“The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions, but by blood and iron.“

Bismarck was responsible for transforming a collection of small German states into the German empire with Prussia at its core, and was its first chancellor. Bismarck aimed to make the German empire the most powerful in Europe.

As ‘chancellor’ of the new Germany, Bismarck concentrated on building a powerful state with a unified national identity. One of his targets was the Catholic Church, which he believed had too much influence, particularly in southern Germany. He also worked to prevent the spread of socialism, partly by introducing health insurance and pensions.

Otto von Bismarck: Quick History