Machiavellian Poltician

Throughout history men have been struggling to become the

strongest or most dominant force in society. Scores of men,

throughout history, have taken notice that it is easier to

control several smaller states as opposed to one unified

state. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries a man by the

name of Nicolo Machiavelli reflected the actions of famous

men and their assent to power in his book The Prince. If

Machiavelli's advice was followed, a ruler could almost

guarantee success. But perhaps the first politician in the

modern world to follow the advice of The Prince, was a

man by the name of Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck.

Otto von Bismarck was born on April 1st 1815, in

Schonhausen, Northwest of Berlin in the district of

Magdeburg. His father was an upper class, land owning

Prussian more commonly known as a Junker. (World

Book, 1999, p. 381) (German News, 1998, p.1)(Passant,

1966, p.45)(Godesky, 1997, p.1)(Compton's

Encyclopedia, 1999, p.1) During his early education Otto

von Bismarck studied law at the universities of Berlin and

Gottingen. In 1836 he enrolled his services in the national

army. But just a year later Bismarck found himself very

dissatisfied with his subordinate post and resigned to

manage his family's estate. After a little more than decade,

in 1847, Otto von Bismarck re-entered the government this

time employing his skills as a politician. In 1851 he was

chosen to represent Prussia in the Federal Diet and just

eight years later he became an official ambassador of

Prussia. (German News, 1998, p.1) (Versaware, 1999,

p.1) (Chastain, 1998, p.1) (World Book, 1999, p.

381)(Richards, 1977, p.139-143)(Compton's

Encyclopedia, 1999, p.1) This is when Bismarck, a

beneficiary of good fortunes, set his own designs for

Prussia into motion (Encyclopedia Britannica, 1994, p.3)

Otto von Bismarck , during the course of 1860-1862,

benefitted from some unpredictable circumstances. "That

same year [1862] a bitter dispute between the Prussian

government and Parliament over the size of the army

reached an impasses. In 1861 Parliament had granted the

government additional funds for reforms, but in 1862 it

refused to do so without a reduction of the compulsory

military service from three to two years. King William I

would not yield for fear that the draftees would be

insufficiently imbued with conservative values...

... middle of paper ...

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