Bismark has a bunch of famous quotes. "One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans." "Americans are the luckiest people on earth. They are surrounded by weak neighbors and fish." "Whoever speaks of Europe is wrong. It is a geographic expression."
That quote on America is because how jealous he is of the Americans of not having to deal with being surrounded by all the world strongest nations and empires. Being a country in Europe mean that you either be conquerors or be conquered at the west is the French and British empire, the east is the Austrian-Hungarian empire and Russian empires, in the south is Italy while north idk.
@Paul Calixte Canada was still a colony that answers to the British while Mexico was having a civil war or in turmoil at the time while the fish part was that at east and west of America was Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
The down side of being surrounded by weak neighbors and fish, is Americans didn't have to get very good at diplomacy and politics, which results in strange things like Orange Man.
I'm kinda disappointed that they didn't mention younger Bismarck's habits of releasing foxes in his friends studies and announcing his arrival by shooting a pistol into the ceiling.
Bismarck is by far one of the most fascinating historical figures of all time. A politician with a plan, and an “off” button - this is utterly unique. Went to war to achieve aims, and then when they were achieved he was satisfied and tried to keep the balance of power from then onwards. Not a perfect man, and I imagine probably very unlikeable if you met him, but man oh man what a Titan of history
Not to mention that Bismarck virtually predicted WWI, and how it would start, before his death: “One day the Great European War will come out of some damned foolish think in the Balkans. (1888).”
So the fight for liberty in western europe in 1848 is something memorable, but the fight for freedom in the Balkans is a damn foolish thing? This double standard and hypocrisy is why the so-called european union is failing
dumdebadaba I think you misunderstood there something. Bismarck never saw the revolution of 1848/9 as a good thing, but an evolution that sooner or later would happen. That’s the reason why he decided to perform that “change” through his own means in a controlled environment. He only cared because it effected his country. Of course he sees the Balkan as a danger. On another note, what has the European Union to do with Bismarck?
As a Portuguese the history of Germany and central Europe fascinates me. Our country stayed pretty much intact in our little corner for 900 years, while countries like Germany have had such a rich history of rulers and states. I mean it's mind-blowing how such a powerhouse like Germany didn't exist until just two centuries ago
@@miguelpereira9859 Eu discordo meu amigo. Nossa história foi forjada em ferro e sangue: Nós fomos vitais para a reconquista, criamos um império global tão poderoso que dividimos o mundo em dóis e nós chutamos o traseiro dos Turcos Otomanos no mediterrâneo, na África no e Indico. Nada mal para um país pequeno.
@@yanuchiuchihaanimegamesand3907 I mean German unification was already very much in the zeitgeist of the time and I'm pretty sure that it would have happened regardless just probably a bit later and including Austria in some fashion.
@@yanuchiuchihaanimegamesand3907 Germany was thriving under him ... Hitler was not created by him, look to France, Belgium , Britain and Rothschild family for that
Hilarious that you chose Viennese music for this video instead of, say, "Prussia´s Glory"... About the whole "No Bismarck=no WWII" thing, I agree with Sir Winston Churchill, who said:If the Allies at the peace table at Versailles had allowed a Hohenzollern, a Wittelsbach and a Habsburg to return to their thrones, there would have been no Hitler"
@Kyle Whitehead If anything, it was the giant void left after he was removed from power. There would not be another Bismarck to keep things from spiraling out of control.
Not really. There was a revolution in Germany before the end of WW1. There were worker and soldier soviets. The revolutionaries were divided about the final goal of the revolution but one thing was clear: the abolition of aristocracy.
@@harrypadarri6349 that means that a Hitler type was guaranteed then. When there is a dualistic struggle one side wins out in the end. The national socialists defeated the communists and Hitler took the lot. Could of been a Soviet state of Germany, don't know which one is worse lol
The Wittelsbach family were very opposed to Hitler and wanted to reinstate the Monarchy in Bavaria to get rid of him, and it was the USA who prevented that and forbade them to carry out their plans. The Wittelsbach family were very much loved in Bavaria, most of their Palaces and large homes were turned into Hospitals and care centers in WW1. As for the Habsburgs, they were so hated by the Austrians because of the stubborn Kaiser Franz Josef who basically poked the Serbs into War that they threw them out themselves. To this day they are only allowed to return home to be buried in the family gruft in Vienna, Otto von Habsburg who organised the gathering of East Germans near the Hungarian Border that started the break up of the Iron curtain and was an MEP was buried there a few years ago. As for Kaiser Wilhelm 2nd, his Government wanted him to die a Hero´s Death on the Battlefield, he gracefully declined( German for Go **** Yourselves!) and became an Asylum Seeker in neutral Holland.
Would have been nice to have seen some maps to keep track of what land the pre-Germany states covered, how the empire expanded, etc. Very interesting nonetheless though, thanks. :)
I totally agree. I too would love to see the maps of before and after. Adolf nearly lost all of Germany. At least half was controlled by thier enemy the Soviet Union while thier lesser enemy the USA controlled the western half untill the "Fall of the Wall and the Soviet Union."
You can get a glimpse of it on Wikipedia. I totally understand, though, why they didn't use maps - around that time they changed quicker as you could say "Bismarck"
Imagine being Bismarck and spending several years of your life building up the German Empire and then her leaders end up losing most of the land and losing two wars.
Wow. This is the first time I’ve truly learned about Bismarck and he was absolutely amazing. A strong nationalist who from a young age formed a weakened Prussia into a strong German empire with critical thinking and a great understanding of geography and history. Just wow. He deserves to be fully respected. The name Iron Chancellor is certainly deserved.
I wouldn't consider Prussia "weakened". Prussia was by far and away the largest German speaking country in Europe not named Austria. The leaders were a little weak, but at least they were smart enough to realize they shouldn't be running the country and delegated the task.
As a Brazilian, the first time I read about Bismark was on Henry Kissinger’s Diplomacy. It was a shock to see how much diplomatic affairs can change the history of the world. Bismark’s intelligence and stoic understanding of international affairs allowed him not only create Germany, but also be remembered as one of the most witted politicians to ever rule. And I repeat, he definitely ruled.
Did you know that during his final days, Bismarck told Wilhelm ll that in 20 years Wilhelm would fall and Germany would fall. And it happened at the end of WW1 and Bismarck was off by a few months
This is so good.... Bravo! German history is, obviously, 20th Century dominated. Thanks for the bio on Bismarck. And the 19th Century history of Germany.
19th century saw a rising Germany, 20th century a decline, except in economics between 1950 and 1992 (Treaty of Maastricht). Political power is decisive. Compare the maps of Germany 1910 and 1990. At least, being in the Nato means that Germany has no more to fear a french-russian-british alliance.
Otto von Bismarck knew how to turn things in his favour but he could not persuade everyone to do what he wanted. Simon, I really like the editing. Send my regards to the person who did it.
Ironic that Strauss' Blue Danube is used here - it's arguably the most quintessentially Austrian piece of music. And yes, I get that the Danube River also runs through Germany, but the music itself is practically an advert for Vienna (probably why the Viennese Philharmonic celebrates the New Year with a Strauss Festival).
@@shellshockedgerman3947our rulers were the german kaiser a lot of the time so technically than germans are austrians. We have existed for a long long time whilst Germany wasn`t even a country. WE ARE SO NOT GERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am really sad, that everytime there is a talk about creation of Germany, Bismark is always overpraised and von Moltke is always left out. And yet... Bismarck started all those wars, while von Moltke won then. Without von Molkte Bismarck would be remebered only as bad joke. Like cmn... My dude was possibly the greatest military mind of his time..
Yeah, if i remember correctly... His general staff was the first european general staff that do wargames to predict what will go down if a war happens... And they do it in peacetime, not in a time where europe was embroiled by conflict....
isnt he well known whenever we talk about Bismarck tho? Bismarck's war plans only worked because he had Moltke in his era to lead it for him. with Moltke, Bismarck's plans would never have come to fruition.
A video on Tito would be nice. He was able to keep peace in the Balkans for a while, as well as keeping unity between the Croatians and Serbians. He was the only socialist in the 20th century that the West respected.
If you are interested, there is a good biography on him by Jasper Ridley. Aldo....he somewhat avoids some of the controversial topics about Tito. But yeah, he was an interesting fellow.
You left out some of the best parts! During his college days his was often thrown in school prison (it was a thing) for being drunk or starting duels (or both). He was also nicknamed the mad junker for riding his horse at a full gallop during the night (mind you there wasn't streetlights like we have now) which was EXTREMELY dangerous to both horse and rider. Then again so did Extra History and they did a 5 part 20 minute series on him.
Not so much that, but the world needs a diplomat with his skill. The situation in the Middle East is something only a man like Bismarck could untangle.
Joe Blow Bismarck had a brain, not just a mouth. He also did not see everything as a zero sum game and recognized that some goals are worth short term sacrifices, rather thinking it always has to be “I win, you lose.” I find it hilariously ironic that he was the creator of the social welfare state, and modern US conservatives are blind to what a stroke of genius it was.
You really need some maps to go with some of these stories, with words , its just to abstract to figure out what your describing of a Germany in pieces and where austria and prussa are.
I totally agree with you! Great post! Maybe Simon will get a clue and update this video in the future. Well I hope he does. It would definitely bring complete understanding.
Yes, I do Tours in Bavaria and I have a folder of A4 maps and photographs to show my guests about the history of Europe, It really does make a huge difference as Euopean History is like a huge plate of Spaghetti, the stories merge and wind. When I show Bavaria as Piggy in the Middle, the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the East, Prussia to the North and France to the West then you can almost see a lightbulb switching on, pictures are very important.
I grew up in Germany and lived there until 2000 and seen Bismarck’s statues everywhere just didn’t know who the dude was as a child! Thanks for filling me in! Love your Channel, I subbed. Much love from California!
Broski thank you for the quality content to watch and listen to. I work grave yard shifts at a gas station in the middle of a small as town. Not only entertaining me but educating me. 10/10 ign
The man to whom the great battleship was named, but lasted only 8 days. I wonder what Otto von Bismarck would've thought if he saw the ship he was named after. He would have a huge smile on his face.
I had to wait a day for my new modem to come in and watch tv for entertainment. There were so many commercials for only 20 minutes worth of content. I will never complain about a 20-second ad anymore.
I found this story fascinating, because I have German in me from my father's side of the family. To find out that Germany became a nation out of divided states in 1867 is only 96 years before my own birth. Meanwhile back in the United States Abraham Lincoln had just been assassinated a couple years previous. It really wasn't that long ago. I wish that I could ask my father or grandfather what year thier family came to the USA, but unfortunately they are dead. Life is so brief. It was only yesterday that so much happened in world history. Thank you for the post. Germany's history intrigued me. I still hate Adolf Hitler a madman who is most likely dancing in agony in the fires of Hell waiting on the final judgement of God.....
The fact that Germany went from such a masterful diplomatic mind, possibly the greatest of his time, to the absolute shitshow that Wilhelm II's diplomacy was is honestly just sad
I can never get a heads and tails of them. It's like there was no other names but Fridrih, Wilhelm and Wilhelm Fridrih and vice versa. No enough years in life to get them straight! (except Fridrih the great and Wilhelm ii)
@@mmescarlettziegfieldvonbis4551 He was Wilhelm "1st" because he was the first Emperor, not King. Until then he was Wilhelm V, successor to Wilhelm IV.
@@yochaiwyss3843 That's not correct, unfortunately. Wilhelm I was indeed the first prussian king with the sole (!) regnal name "Wilhelm" (the previous four guys used the double name "Friedrich Wilhelm"), und thus dubbed "the First" even before he became Emperor. The later numbering convention of the German Emperors simply continued in the order of the previous prussian monarchs. That's why there was (briefly between the two Kaiser Wilhelms) an Emperor Friedrich III, even without two imperial forebearers of that name - but with two previous prussian kings who were also called solely "Friedrich" (Friedrich I, who achived little but aquiring the status of a kingdom for then little Prussia, and then of course Friedrich II, the Great).
@@lukasfeldmann6646 Correct. Just want to add there had been Holy Roman Emperors Friedrich I & II (of the house of Staufen) and Friedrich III (Habsburg) in the 12th and 15th centuries, respectively.
@@quantumbubbles2106 And that gives me a wonderful opportunity to add some more minutia about Bismarck. ;) It was the Iron Chancellor who talked the short-time Kaiser Friedrich III out of using the ordinal IV as Emperor (which would have been the correct one if one wished to create contintuity with the aforementioned medieval Holy Roman Emperors), out of legal and diplomatic reasons (the new Kaiserreich not being the direct legal successor to the ancient HRE, and avoiding to anger the Austrians over that problem).
Simon is the absolute BEST when it comes to biography.. No freaking fluff and BS filling.. To the point every single time and I find myself always lost listening... You just cannot beat Simon.. You just can't...
@@lordmerp1498 I heard that too. But the gun's barrel was removed by the assassin to be carried concealed, which decreased the bulletts' velocity dramatically.
I really love your videos! And it might be partly because of the format focusing on people’s biographies, but sometimes you step into the great man history fallacy. Most historic events don’t depend only on one person.
There's one thing you missed. A few hours after Bismarck died, two reporters snuck into his bedroom and shot a now infamous photo of his dead body. "Bismarck on the deathbed". They wanted to sell it to newspapers, but the public was outraged. Long story short, this led to laws being passed, which can be traced all the way to germany's modern privacy laws regarding photographs. It's the reason why dashcams are somewhat illegal, and why you can sue someone for publishing a photo of you without your consent. Even after death, Bismarck still provided.
Although this was undone in record time by Kaiser Wilhelm II who seemingly went out of his way to piss of all of Europe with the exception of Austria-Hungary.
@@Biographics Ze pronunciations kud bi imrpröved. A tiny bitt. Schleswig; shle-svig/k. Our Danish neighbours to the south just say Slesvig. "Von" is "fon". Ü is [y]. Simple stuff. But, nevertheless. I zink tis vås a ferry gut intrödökksjon to German histöry.
"Your majesty, so long as you have your present officer corps, you can do as you please. But when this is no longer the case, it will be very different for you. Jena came twenty years after the death of Frederick the Great; the crash will come twenty years after my departure if things go on like this." 20 years and 4 months later WW1 ended.
@@jessicafrost8596 I did not expect this to take an entire year before someone did source checking of any decent quality. Though I don't recall EH mentioning Jena and Frederick. Been a long while though.
Bismarck is still a highly respected character in Germany. Grew up in Berlin, went to school there, he is always seen as one of the good guys who might had his flaws, but got some good things done
By far, this is one of the best biographics episode that I have seen. That so many fascinating insights were laid out clearly on such a complicated man attests to how good this series is! That being said, the question of Fredrick III remains in the air. Had he lived, and Wilhelm I not come to power, could the world avoided the First World War? And, if it did escape that disaster, what would the world have looked like today?
no one can say for sure but I find it pretty unlikely considering the main reason for WW1 was the situation on the Balkan peninsula spiralling out of control
Possible. Remember it was Austria-Hungary that started it all. Wilhem II , despite his huge ambitions, was vacationing when war started, a war he didn't want. Most of the cause of WW1 are caused by a series of diplomatic fiascos on all sides. It would take a man with great diplomatic skills and connections like Bismarck to calm such a surge to call for action. Unfortunately, there was no such a man in 1914 and Bismarck had long since died.
@@inisipisTV true, Wilhelm may not have wanted the war, but we can't minimize his actions and behavior which encouraged Austrian involvement in Serbia.
SIMON... wow. I've watched this time and time again and it's quality is never lost on me. Bravo my etherical friend, and Bravo to your entire crew who construct these masterpieces.
It's rather impressive how Otto essentially set up the foundation for the modern world. If it wasn't for him, there would be no Germany. No European Union. No United Nations. Monarchs would still run global politics. If true, it seemed that he understood the Balkans was going to reshape the course of history. He understood the rise of the US on the world stage. It's obvious the Nazis understood the importance he had for Germany. He was essentially the founding father.
Thank you Skillshare for making this one possible! Check out here: skl.sh/biographics
Ze German pronunciations, lmao!
Leni riefenstahl?
@@dudepool7530 :D
@@Biographics awe, i made you guys smile. 'bout time i returned the favor. on that note. maybe a George Carlin video, lighten things up a bit.
Do Vidkun Quisling
Bismark has a bunch of famous quotes.
"One day the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans."
"Americans are the luckiest people on earth. They are surrounded by weak neighbors and fish."
"Whoever speaks of Europe is wrong. It is a geographic expression."
I agree with that comment about Americans!!!
"The less the people know about how sausages and laws are made, the better they sleep in the night."
That quote on America is because how jealous he is of the Americans of not having to deal with being surrounded by all the world strongest nations and empires. Being a country in Europe mean that you either be conquerors or be conquered at the west is the French and British empire, the east is the Austrian-Hungarian empire and Russian empires, in the south is Italy while north idk.
@Paul Calixte Canada was still a colony that answers to the British while Mexico was having a civil war or in turmoil at the time while the fish part was that at east and west of America was Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
The down side of being surrounded by weak neighbors and fish, is Americans didn't have to get very good at diplomacy and politics, which results in strange things like Orange Man.
I'm kinda disappointed that they didn't mention younger Bismarck's habits of releasing foxes in his friends studies and announcing his arrival by shooting a pistol into the ceiling.
👋😂👌
Do you got a source? Really need to look that one up! :D
FuckinAntiPope extra history
He invented the desk pop? Lol
reminds me of that one vine
"this is why mom doesnt fucking love you!"
Bismarck is by far one of the most fascinating historical figures of all time. A politician with a plan, and an “off” button - this is utterly unique. Went to war to achieve aims, and then when they were achieved he was satisfied and tried to keep the balance of power from then onwards. Not a perfect man, and I imagine probably very unlikeable if you met him, but man oh man what a Titan of history
He’s a racist bigot
So 3 things are always true
1) America wants to give oil-rich nations "freedom"
2) Russia needs a warm water port
3) Bismark always have a plan
4) It was Walpole.
Nice Starlord.
(5) Steiner's assault will solve all problems.
6) Germany WILL be united.
7) Simon’s chest hair will always be waving at us in these videos
Everyone forgets about the first Iron Man
New one wants to hear about a goody-two-shoes who takes his vitamins daily. Really , what about B12?
You mean Ned Kelly?
In this case, would the Iron Monger be Napoleon III?
That was Davout. The Iron Marshal
More like first iron chancellor
Not to mention that Bismarck virtually predicted WWI, and how it would start, before his death: “One day the Great European War will come out of some damned foolish think in the Balkans. (1888).”
So the fight for liberty in western europe in 1848 is something memorable, but the fight for freedom in the Balkans is a damn foolish thing? This double standard and hypocrisy is why the so-called european union is failing
dumdebadaba I think you misunderstood there something. Bismarck never saw the revolution of 1848/9 as a good thing, but an evolution that sooner or later would happen. That’s the reason why he decided to perform that “change” through his own means in a controlled environment. He only cared because it effected his country. Of course he sees the Balkan as a danger.
On another note, what has the European Union to do with Bismarck?
@@dumdebadaba the fight for freedom that costed millions of lives outside said region? Yeah that sounds right aint it?
*Slaps roof of the Balkan Peninsula*
This bad boy can fit so much ethnic conflict in it
@@dumdebadaba He just did not want Germany involved in it, he saw that it would lead to its destruction under Wilhelm II.
This video just give me a 150% Discipline
You mean you start to respect traffic signs now? what is your total level of disciplin enow :-)
@@zoolkhan How dare you sir !
disrespect the mighty Prussia
Can you even get that high? I have gotten 135% with all the ideas and ruler traits.
@@nnaauujjddaa yes through events and missions tree u can reached it
@@nnaauujjddaa Prussian government - ideas traditions advisor and leader I think you can get mor err I’m minions too. You can def get 165+
You forgot to mention that Bismarck always had a plan.
Yes, i did.
@@ottovonbismarck2890 evening Mr Bismarck ^_^/
Beat me to it lol
Dead Meme, 'member when that channel used to make good videos? I 'member.
@@johnnycatR58 ouch...that's a burn my dude.
As a Portuguese the history of Germany and central Europe fascinates me. Our country stayed pretty much intact in our little corner for 900 years, while countries like Germany have had such a rich history of rulers and states. I mean it's mind-blowing how such a powerhouse like Germany didn't exist until just two centuries ago
Neither did Italy.
Nossa história é mais rica que a deles meu amigo e nosso povo tem uma grande história de ousadia e conquistas.
@@darthvenator2487 Politicamente a nossa história não é assim tão interessante
@@miguelpereira9859 Eu discordo meu amigo. Nossa história foi forjada em ferro e sangue: Nós fomos vitais para a reconquista, criamos um império global tão poderoso que dividimos o mundo em dóis e nós chutamos o traseiro dos Turcos Otomanos no mediterrâneo, na África no e Indico. Nada mal para um país pequeno.
@@miguelpereira9859 A união ibérica um período bem interessante. Foi graças a isso que o Brasil virou uma nação continental.
"Can we imagine a world without Bismarck?"
Alternate history hub: *pokes head around the corner*
No Germany, meaning Austria becomes OP and Hitler becomes a painter
@@yanuchiuchihaanimegamesand3907 I mean German unification was already very much in the zeitgeist of the time and I'm pretty sure that it would have happened regardless just probably a bit later and including Austria in some fashion.
Hi, I'm Cody
@@yanuchiuchihaanimegamesand3907 Germany was thriving under him ...
Hitler was not created by him, look to France, Belgium , Britain and Rothschild family for that
“This is Cody!”
A video on Frederick the Great of Prussia would be nice. He was instrumental in the transformation of Prussia into a great power of Europe.
You read my mind my friend!
The Dave I’ve been waiting for Otto and Frederick for years!
Btw. There's and amazing documentary about the man by Christopher Clark, historian. Very interesting watch.
I am going to look up Freddy's history tonight! Thanks
@spudnic88 👋😂👌 birthday Ed artist renditions and personal testimony. That's worth something at least.
Don't forget Bismarck had a plan. He ALWAYS had a plan.
And good"ish" ideas
All we need is more money. I HAVE A PLAN!!
Julianus Vatinius!
Extra Credits?
obviously
EC went to hell in a handbasket as soon as Dan left. Matt has done his best, but it's not the same.
He warned the Kaiser 20 years after his death the Kaiser will abdicate and his prediction missed by 4 months
So is the mind that made Germany
How did he warn the Kaiser about anything 20 years after he was dead?
@@MasterMalrubius His prediction was along the lines of "20 years after I'm dead..."
The same way the old Hamlet warned young Hamlet that his uncle was a creep.
he also said in 1888, "the great European War will come out of some damned foolish thing in the Balkans"
how right he was...
Hilarious that you chose Viennese music for this video instead of, say, "Prussia´s Glory"...
About the whole "No Bismarck=no WWII" thing, I agree with Sir Winston Churchill, who said:If the Allies at the peace table at Versailles had allowed a Hohenzollern, a Wittelsbach and a Habsburg to return to their thrones, there would have been no Hitler"
Indeed more to the point.
@Kyle Whitehead If anything, it was the giant void left after he was removed from power. There would not be another Bismarck to keep things from spiraling out of control.
Not really. There was a revolution in Germany before the end of WW1. There were worker and soldier soviets. The revolutionaries were divided about the final goal of the revolution but one thing was clear: the abolition of aristocracy.
@@harrypadarri6349 that means that a Hitler type was guaranteed then. When there is a dualistic struggle one side wins out in the end. The national socialists defeated the communists and Hitler took the lot. Could of been a Soviet state of Germany, don't know which one is worse lol
The Wittelsbach family were very opposed to Hitler and wanted to reinstate the Monarchy in Bavaria to get rid of him, and it was the USA who prevented that and forbade them to carry out their plans.
The Wittelsbach family were very much loved in Bavaria, most of their Palaces and large homes were turned into Hospitals and care centers in WW1.
As for the Habsburgs, they were so hated by the Austrians because of the stubborn Kaiser Franz Josef who basically poked the Serbs into War that they threw them out themselves.
To this day they are only allowed to return home to be buried in the family gruft in Vienna, Otto von Habsburg who organised the gathering of East Germans near the Hungarian Border that started the break up of the Iron curtain and was an MEP was buried there a few years ago.
As for Kaiser Wilhelm 2nd, his Government wanted him to die a Hero´s Death on the Battlefield, he gracefully declined( German for Go **** Yourselves!) and became an Asylum Seeker in neutral Holland.
"Politics is a lot like Sausage making; the less you know about it, the better."
👋😂👌 pass the sausage!
Ironic, coming from the land of bratwurst
26 minutes isn’t enough for this legend
Well it's 5 seconds more so that should be enough really
there are books
We don't have 12 days to relly give him the justice he and most great men deserve. 12 days with 10 hours of learning each and lunch in-between.
Would have been nice to have seen some maps to keep track of what land the pre-Germany states covered, how the empire expanded, etc. Very interesting nonetheless though, thanks. :)
I totally agree. I too would love to see the maps of before and after. Adolf nearly lost all of Germany. At least half was controlled by thier enemy the Soviet Union while thier lesser enemy the USA controlled the western half untill the "Fall of the Wall and the Soviet Union."
You can get a glimpse of it on Wikipedia. I totally understand, though, why they didn't use maps - around that time they changed quicker as you could say "Bismarck"
100% agree.
I've been waiting since the Napoleon 3rd video for Bismarck
Hope you liked it :)
@@Biographics I enjoyed it very much
What's your favorite german word ???🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Imagine being Bismarck and spending several years of your life building up the German Empire and then her leaders end up losing most of the land and losing two wars.
I imagine Otto Von Bismarck was spinning faster than a hog on a rotisserie at an all you can eat BBQ in Harlem! 👋😂👌
Ironically, most of the lands acquired under Bismarck remain part of modern Germany, while the land that was lost included of historic Prussia.
@@josephtabar492 he was dead by then
He actually predicted that twenty years after his death in 1898 the kaiser would fall, he was off by 4 months.
@@abdirahmanidris290 "spinning in his grave..."
Wow. This is the first time I’ve truly learned about Bismarck and he was absolutely amazing. A strong nationalist who from a young age formed a weakened Prussia into a strong German empire with critical thinking and a great understanding of geography and history. Just wow. He deserves to be fully respected. The name Iron Chancellor is certainly deserved.
Is Winston Churchill impressed
I wouldn't consider Prussia "weakened". Prussia was by far and away the largest German speaking country in Europe not named Austria. The leaders were a little weak, but at least they were smart enough to realize they shouldn't be running the country and delegated the task.
Let's not forget this man hated the idea of not having a monarch, he truly was a unique individual.
@@christophercapalbo6470 that cancer doesnt think much anymore lol
@@christophercapalbo6470Churchill is mud compared to this man. He destroyed Britain. This man crafted Germany.
As a Brazilian, the first time I read about Bismark was on Henry Kissinger’s Diplomacy. It was a shock to see how much diplomatic affairs can change the history of the world. Bismark’s intelligence and stoic understanding of international affairs allowed him not only create Germany, but also be remembered as one of the most witted politicians to ever rule. And I repeat, he definitely ruled.
Você é de que estado, amigo?
I bet he had a plan for getting on biographics
BECAUSE BISMARCK ALWAYS HAS A PLAN.
I think it worked just fine with a little room for improvement.
just like batman :)
Bismark always has a plan!
Extra Credits reference ;)
And that's why I love Extra Credits..
Marc: I spell it with a C
Mark: I spell it with a K
Otto: hold my schnapps
Nah man, you gotta do it like this.
Otto: Hold mein schnapps
@@michaeltheundeadmariachi4494 Do you reckon it was peach schnapps?
It's called Schnaps with 1 P
@@planetoftheweek Schnapps is the English paronym to the German schnaps and considering I do not speak German I will hold on to my PP ;)
Hi
Literally no one:
Otto Von Bismarck: *p l a n*
Did you know that during his final days, Bismarck told Wilhelm ll that in 20 years Wilhelm would fall and Germany would fall. And it happened at the end of WW1 and Bismarck was off by a few months
I won a pub quiz yesterday because of two questions that came up and I knew the answers from this channel!
I hope my check is in the post.
Well we congratulate you and uncork a champagne bottle in your honor! I can't wait to see what you win on cartoon week....
What's your favorite german word ???🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
This is so good.... Bravo! German history is, obviously, 20th Century dominated. Thanks for the bio on Bismarck. And the 19th Century history of Germany.
And pre 20th century is equally interesting.
Glad you liked it! :)
@@mmescarlettziegfieldvonbis4551 and the HRE is just... WTF!
@Joe Blow What is wrong with you? Damn Neo-NAZIs!
19th century saw a rising Germany, 20th century a decline, except in economics between 1950 and 1992 (Treaty of Maastricht).
Political power is decisive. Compare the maps of Germany 1910 and 1990.
At least, being in the Nato means that Germany has no more to fear a french-russian-british alliance.
Am I the only one that caught he said “Russian” farmer instead of “Prussian” at 4:20?
I thought I heard that too
He did say Russian
yeah I also heard that
1:30 - Chapter 1 - From the ashes
4:55 - Chapter 2 - Revolution !
7:55 - Chapter 3 - Iron & blood
11:20 - Mid roll ads
12:40 - Chapter 4 - War
16:20 - Chapter 5 - Death of an empire
20:05 - Chapter 6 - Germany's fatherland
23:25 - Chapter 7 - Death of a blacksmith
“Otto! The toilet is overflowing!”
Bismark stands up
“I’ve planned for this day.”
Thanks for making a video about me!
Was at 20:52 when i read this comment lol
@Tsar, Rasputin still with you?
Hallo, Otto.
lol was looking for this
@@raymondhall8691 me too
Otto von Bismarck knew how to turn things in his favour but he could not persuade everyone to do what he wanted.
Simon, I really like the editing. Send my regards to the person who did it.
That would be Jen, she does an amazing job. We're lucky to have her :).
@@Biographics She's really good at what she does and I'm sure she feels the same about having you around.
What's your favorite german word ???🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
@@djzrobzombie2813 I don't have one since I don't speak German.
@@romelnegut2005 i know many british people who knows Blitz or blitzkrieg .
Ironic that Strauss' Blue Danube is used here - it's arguably the most quintessentially Austrian piece of music. And yes, I get that the Danube River also runs through Germany, but the music itself is practically an advert for Vienna (probably why the Viennese Philharmonic celebrates the New Year with a Strauss Festival).
I thought the same! Was kinda irritated when it was used for the first time
Probably because it was written for the purpose of lifting the Austrian spirit after they got whipped by Prussia
No worries, in 1886 Johann Strauss became a naturalised German citizen, and the Danube flows also through Germany.
Austrians are technically Germans. Please don't murder me
@@shellshockedgerman3947our rulers were the german kaiser a lot of the time so technically than germans are austrians. We have existed for a long long time whilst Germany wasn`t even a country. WE ARE SO NOT GERMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am really sad, that everytime there is a talk about creation of Germany, Bismark is always overpraised and von Moltke is always left out. And yet... Bismarck started all those wars, while von Moltke won then. Without von Molkte Bismarck would be remebered only as bad joke. Like cmn... My dude was possibly the greatest military mind of his time..
Yeah, if i remember correctly... His general staff was the first european general staff that do wargames to predict what will go down if a war happens... And they do it in peacetime, not in a time where europe was embroiled by conflict....
isnt he well known whenever we talk about Bismarck tho? Bismarck's war plans only worked because he had Moltke in his era to lead it for him. with Moltke, Bismarck's plans would never have come to fruition.
nvm... just realised he wasnt introduced in the video.. damn shame.
Bismarck didn't even have the decency to attend the man's funeral.
What about krupps industrial resources. Prussias railways helped win them wars against Austria and France and the breech-loading rifle
Bismarck *ALWAYS* had a plan.
"You fail to plan, you plan to fail" - Bismarck probably idk
A video on Tito would be nice. He was able to keep peace in the Balkans for a while, as well as keeping unity between the Croatians and Serbians. He was the only socialist in the 20th century that the West respected.
The west also respected Nicolae Ceausescu, the socialist dictator of Romania for a while in the 20th century.
Both men were very respected. Its a shame it ended in violence.
My parents lived in Yugoslavia. They say it was better than it is now
I'd also love a video on Sir Oswald Mosley
If you are interested, there is a good biography on him by Jasper Ridley. Aldo....he somewhat avoids some of the controversial topics about Tito. But yeah, he was an interesting fellow.
Finally, Bismarck. There are going to be many people very pleased. i did not know anything about him. Thanks!
You left out some of the best parts! During his college days his was often thrown in school prison (it was a thing) for being drunk or starting duels (or both). He was also nicknamed the mad junker for riding his horse at a full gallop during the night (mind you there wasn't streetlights like we have now) which was EXTREMELY dangerous to both horse and rider. Then again so did Extra History and they did a 5 part 20 minute series on him.
That's why he wore a Helmut! 👌
I can’t help but think the world needs a Bismarck today
If it resulted in a united Earthish Empire, I'd be all for it
Not so much that, but the world needs a diplomat with his skill. The situation in the Middle East is something only a man like Bismarck could untangle.
Joe Blow Bismarck had a brain, not just a mouth. He also did not see everything as a zero sum game and recognized that some goals are worth short term sacrifices, rather thinking it always has to be “I win, you lose.” I find it hilariously ironic that he was the creator of the social welfare state, and modern US conservatives are blind to what a stroke of genius it was.
One is coming. He is known by Christians as the Antichrist. REVELATION CHAPTER 13.
@@aaronmarks9366 You will most likely get a chance if you do not know Jesus....
You really need some maps to go with some of these stories, with words , its just to abstract to figure out what your describing of a Germany in pieces and where austria and prussa are.
I totally agree with you! Great post! Maybe Simon will get a clue and update this video in the future. Well I hope he does. It would definitely bring complete understanding.
Yes, I do Tours in Bavaria and I have a folder of A4 maps and photographs to show my guests about the history of Europe, It really does make a huge difference as Euopean History is like a huge plate of Spaghetti, the stories merge and wind.
When I show Bavaria as Piggy in the Middle, the Austro-Hungarian Empire to the East, Prussia to the North and France to the West then you can almost see a lightbulb switching on, pictures are very important.
Yes, i stopped and went to google a few times to check maps
I truly respect Otto, I think he really was one of history's greatest Rulers.
He was also the wipe out a party as square dance! 👌😂
Wonderful work, all the team is great and talented.
"You fail to plan, you plan to fail" - Bismarck probably idk
I grew up in Germany and lived there until 2000 and seen Bismarck’s statues everywhere just didn’t know who the dude was as a child! Thanks for filling me in! Love your Channel, I subbed. Much love from California!
Just wait until you see the Superman statue!
"A dollar store Napoleon."
Best description of the man I've ever heard.
No no, Napoleon III actually wasn't a bad leader. Just not great military.
@@idisplaypace2411 face suck
Bismark ALWAYS has a plan
Where does this même Come from?
@@iagosevatar4865 Extra credit did a mini series on bismark. "He always had a plan."
@@iagosevatar4865 this is actually the second most popular History memes after "Wait for it...the Mongols" .
Alright here I come....(Singing Fanfare)
Oh Hey Bismark is here!
Simon you like Bismarck had a plan and that ad transition was smooth A.F.
The Nepolionic years also had a huge influence on the life and career of Alexander Von Humboldt. As usual, I'd like to request a video about him.
Broski thank you for the quality content to watch and listen to. I work grave yard shifts at a gas station in the middle of a small as town. Not only entertaining me but educating me. 10/10 ign
Otto Von Bismarck was a good leader no one ever talks about...
here in germany we DO!
Next: GIUSEPPE GARIBALDI!!! 🇮🇹
PLEASE & THANK YOU! 😁
After reading Massie’s “Dreadnought”, I developed a bad bromance with Bismarck.
That's not bromance. It's called homosexuality and now you know the difference.
@@josephtabar492brother in christ
Bismark had a lot of goo quotes, but my favorite one is from Napeloen: never interrupt your enemy while he is making a mistake"
Otto von Bismarck and Harold Hardrada are 2 of my favourite historical personalities
The man to whom the great battleship was named, but lasted only 8 days.
I wonder what Otto von Bismarck would've thought if he saw the ship he was named after. He would have a huge smile on his face.
Well the US state capital of North Dakota is also named after Bismarck himself
it took the Hood out after 5 minutes
I had to wait a day for my new modem to come in and watch tv for entertainment. There were so many commercials for only 20 minutes worth of content. I will never complain about a 20-second ad anymore.
I found this story fascinating, because I have German in me from my father's side of the family. To find out that Germany became a nation out of divided states in 1867 is only 96 years before my own birth. Meanwhile back in the United States Abraham Lincoln had just been assassinated a couple years previous. It really wasn't that long ago. I wish that I could ask my father or grandfather what year thier family came to the USA, but unfortunately they are dead. Life is so brief. It was only yesterday that so much happened in world history. Thank you for the post. Germany's history intrigued me. I still hate Adolf Hitler a madman who is most likely dancing in agony in the fires of Hell waiting on the final judgement of God.....
read Pat Buchanans book to get a deeper understandig of Hitler
Coolest Dude ever!
The fact that Germany went from such a masterful diplomatic mind, possibly the greatest of his time, to the absolute shitshow that Wilhelm II's diplomacy was is honestly just sad
Man, what a well-written ending.
Never clicked play button so fast until now..
Well then.............
CONGRATULATIONS. YOUR FINGER STILL WORKS!
Wilhelm I was Friedrich Wilhelm IV brother not son.
I can never get a heads and tails of them. It's like there was no other names but Fridrih, Wilhelm and Wilhelm Fridrih and vice versa. No enough years in life to get them straight! (except Fridrih the great and Wilhelm ii)
@@mmescarlettziegfieldvonbis4551 He was Wilhelm "1st" because he was the first Emperor, not King. Until then he was Wilhelm V, successor to Wilhelm IV.
@@yochaiwyss3843 That's not correct, unfortunately. Wilhelm I was indeed the first prussian king with the sole (!) regnal name "Wilhelm" (the previous four guys used the double name "Friedrich Wilhelm"), und thus dubbed "the First" even before he became Emperor. The later numbering convention of the German Emperors simply continued in the order of the previous prussian monarchs. That's why there was (briefly between the two Kaiser Wilhelms) an Emperor Friedrich III, even without two imperial forebearers of that name - but with two previous prussian kings who were also called solely "Friedrich" (Friedrich I, who achived little but aquiring the status of a kingdom for then little Prussia, and then of course Friedrich II, the Great).
@@lukasfeldmann6646 Correct. Just want to add there had been Holy Roman Emperors Friedrich I & II (of the house of Staufen) and Friedrich III (Habsburg) in the 12th and 15th centuries, respectively.
@@quantumbubbles2106 And that gives me a wonderful opportunity to add some more minutia about Bismarck. ;) It was the Iron Chancellor who talked the short-time Kaiser Friedrich III out of using the ordinal IV as Emperor (which would have been the correct one if one wished to create contintuity with the aforementioned medieval Holy Roman Emperors), out of legal and diplomatic reasons (the new Kaiserreich not being the direct legal successor to the ancient HRE, and avoiding to anger the Austrians over that problem).
[Preussens Gloria intesifies]
Simon is the absolute BEST when it comes to biography.. No freaking fluff and BS filling.. To the point every single time and I find myself always lost listening... You just cannot beat Simon.. You just can't...
By "Iron Chancellor", he mean it literally. He took a bullet and walked out seemingly fine.
Correction: he took FIVE bullets to the chest
@@lordmerp1498 I heard that too. But the gun's barrel was removed by the assassin to be carried concealed, which decreased the bulletts' velocity dramatically.
@@Pholous still, this is before modern body armor or modern hospitals it’s still badass that he took 5 round to the chest in stride
the man, the myth, the legend, Otto Von Bismarck. The man smoked 3 cigars at once and drank a bottle of champagne for breakfast
Just thinking about what he would have done after smoking a fat joint! Hmmm.... maybe just a thought about Justin Trudeau....
I really love your videos! And it might be partly because of the format focusing on people’s biographies, but sometimes you step into the great man history fallacy. Most historic events don’t depend only on one person.
Geee Sherlock! What was your first clue?
👋😂👌
"I hate krauts who disagree with me but I hate other countries more." t. Otto Von Bismarck
Looking at the big picture, the world needed Bismarck.
There's one thing you missed.
A few hours after Bismarck died, two reporters snuck into his bedroom and shot a now infamous photo of his dead body. "Bismarck on the deathbed". They wanted to sell it to newspapers, but the public was outraged. Long story short, this led to laws being passed, which can be traced all the way to germany's modern privacy laws regarding photographs. It's the reason why dashcams are somewhat illegal, and why you can sue someone for publishing a photo of you without your consent.
Even after death, Bismarck still provided.
I think that Bismarck's maintenance of European peace for about 2 decades is much more impressive than him unifying Germany
Although this was undone in record time by Kaiser Wilhelm II who seemingly went out of his way to piss of all of Europe with the exception of Austria-Hungary.
Im so glad I found this i love this kind of stuff
"All according to keikaku." - Otto von Bismarck 1870
He was so metal, there was enough spare to make a battleship
Excellent vidéo!
Wow. I'd always wondered who he was. And being part German.. just, wow. Thank you, Biographics.
Simon's apologies , before the video starts , about pronunciation are gold . I prefer the dont at me version tho lol
About ze pronunciations.
@@Biographics Ze pronunciations kud bi imrpröved. A tiny bitt. Schleswig; shle-svig/k. Our Danish neighbours to the south just say Slesvig. "Von" is "fon". Ü is [y]. Simple stuff. But, nevertheless. I zink tis vås a ferry gut intrödökksjon to German histöry.
What's your favorite german word ???🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Fascinating and, as always, enlightening!
Wait until Simon puts you in a round room and ask you to find a corner!
I remember, this was my 1st video I watched from your channel Simon. Good job man.
Simon is perfect. He is entertaining without any cheap jokes.
"Your majesty, so long as you have your present officer corps, you can do as you please. But when this is no longer the case, it will be very different for you. Jena came twenty years after the death of Frederick the Great; the crash will come twenty years after my departure if things go on like this." 20 years and 4 months later WW1 ended.
That quote is from extra credits
@@jessicafrost8596 I did not expect this to take an entire year before someone did source checking of any decent quality.
Though I don't recall EH mentioning Jena and Frederick. Been a long while though.
Oh o only found about this yeah and also I only comented because i found out about.
And actually there were so many quotes that i didn't say anything so a wrote it here
He underestimated the German people, he left them in too good a state for his own prediction to come true exactly as he said.
"Even now, more than 120 years after his death, we're still all singing from his hymn sheet"
I thought Wilhelm I was the brother of Frederick iv, not the son
Bismarck is still a highly respected character in Germany. Grew up in Berlin, went to school there, he is always seen as one of the good guys who might had his flaws, but got some good things done
Not anymore. Now they want to take statues of him down.
I can listen to your videos all day. I love the enthusiasm.
I could certainly use a map or twelve in this video ;)
By far, this is one of the best biographics episode that I have seen. That so many fascinating insights were laid out clearly on such a complicated man attests to how good this series is!
That being said, the question of Fredrick III remains in the air. Had he lived, and Wilhelm I not come to power, could the world avoided the First World War? And, if it did escape that disaster, what would the world have looked like today?
no one can say for sure but I find it pretty unlikely considering the main reason for WW1 was the situation on the Balkan peninsula spiralling out of control
Possible. Remember it was Austria-Hungary that started it all. Wilhem II , despite his huge ambitions, was vacationing when war started, a war he didn't want. Most of the cause of WW1 are caused by a series of diplomatic fiascos on all sides. It would take a man with great diplomatic skills and connections like Bismarck to calm such a surge to call for action. Unfortunately, there was no such a man in 1914 and Bismarck had long since died.
@@inisipisTV true, Wilhelm may not have wanted the war, but we can't minimize his actions and behavior which encouraged Austrian involvement in Serbia.
Bismarck , the chad of Europe
Otto Van Bismarck is already a cool name
He also has the coolest nickname ever the iron chancellor is pretty badass
SIMON... wow.
I've watched this time and time again and it's quality is never lost on me.
Bravo my etherical friend, and Bravo to your entire crew who construct these masterpieces.
The Prussian King wasn't "Kaiser" (Emperor) until AFTER the Franco-Prussian war.
Could you do a Biographics on Wilhelm I and Freidrich III?
It would be excellent if you would include illustrations and maps! For instance, a map of the North-German Confederation and other states.
Good job. Always wondered about Bismarck, Thank you Simon.
I lived in Germany for 2 years and loved it. But I knew very little of the history of the country. Thankyou for such an informative video.
"Whoever has seen the eyes of a moribund soldier in the battlefield,he will think about starting a war."
It's rather impressive how Otto essentially set up the foundation for the modern world. If it wasn't for him, there would be no Germany. No European Union. No United Nations. Monarchs would still run global politics. If true, it seemed that he understood the Balkans was going to reshape the course of history. He understood the rise of the US on the world stage.
It's obvious the Nazis understood the importance he had for Germany. He was essentially the founding father.
"He was anti socialist"
So he wasn't just a Chad, but a Gigachad then
Bismarck was a man of honor. He would’ve made a great samurai.