To what Extent Did Otto Von Bismarck Plan Ahead with His Foreign Policy

Otto Von Bismarck came from a family of junkers in Brandenburg. He was sent away to a Berlin university when young and this helped shape his political views. In 1862 he became the Prussian chancellor and he had big plans for his country. He intended to unite Germany under Prussian rule while stopping any liberal advances at the same time. He hated liberalism, democracy and socialism. Bismarck believed that he could achieve his goals by controlling the people and manipulating them for his purposes, through the use of charismatic leaders, the granting of limited power, or even the use of the army, if necessary. Bismarck wanted to gain the support of the lower class and gain a popular vote that he could use against the liberals and Austria. The manipulation and use of the leaders of other countries was also a key part of initiating his ultimate goal, German unification. Bismarck was an extreme loyalist who was willing to stop at nothing to complete the goals of Kaiser William.…