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HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor. Bismarck’s family and youth, 1847-51 Lecture 5 16 September 2010. Young Bismarck (1). * 1 April 1815 at Schönhausen in Brandenburg Province Son of a traditional Prussian Junker family : His father: Conservative, Lutheran, agrarian- oriented

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HIST2086 Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor

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  1. HIST2086Bismarck: The Iron Chancellor Bismarck’s family and youth, 1847-51 Lecture 5 16 September 2010

  2. Young Bismarck (1) • * 1 April 1815 at Schönhausen in Brandenburg Province • Son of a traditional Prussian Junker family: His father: Conservative, Lutheran, agrarian- oriented His mother: Intellectual, critical, Enlightened, intelligent = Bismarck: Both streams coined his character! • Family moved to rural Pomerania Province, 1816

  3. Young Bismarck (2) • High School (Gymnasium) in Berlin, 1827-32 • Göttingen University: Law Studies, 1832-35 • Member of Burschenschaften(students’ societies devoted to the cherishing of revolutionary spirit) but later of aristocratic students- corps

  4. Young Bismarck (3) • Civil servant at Aix-la-Chapelle (Aachen), 1835-37 • Served in Potsdam District Government, 1837 • Served compulsory military service at Potsdam, 1838-39 • Retired to the family estate in Pomerania, 1839: Junker life, journeys, leisure • Married Johanna von Puttkamer, 1847, from a conservative pietistic Junker family of Pomerania

  5. Bismarck’s Public Life (1) • Member of ‘United Diet’ (Vereinigter Landtag): Joint meeting of 8 provincial diets (Landtage) at Berlin, 1847 = first major parliament in Germany • Bismarck: A strict-conservative MP strongly opposed to liberal MPs = His dislike of parliamentary life + of liberal dogmatism and principles = His impression that MPs are egoistic and short-term oriented = His conviction that political principles are no base for politics = His full support for Prussian monarchy

  6. Bismarck’s Public Life (2) • Strongly opposed to 1848-49 Revolution but almost politically inactive • Strongly opposed to liberal Frankfurt parliament = Bismarck’ ideal: A wise and patriotic monarch, guided by his faithful Junkers = His strong distrust in bourgeois liberal reformer = His conviction that only a Prussian ruler choosing the right moment + right cause should bring German unity with Prussian dominance

  7. Prussia’s Constitution of 1850 • Created a ‘constitutional monarchy of Prussian style’ based on ‘monarchical principle’ • Hereditary monarchy (Hohenzollern House) • King with full political power but needed countersigning of ministers who carried full responsibility • Prime minister as primus inter pares in cabinet • Upper House members mainly appointed • Lower House members elected with Three-class franchise system + its right to pass budget

  8. Bismarck’s Characteristics • Very curious, active, flexible, eager to read + learn, partly a bon-vivant • Passionate, dogmatic, sometimes opportunistic man: Able to explore + grasp diverse possibilities of men and movements • Basic loyalties: Prussia, Hohenzollern dynasty, Lutheran Church • His dominating impulse: exercise of power

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