On Bismarck’s Views Of Nationalism And National Policy

Bismarck is the most influential politician of Germany in the second half of the19th Century. He boosted the unification of Germany with his dogged willpower and steady determination, and protected the German Empire during her weakest neonatal period. His political ideality and strategy brought the German nation indelible effect. German nationalism, after the development of cultural nationalism and political nationalism, grew up in Napoleon’s artillery fire. This brought inestimable influence to the German politics during the19th Century, for the German nationalism was not only an advanced idea attracting the people and agglomerating the morale but also a political weapon, with which various political powers fought each other. What this thesis hopes to discuss is just about how Bismarck, who grew up in a Juncker family, answered the advanced idea in the19th Century----nationalism? What nationalism concept and strategy he had.?For the variety and complexity of Bismarck’s personality, this thesis will discuss his nationalism concept and strategy by three stages. The first stage was the development of his nationalism concept from youth till the period he served as a foreign minister. Bismarck’s education background caused his intimate contact with nationalism. So he supported the national unity during his youth time. But when seeing the revolutionaries challenge the royalty with the national unity, he stood firmly in the conservative position opposing any revolution with nationalism. Not until he served as a foreign minister did his view on nationalism gradually change. Then he gradually brewed a set of unique nationalism strategy. The second stage was how he successfully executed his nationalism strategy during the process of unifying Germany. In the three wars of dynasty unification, Bismarck took different nationalism strategies. Sometimes he evaded the edge of nationalism. Sometimes he split the enemy countries with nationalism. Sometimes he fomented the Germany national sentiment. Nationalism gave Bismarck’s war of unification great help. The third stage was the maturity of his nationalism concept and strategy during the Age of Empires. Facing the complex situation in and abroad the newborn empire, Sometimes Bismarck beat the internal separatist forces with nationalism. Sometimes he created tensional situation to vin the votes by exaggerating the French revenge passion. Rather than being invariable, Bismarck’s nationalism concept changed and maturated with the increase of his knowledge and experience during every stage.In the end, this thesis analyses the three characteristics of his nationalism concept and strategy----offensive nature, conservatism and utilitarian nature. By the research of Bismarck’s nationalism concept and strategy, we can get a better understanding of his policy characteristics and personality peculiarites. It can also enrich the research on German nationalism.