Bismark Attack Paper

 Bismarck exemplifies the best in effective leadership. While his methods may have been temporarily distasteful, his successful ends for Germany more than justified his means to achieve them. (ATTACK)

Otto Von Bismark spent 10 years working for at united Germany in an attempt to shift the balance of power in Europe. He was once quoted as saying “People don’t make nations, strong leaders and wars do”, and he was more than willing to sacrifice his fellow Germans for his vision of a powerful Germany. Even with the great idea to bring Germany together, I believe it was the farthest example of the best in effective leadership. In fact based on the video and research I believe Bismark used blackmail and temper tantrums to get his way which is not the mark of a great and powerful leader. When the King of Prussia asked Bismark to be his Prime Minister, he wanted Bismark to unite all Germans under one power, and one crown. He had a parliament that wouldn’t pay their military and needed a way to get all Germans from the Saxons, Bavarians and Hessians to unite and become a stronger country. Bismark believed he was being led by God to bring all of Germany together. This to me sounds very Hitler-esque and very much like someone who is going to step on everyone in his path to get what he wants. He attacked Denmark and then Austria, even though the King of Prussia was against it. While I see where his thought process was, and why he attacked to unite his country, the King was very hesitant to have “Germans shooting at Germans”. After the wars, Bismark had what he wanted as far as national pride and Germans having a sense of country and dedication to the father land. This is where his effectiveness as a leader ends. The Prime Minister then decided to provoke France into a war. He wanted to make sure no one would try and intervene in German affairs and bring some of the smaller German states out of the nation as a whole. He then adds insult to injury by suggesting a