Bismarck Dbq Essay

Traditional European conservatism was a political force formerly commanding much weight and power. In the Congress of Vienna in 1815 European monarchs, who were well-seated, got together to restore the principles of legitimacy and create a balance between states, making a great effort to protect the established order. But although nationalism got stronger, and as a result of the riots in 1830 and 1848, the governments began to concentrate on their own stability more than on the general status quo. As a result, these politicians, such as Otto von Bismarck, desired to replace the conservative view which was the basis of the old school of thought. As German Chancellor at the end of the 19th century, Bismarck, who differently from traditional conservatives,

In 1869, the law granting civil compliance with a person’s religious affiliation (Document 1) was passed by his government administration to earn their support by incorporating the previously sidelined religious groups. In the end, the plan succeeded, and the German unification took place after about two years, thus placing Bismarck as yet another brilliant example of political accomplishments via tolerant policies. Simultaneously, he pursued his political enemies as well, which is attested in Wilhelm Liebknechts's (1869) address to the German Social-Democratic Party, where he urged people not to participate in the Reichstag elections due to the government’s oppressive regulations for political parties and media manipulation (Document 2). Thus, it serves to prop up Bismarck's preparedness and wants to impose extra conditions to maintain state supremacy. Famous conservative Bismarck was a man of the day who made the Federalist and the anticentralist forces ashamed. Even one of his enemies, Eugen Richter, a liberal politician who supported Bismarck's dismissal in 1890, could not deny Bismarck's internationally praised actions to ‘unify the Fatherland’ (Document 7), indicating his paramount This representation of Bismarck was conveyed in a political cartoon that appeared in 1879 which depicted him holding different views at the same time, to reflect reality humorously. On the one

So, fifteen years after the unification of Germany in 1871, Wagener, the revolutionary one, wrote a memorandum for Bismarck, advising him on the effectiveness of the working class alongside socialism (Document 3). Although it is titled “A conservative mantra,” the memorandum does not point to any shift that would be based on sincere conservative concerns, but rather on political pragmatism. By 1881 the policy had become more profound; the Kaiser made the next step to formalize his administration’s commitment to the “promotion of worker’s welfare” (Document 5). It was a direct appeal to the previously ignored and oppressed working class. Even the socialist policy was not an exception for Bismarck. He publicly discussed his engagement in the so-called state socialism, such pragmatic orienting towards socialist elements is so opposed to the conservative envisaging of socialism that it helps to commend Bismarck’s ingenious method of