BISMARCK-SCHOENHAUSEN, OTTO EDUARD LEOPOLD, Prince von. chancellor of the German empire, now the most prominent man in Europe, was b. in 1813 at Branden burg. of an old family, of which various members have gained a reputation both a soldiers stud statesman. B. received his university education at GiMtingen, Berlin, and Greifswald, where he studied law. After he had finished his studies, he lived for a time on his estates. Before 1847, he was little heard of, but about that time he began to attract attention in the Prussian parliament as an ultra-royalist, and an advocate of the extremest absolutism. Ile was one of those who opposed the scheme of a German empire, proposed by the German parliament of 1849. His diplomatic career com menced in 1851, when he was appointed chief secretary of the Prussian legation, at the resuscitated German diet at Frankfort. Here he began to manifest that zeal for the interests and aggrandizement of Prussia, which has since unde viatingly guided him. often regardless of the means. In the diet, he gave open expression to the long-felt discontent with the predominance of Austrir., and demanded equal rights for Prussia. To St. Petersburg, whither he was scot in 1859, he is said to have tried to bring abo'IC an alliance between Prance, Prussia. and Russia, but without success. 13y this time he had acquired the special regard and con fidence of the king. who sent him. in the spring of 1862, as ambassador to Paris, in order to give him an insight into the polities of the Tuileries, before taking the direction of affairs at home. In autumn, when the king's government could not obtain the consent of the lower house to the new military organization, B. was recalled. to take the portfolio of the ministry for foreign affairs, and the presidency of the cabinet. Not to pass the reorganization bill and the budget, he closed the chambers (Oct., 1S62), announcing to the deputies that the king's government would be obliged to do with out their sanction. Accordingly, the army reorganization went on; and the next four sessions of parliament were closed or dissolved in the same way, without the govern ment obtaining, or even caring to obtain, tIr? sanction of the house. The people were DOW looking for a coup d'etat, and the government for a revolution. At this crisis, the
death of the king of Denmark opened up again the Slesvig-Holstein question, and excited a fever of national German feeling, which 13. was adroit enough to work so as to aggrandize Prussia by the acquisition of the duchies. and reconcile his opponents to his high-handed policy by being able to point to the success of the newly-modeled army. Throughout the events which ended in the humiliation of Austria and the reorganiza tion of Germany under the leadership of Prussia (see GERMANY, in Si'rr., Vol. X.), B. was the such is the magic of success:that, from being universally has lx.come the most popular man in Germany. What is perhaps still stranger, the man who, of all others living, has been the most strenuous upholder of absolutism, and has all along manifested the strongest contempt for public ()pillion, received. in 1871, the thanks and congratulations of the extreme democrats of Great Britain for giving to North Germany a constitution based on universal suffrage. It was B. that negotiated the neutralization of the Luxemburg territory (1867). The action of France in regard to the candidature of prince Leopold of Hohenzollern for the throne of Spain gave B. the opportunity of carrying into action the intensified of unity amongt Germans. During the war of 1870-71. B. was the spokesman of Germany; he it was that, in Feb.. 1871. dictated the terms of peace to France. Ile was soon created a prince and chancellor of the German empire. The most striking feature of his admin istration has been a contest with the Catholic church, in which the expulsion of the Jesuits (July, 1872). and the carrying out of the new ecclesiastical laws, were the most protninent events. His life was attempted in 1874. Ile presided at the Berlin con gress of 1878. His recent financial schemes, including a tobacco monopoly and the extension of the protective system. have met with strong opposition from the national liberal party. In social life, B. is genial and witty. The work B. rind seine Leute, by Dr. Busch (1874 contains many facts and amusing incidents, throwing light on the chancellor's character and manners.