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box. Hello and welcome to Life of the Week from History Extra, where leading historians delve into the lives of history's most intriguing and significant figures.

Few 19th century leaders have a CV quite like Otto von Bismarck's.

This formidable statesman's cunning, charisma and eye for an opportunity

helped him drive the unification of Germany and engineer a stunning defeat to France in 1871.

Here in conversation with Spencer Mizzen, historian Kachioj,

introduces a man whose rise would change the face of European

geopolitics forever.

...