Otto von Bismarck
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Life
Otto von Bismarck was a member of the Prussian 'junkers', and a fundamental conservative. As the Prussian Prime Minister, he sought a way to increase the strength of the military by enforcing taxes. However, he could only do this by having the taxes get passed through a very liberal Parliament. When they refused to pass the acts, he supported the German unification (which the liberals desired) in order to persuade them. He created a policy known as Realpolitik, which is politics based on power and actions instead of ideologies. After the Unification, he served as a representative for Prussian King William I as president over the North German Confederation. While he fiercely defended the Unification, even to the point of war, he became a advocate for peace after its completion.