2nd Edition

Bismarck A Political History

By Edgar Feuchtwanger Copyright 2014
    316 Pages
    by Routledge

    316 Pages
    by Routledge

    Bismarck was arguably the most important figure in nineteenth-century European history after 1815. In this biography, Edgar Feuchtwanger reassesses Bismarck's significance as a historical figure. He traces his development from a typical Junker, a reactionary and conservative, into the so-called white revolutionary who recast European affairs more drastically than anyone since Napoleon. This second edition includes a new introduction, taking into account the most recent scholarship on Bismarck, which reflects on Bismarck's legacy in modern Germany, which is once again the European economic powerhouse for which Bismarck laid the foundations.

     

    Feuchtwanger's lucid account demythologizes the German leader without demonising him. This book leaves the reader with a strongly-etched portrait of one of the decisive makers of the modern world.

    Chronology Preface Introduction 1. Early Days 2. Entry into politics 3. Diplomat with a difference 4. Minister in waiting 5. Prime minister 6. First triumph 7. Fratricidal war 8. High noon 9. Imperial chancellor 10. Turn to the right 11. Power prolonged 12. Fall and resentful retirement Conclusion Notes Further Reading Index

    Biography

    Edgar Feuchtwanger studied history at Cambridge, taught British and German history at the University of Southampton and has been visiting professor at the University of Frankfurt. He received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundesverdienstkreuz), 2003, for promoting Anglo-German relations. His major publications include From Weimar to Hitler (1995), Disraeli (2000) and Imperial Germany 1850-1918 (Routledge, 2001).

    'It is good to have so accessible a biography of Bismarck in one volume. Feuchtwanger takes account of much of the recent writing on the history of the period. Especially valuable is the highlighting of connections between Bismarck's domestic and foreign policies'.
    John Breuilly, University of Birmingham