The Mode Of Bismarck’s Diplomacy And Enlightenment

Unlike the traditional mode of European diplomacy, which means solo domination, temporary alliance against, fostering the powers, and the national strength distribution based on the territory and the population, Otto von Bismarck, who had been the chief designer of German Empire’s diplomacy, inherited and developed the realism political tradition of Europe, and formed the mode of Bismarck diplomacy which is quite different from the past.According to this article, the author summarizes the mode from four aspects:low-profile, big alliance, absolute isolation and contradictory balance of power. Low-profile, is reflected in step by step, limited objectives, cautious force and contract category of interest; big alliance, which means makes multilateral alliance with the premise of avoiding the balance of the whole strength distribution; absolute isolation, which indicates avoiding multi-enemy attacks, absolutely surrounding and breaking it one by one, and the implementation of complete isolation policy to the hostile targets; contradictory balance of power, which embodies that constructing the allied balance of power on the principle of "contradiction limits contradiction".The mode of Bismarck’s diplomacy plays dual effects in the history. On one hand, it guaranteed the relative safety of the emerging German Empire’s external environment, laid the foundation for the rise of Germany, played a positive role in a period of Europe; on the other hand, in the long run, it had added more instability in the European diplomatic system, which is too complex, lack of sustainability, and led to the transformation of German foreign policy and the emergence of the European military blocs.Bismarck diplomatic mode provides some useful insights, especially in the national status and influence, infinite and finite strategic objectives, the leaders, as well as the management of international strategy environment, which deserves our extra thoughts and attentions.