as the rest of Europe. He used his position and influences to change the course of German history. Bismarck greatly changed Germany, unified his country, and strengthened it. Bismarck wanted to see Germany united, under Prussian rule. Germany was, at that time, divided into many small states, making it a weak country with very little economic or political power. His vision was of Germany being one strong, powerful, and unified country, rather than divided and weak. He also wanted the Hohenzollerns, who ruled Prussia, to rule Germany. One of his main goals in German unification was to expand Prussian rule. The first step Bismarck took in unifying Germany was to strengthen the Prussian army. His "blood an iron" policy helped him to do this. Bismarck was determined to strengthen his army with "blood", soldiers in his military, and "iron", money put into producing military weapons. He put as much money as he could into the army, using funds provided for other intentions when he didn't receive as much money as he wanted for the army.
Then, when he had built up a superior army, he set out to gain territory, starting wars, and doing anything he could to be victorious. His next step was to gain territory through war. Bismarck started wars against Austria and France to gain German territory. He also used these wars to increase German nationalism, and get German people to feel a sense of unity among them. Victory in war by Germany's powerful military forces quickly led to Germany's unification. The Second Reich was established and Prussian William I became Kaiser.
Germany was whole and Bismarck's vision was fulfilled. In conclusion, Otto von Bismarck was a very important factor in German unification, as well as a capable ruler. While he sometimes used aggressive methods, he achieved his goals and made Germany what it is today..
