Otto von Bismarck (1815–98,) fully Otto Eduard Leopold, Fürst (prince) von Bismarck, Graf (count) von Bismarck-Schönhausen, Herzog (duke) von Lauenburg, was a German statesman and a leading diplomat of the late 19th century. This “Iron Chancellor” was primarily responsible for the creation of the German Empire in 1871.
Born into a wealthy Prussian family in Schönhausen, Altmark, Prussia, Bismarck served as minister-president and foreign minister of Prussia under Emperor Wilhelm I from 1862. He was the prime minister of Prussia (1862–73, 1873–90) and founder and first chancellor (1871–90) of the German Empire.
As chancellor, Bismarck skillfully pursued pacific policies in foreign affairs, consolidating Germany’s position as a European power by creating a system of alliances, and preserving the peace in Europe for about two decades. He was forced to resign in 1890 after a policy disagreement with Emperor Wilhelm II.
An appealing biography is American historian Jonathan Steinberg’s Bismarck: A Life (2011.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Otto von Bismarck
With a gentleman I am always a gentleman and a half, and with a fraud I try to be a fraud and a half.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Manners, Behavior
No, a fool learns from experience. A wise man learns from the experience of others.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Learning
The main thing is to make history, not to write it.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: History
Be polite; write diplomatically; even in a declaration of war one observes the rules of politeness.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Diplomacy
When you want to fool the world, tell the truth.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Truth
I have seen three emperors in their nakedness, and the sight was not inspiring.
—Otto von Bismarck
Laws are like sausages. It is better not to see them being made.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Government, Lawyers
An appeal to fear never finds an echo in German hearts.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Fear
People who love sausage and people who believe in justice should never watch either of them being made.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Justice
When you say that you agree to a thing in principle you mean that you have not the slightest intention of carrying it out in practice.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Hypocrisy
Never believe in anything until it has been officially denied.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Advice, Belief
Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable…the art of the next best.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Politics, Politicians
Better pointed bullets than pointed speeches.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Speech, Conversation
When a man says that he approves something in principal, it means he hasn’t the slightest intention of putting it in practice.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Negotiation, Business
Politics is not an exact science.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Politicians, Politics
People never lie so much as after a hunt, during a war or before an election.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Deception/Lying
We live in a wondrous time in which the strong is weak because of his moral scruples and the weak grows strong because of his audacity.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Strength
A government must not waiver once it has chosen it’s course. It must not look to the left or right but go forward.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Government
A really great man is known by three signs — generosity in the design, humanity in the execution, moderation in success.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Greatness, Anger
A journalist is a person who has mistaken their calling.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: Journalism
Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think hard before starting a war.
—Otto von Bismarck
Topics: War
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