Otto von Bismarck
1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898
Profile
Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian statesmen who greatly contributed to the unification of the German states. Throughout his life, he has served as the prime minister of Prussia, Chancellor of Germany, and the Foreign Minister of Prussia. He engineered a series of conflicts and wars to unite the German-speaking states into a German Empire through Prussian rule. Bismarck is regarded by Eric Hobsbawm as a figure who "remained undisputed world champion at the game of multilateral diplomatic chess for almost twenty years after 1871, [and] devoted himself exclusively, and successfully, to maintaining peace between the powers."