Bismarck And Hitler Similarities

Beginning in the 19th century and concluding in the 20th century, the country of Germany transformed from a loose confederation of weak states to a world dominating powerhouse. Over the course of this short period of time, many powerful rulers took control of the country, each with their own planned intentions. Of these men, two powerful leaders, Otto von Bismarck and Adolf Hitler, left a groundbreaking impact on Germany that would be recognized by historians for years to come. Although the works of these men seem to be quite contrasting at first glance, there are several comparisons that bring to light intriguing similarities. As a student who has found the incentives behind the Holocaust interesting for quite some time, I was extremely
Born on April 1, 1815 to an aristocratic family at Schoenhausen in Prussia, Otto von Bismarck was born into a Germany that consisted of Austria, Prussia, thirty-three other principalities, and four free cities. Each of these places together became the German Confederation, created at the Congress of Vienna. As a child, Bismarck was not a particularly outstanding student and only earned average grades. After graduating, he originally joined the army but always seemed to yearn to live in the country. Realizing being constricted to the army was not the job for him, Bismarck left in 1838 and resigned from the Prussian civil service a year later. Two years later, Bismarck’s father divided the family’s estate between Otto and his brother, turning him into “mad Junker.” “His wild parties, many duels, heavy drinking, and especially his practical jokes” (Kent, 1978) were just some of the activities that Bismarck participated in at the time. By the time he appeared in politics in 1848, his political views still resembled those of his conservative neighbors. However, following the Revolution of 1848, his attitude matured from his past “party” lifestyle and went
Surprisingly, Bismarck still rejected the idea of German nationalism, which he later built the German empire upon. In 1849, Bismarck won a seat in the lower Prussian Chamber and was eventually appointed to be a Prussian representative to the Frankfurt Diet of the German Confederation in 1851. During this time as well as throughout his time spent as an ambassador in various cities, he finally began to reassess his views of German nationalism and the goals of the Prussian foreign policy. These new beliefs eventually turned against him, however, when he was brought back by Emperor William I as a last effort to avoid parliamentary sovereignty over the military. Bismarck had “come to appreciate the growing importance of the propertied and educated middle class” (Barkin, 2015) and felt that they should seek a compromise on the military issue. Following this “failure” to work with the Emperor, Bismarck decided to work toward foreign policy, first by attaining the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein from Denmark. With Holstein originally awarded to Austria, Bismarck decided to go to war with Austria in Holstein, eventually bringing Austria down to