Very few people have had a greater impact on a state's founding and establishment than Otto von Bismarck had for the creation of modern Germany in 1871. In his capacity as Minister of Prussia, Bismarck managed with cunning and formidable political skills to gather all the small independent German states into one single kingdom, the German Empire.

From 1871 Bismarck was the political leader of continental Europe's strongest power that he the following 20 years steered hard but also skillfully and efficiently. He rejected most demands for democratization and liberalization and cracked down hard on both the Catholic Church and the nascent labor movement.

Would you say that he also sowed the seeds in the German people into the worship of the strong leader? He hated liberals, socialists, Jews, Catholics etc. all of which in his opinion was revolutionary and enemies of the monarchy. Is there a connecting thread from Bismarck to Hitler's regime?

He sowed the seeds for totalitarianism. Which led to the Kaiser, which led to Hitler.

Originally Posted by Kesse81

Very few people have had a greater impact on a state's founding and establishment than Otto von Bismarck had for the creation of modern Germany in 1871. In his capacity as Minister of Prussia, Bismarck managed with cunning and formidable political skills to gather all the small independent German states into one single kingdom, the German Empire.

From 1871 Bismarck was the political leader of continental Europe's strongest power that he the following 20 years steered hard but also skillfully and efficiently. He rejected most demands for democratization and liberalization and cracked down hard on both the Catholic Church and the nascent labor movement.

Would you say that he also sowed the seeds in the German people into the worship of the strong leader? He hated liberals, socialists, Jews, Catholics etc. all of which in his opinion was revolutionary and enemies of the monarchy. Is there a connecting thread from Bismarck to Hitler's regime?

Yet despite his right wing reputation in 1881 Germany introduced the first superannuation benefits in the world at his behest.

Personally I think he was a man driven by an aim to build a great and powerful nation in the shortest time available and he succeeded to a large degree only to have it destroyed by Wilhelm II and later obliterated by Hitler.

I have always been interested by Bismarck and regard him as one of the most effective statesmen in history.

Originally Posted by MontyB

Yet despite his right wing reputation in 1881 Germany introduced the first superannuation benefits in the world at his behest.

Personally I think he was a man driven by an aim to build a great and powerful nation in the shortest time available and he succeeded to a large degree only to have it destroyed by Wilhelm II and later obliterated by Hitler.

I have always been interested by Bismarck and regard him as one of the most effective statesmen in history.

Can one not argue that he, in his reign taught his descendants contempt for parliamentarianism, the cult of the leader, intemperance and obedience.

Is it wrong to say that he left behind a nation without any political education and, above all, a nation without any political will, accustomed as it was to the great statesman who had already arranged the policy for it.

Originally Posted by Kesse81

Can one not argue that he, in his reign taught his descendants contempt for parliamentarianism, the cult of the leader, intemperance and obedience.

Is it wrong to say that he left behind a nation without any political education and, above all, a nation without any political will, accustomed as it was to the great statesman who had already arranged the policy for it.

I am not sure you can argue that as the mindset of the "modern" Prussian state had already ingrained that in the region anyway, militarism and obedience would almost be the two major descriptors of Prussian politics post 1700.

It was also his disagreement with Wilhelm II that lead to his resignation so I am not sure he had any influence on the attitude of the leaders that followed him.

I would suggest it was more a case that he and Wilhelm I worked together extremely well and achieved some remarkable things where Wilhelm II was a spoiled brat who failed dismally and the succession of weak Wiemar republic governments left Germans looking for a Bismarck style leader but led to a lunatic.