Bismarck (Bismarck) Otto Eduard Leopold von Schoenhausen (Schonhausen) (1.4.1815, Schoenhausen,-30.7.1898, Friedrichsruh), German statesman, Prince. A native of the Pomeranian Junkers. In 1847-48, one of the most reactionary deputies of the 1st and 2nd united Landtags of Prussia, a supporter of the use of weapons. forces to suppress the revolution. In 1851-59 B. was the representative of Prussia in the Bundestag in Frankfurt am Main, in 1859-62 Prussian envoy to Russia, in 1862 - in France. Since 1862 min.-President and min. inostr. affairs of Prussia. Contrary to the constitution. the parliament, regardless of the budgetary rights of the Landtag, held in the 60s. military. reform, which significantly strengthened the military. the power of Prussia. He was the initiator of the convention of 1863 with the pr-vom of tsarist Russia on possible measures for the joint suppression of the uprising in Poland.
Relying on the might of the Prussian army, as a result of the Danish War of 1864, the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, B. carried out the unification of Germany "from above" on a Prussian-militaristic basis. In 1871, he provided active assistance to the Thiers Avenue against the Paris Commune.
After the creation of the North German Union in 1867, he became the Bundeskanzler. In 1871-90 Reich Chancellor Herm, an empire in which Prussia played a dominant role. Possessing very broad rights, B. vigorously strengthened the rule of the Junker-Bourgeoisie in the country. block. In the 70s, during the so-called "Kulturkampf", he opposed the clerical-particularist opposition supported by Catholics. the church. In 1878-90, the application of an Exceptional law against socialists and demagogues. the program of social legislation (compulsory insurance for certain groups of workers, etc.) unsuccessfully tried to prevent the growth of the revolutionary labor movement. B. Ave. fought against the Polish National.- it will free you. The movement in the Polish lands that were part of Germany pursued a policy of germanization of the Polish population. B. carried out an active protectionist course (tariff of 1879), which was beneficial to the Junkers and the big bourgeoisie.
In the outside. In politics, B. considered the most important task to prevent revenge from France and prepare a new war against it even before the restoration of the French military. After the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, B. did his best to prevent the possibility of creating an anti-German coalition. He was the initiator of the Rus.-Austr.-herm, agreement of 1873 ("Union of the three Emperors"). In 1879 he achieved the conclusion of an alliance with Austria-Hungary (see the Austro-German Treaty of 1879), and in 1882 - the Triple Alliance (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Italy), directed against France and Russia. However, in an effort to prevent the possibility of a war on two fronts, B. went in 1881 and 1884 to renew the "Union of the Three Emperors", and in 1887 concluded a "reinsurance contract" with Russia (see "Reinsurance contract" 1887).
In the late 80s. opposed the intention of herm. military. It is necessary to start a preventive war with Russia, considering that a war with Russia would be extremely dangerous for Germany. But herm, penetration into the Balkans, support of Austria-Hungary against Russia there, measures against Russian exports, etc. worsened Germany's relations with Russia. Provoking "military alarms" also contributed to the rapprochement between France and Russia, which ended with the Franco-Russian agreement in 1891-93. B. did not take into account the depth of Anglo-German. contradictions and tried to achieve rapprochement with England. However, the policy of colonial expansion carried out by him in the 80s led to an aggravation of Anglo-Herm. relationships. The failure of the policy of suppressing the labor movement and the failures in the external. politics was predetermined by the resignation of B. (March 1890).
