Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1898-08-06
PRINCE B1sMARck's CAREER.
The Iron Chancellor Who Was Re-
snonsible For Germany,s Greatness.

The Iron Chancellor Who Was Re-
sponsible For Germany's Greatness.
Prime Otto Eduard Leopold Bis
marck- Schonhausen was born OF an old
noble family of the MARK" (Brenden-
burg) at Schonhausen, April l, 1915. He
was created a count Sept. Is, 1865, and
Prince (Furst) Won Bismarck In March,
1871. He was educated at the univer-
stiles of Gottingen and Griefswald,
spent some time in the army, and sub
sequently settled down as country
gentleman. Brought up in the political
faith of the Junkers or Prussian Tory
squirearchy, he became, in 1886 mem
Der OF the provincial diet of Saxony,
and of the Prussian diet, in which he
first attracted attention by his fiery
speeches in defense of the old mon
archial party. During the revolution
airy period Of 1S48 the services he rem
dered in the public debates to the con-
servative cause led to his appointment
as the representative Of Prussia in the
diet of the old German bund at Frank
fort. Austria was then all powerful
In the German bund. From the time
OF Bismarck's appearance. however the
voice Of Prussia began to have increas-
Ing weight. The successful audacity
with which he checkmated Austrian
intrigue at Frankfort was the source
Of constant irritation at Vienna, and
naturally tended to produce some es-
arrangement between the Austrian and
Prussian courts.
Bismarck was sent as ambassador
to st. Petersburg In 1850. and held that
position until 1862. In May, 1862, he
became Prussian ambassador at Paris.
Five months later he was made first
minister of the Prussian crown. With
in the next ten years he humbled the
Austrian empire, destroyed the French
empire and created the new German
empire. He remodeled the map Of Eu-
rope, dismembering Denmark and
France. He enlarged the frontiers of
Prussia by the annexation Of various
provinces, including the dominions of
three dethroned German princes, and
succeeded in placing Germany, which
had previously been the weakest and
least respected of all the great powers,
at the head of all the states of Europe.
In 1868 Bismarck withdrew for some
months from active public life, but he
was In power again before the END Of
the year. Then came the Franco-Ger-
man war of 1870, and after a campaign
consisting of an unbroken series Of
victories, largely due to the strategic
genius of Count Won Moltke, King
William was able, through his chan
cellor, to dictate terms of peace to his
helpless assailant.
Of the events in Prince Bismarck's
life subsequent to the Franco-German
war, it may be mentioned that he pre-
sided at the congress Of Berlin in 1873
and 1885, and the colonial conference of
1884.
Prince Bismarck took a prominent
part in connection with the triple al
lance between Germany. Austria and
Italy, which Is understood to be di-
rected against possible alliance be-
tween Russia and France against the
German powers.
The reported resignation Of Bismarck
as Prussian prime minister and coun-
sellor was announced in February 1890,
but did not actually occur until March
II of that year, when divergences Of
opinion between him and the emperor
led to his retirement. His departure
from Berlin was made the occasion of
a great popular demonstration.
Since then Prince Bismarck has re-
sliced at his country seat. ana as Elahg