Blood and iron ( speech ) - wikipedia Blood and iron ( speech ) `` Blood and iron '' redirects here. For other uses, see Blood and Iron. Minister President Bismarck, 1862 Blood and Iron ( German : Blut und Eisen ) is the name given to a speech made by Otto von Bismarck given on 30 September 1862, at the time when he was Minister President of Prussia, about the unification of the German territories. It is also a transposed phrase that Bismarck uttered near the end of the speech that has become one of his most widely known quotations. In September 1862, when the Prussian House of Representatives was refusing to approve an increase in military spending desired by King Wilhelm I, the monarch appointed Bismarck Minister President and Foreign Minister. A few days later, Bismarck appeared before the House 's Budget Committee and stressed the need for military preparedness to solve the German Question. He concluded his speech with the following statement : `` The position of Prussia in Germany will not be determined by its liberalism but by its power (... ) Prussia must concentrate its strength and hold it for the favorable moment, which has already come and gone several times. Since the treaties of Vienna, our frontiers have been ill - designed for a healthy body politic. Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided -- that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849 -- but by iron and blood ( Eisen und Blut ). '' This phrase, relying on a patriotic poem written by Max von Schenkendorf during the Napoleonic Wars, was popularized as the more euphonious Blut und Eisen ( `` Blood and Iron '' ), and became symbolic of Bismarckian Machtpolitik ( `` Power politics '' ). Although Bismarck was an outstanding diplomat, the phrase `` blood and iron '' has become a popular description of his foreign policy partly because he did on occasion resort to war to further the unification of Germany and the expansion of its continental power. Therefore he became known as `` the iron chancellor. '' References Jump up ^ German History in Documents and Images : Excerpt from Bismarck 's `` Blood and Iron '' Speech ( 1862 ) Unification of Germany States Austrian Empire ( later Austria - Hungary ) Kingdom of Bavaria Kingdom of Hanover Kingdom of Prussia Kingdom of Saxony Kingdom of Württemberg more Unions German Confederation Zollverein German Empire ( 1848 / 1849 ) ( constitution ) Erfurt Union North German Confederation ( constitution ) German Empire ( constitution ) Events Vormärz 1814 -- 15 Congress of Vienna 1819 Carlsbad Decrees 1832 Hambach Festival 1833 Frankfurter Wachensturm 1848 Revolutions 1848 -- 49 Frankfurt Parliament 1850 Punctation of Olmütz 1850 - 51 Dresden Conference 1862 `` Blood and Iron '' speech 1864 Second Schleswig War 1866 Austro - Prussian War / Peace of Prague 1870 -- 71 Franco - Prussian War 1871 Treaty of Versailles People Baron von Stein Charles I of Württemberg Christian IX of Denmark Eduard von Simson Franz I of Austria Franz Joseph I of Austria Frederick William III of Prussia Frederick William IV of Prussia Friedrich Daniel Bassermann Friedrich Ferdinand von Beust Heinrich von Gagern Johann Gottlieb Fichte Johann Gustav Droysen Archduke John of Austria John of Saxony Karl August von Hardenberg Klemens Wenzel, Prince von Metternich Ludwig II of Bavaria Napoleon III of France Otto von Bismarck Robert Blum Wilhelm von Humboldt Wilhelm I, German Emperor Related Alsace - Lorraine Burschenschaft Das Lied der Deutschen Die Wacht am Rhein Flag of Germany ( Lützow Free Corps ) Pan-Germanism Kleindeutschland / Großdeutschland Frankfurt Parliament German reunification Schleswig - Holstein Question Sonderweg Germany portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blood_and_Iron_(speech)&oldid=807517417 '' Categories : 1862 in international relations Politics of Prussia Speeches 1862 in Germany Otto von Bismarck 1862 speeches Talk About Wikipedia Azərbaycanca Deutsch Français 한국어 हिन्दी Italiano 日本 語 Português Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 28 October 2017, at 13 : 38. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what was the blood and iron speech about
Answer: unification of the German territories