Bismarck

I find Bismarck to be one of the most interesting political figures we have studied thus far in MEH. His strict, anti-liberal measures and manipulative foreign policy may not have made him a popular leader, but his aggressive strategies secured Prussia decisive victories to solidify the state as the dominant one in the German Confederacy. August Ludwig von Rochau's Realpolitik describes Bismarck's motivation "to the T", that power does not come to those arguing for just causes such as enlightened values of reason and rights, but to those through economic expansion and social institutions. It appears that Bismarck's first and foremost thought was that for the Prussian state, not for his image.

It is interesting to compare Bismarck's politics to those of the politicians we see in American politics today. In American politics, image is everything. A politician's policies are crucial, but American politics have been crafted in such a way that it is sometimes better to subtly manipulate the way a politician presents his policies rather than straightforwardly present them. Image determines popularity which determines votes and the win or loss of a political seat. This is ultimately a function of a democracy, but a political process in which image may occasionally be weighted more so than policies does not represent the way I believe politics should be handled. It is in this light when Bismarck's state-focused leadership stands out. Although Bismarck's political role came as an appointment by the Prussian king, a political figure who is willing to devote all areas to the benefit of the state is something that rarely is found in its pure form today.