Summary
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the original Iron Chancellor, Otto Von Bismarck. One of Europe's leading statesmen in the 19th Century he is credited with unifying Germany under the military might of his home state of Prussia. An enthusiastic expansionist, Bismarck undertook a war against Denmark that has become a by-word for incomprehensible conflict. The British Prime Minister, Lord Palmerston, said: “The Schleswig-Holstein question is so complicated, only three men in Europe have ever understood it. One was Prince Albert, who is dead. The second was a German professor who became mad. I am the third and I have forgotten all about it.”After vanquishing Austria and France, Bismark led the new industrialising Germany, managing to remain in power for a further two decades. Bismarck said: “The art of statesmanship is to steer a course on the stream of time” and he founded one of Europe's first welfare states but he was also known for his ruthless tactics, ignoring democratic institutions, dabbling in dirty politics, leaking to the press and bribing journalists. Was the unification of Germany a carefully planned campaign or a series of unpredictable events that Bismarck made the most of? Did his encouragement of militaristic nationalism bear fruit in Nazi Germany, and what is his legacy today in contemporary Germany?With Richard J Evans, Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge; Christopher Clark, Reader in Modern European History at the University of Cambridge; and Katharine Lerman, Senior Lecturer in Modern European History at London Metropolitan University
Transcript
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| 0:47.3 | Hello today we'll be discussing the Iron Chancellor Otto von Bismarck |
| 0:52.0 | one of Europe's leading states in the 19th century and |
| 0:54.7 | credited with the unification of Germany. |
| 0:57.4 | He was a Prussian Juncker, an aristocrat, he took his home state and made it indomitable |
| 1:02.0 | among the other states in the German Confederation. |
| 1:04.7 | The conflict that marked the beginning of its expansionist aim was over Schleswig-Holstein, |
| 1:08.8 | a conflict that has gone down in history as a byword for incomprehensible wars. The British |
| 1:13.5 | Prime Minister Lord Palmerston said the Seljvik Holstein |
| 1:16.0 | question is so complicated that only three men in Europe have ever understood it. |
| 1:19.6 | Warner's Prince Albert, who is dead. The second was a German professor who became mad. I am the third, and I've forgotten all about it. |
| 1:26.0 | Whatever the causes of this conflict, it was just the beginning of Bismak benefiting from regional power struggles. |
| 1:31.0 | After vanquishing Austria and France, he led the new industrialized |
| 1:35.3 | Germany and managed to reign in power for a further two decades. He introduced universal |
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