While the conditions of the treaties binding the various German states to one another prohibited Bismarck from taking unilateral action, the politician and diplomat in him realized the impracticality of this.
Walaupun traktat-traktat yang mengikat berbagai negara-negara Jerman melarang Bismarck untuk mengambil tindakan sepihak, jiwa politikus dan diplomat dalam diri Bismarck menyadari ketidakpraktisan tindakan tersebut.