As sign of old age, thinks Holstein 445
Mother and mother figures
His mother, see Mencken, Wilhemine
Describes how he hated her ‘hard and cold’ 29
Pflanze on his attitude to mothers 34
Accuses Queen Victoria and Princess Royal of incestuous urges 35
‘Strong’ mother and ‘weak’ father 36
Begs dying mother for financial help 51–2
Lies about grief at death of 65
Beautful young women (Marie, Hildegard, Catty Orloff) as surrogates 69
Dowager Tsarina, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as ‘homey’ 151–2
Schweninger treats as ‘a restless child’ 414
Hates as cold, intelligent, and unloving 469
Lied to her as a child 113, 470
Parental triangle
Bismarck forced to re-enact his relations to mother and father 34, 36
Pflanze on Bismarck’s contempt for men dominated by wives 34
Bismarck tells Hildegard (1888) of the horror of dominant wives in royal family 35
Power depends on control of weak King against strong Queen 36, 268, 361, 469
Rage combined with impotence about power of ‘high persons’ 238
The Queen as enemy and all-powerful, see Augusta
Rage 34
At Reichstag stenographers 3
At the Friedrichshain cemetery 34
Living with small children causes 106
Has not slept for three days because of 155
Von Below to Moritz Blanckenburg 1859 on his rage as sickness 155
And illness 184
Frustration because of ‘high persons’ 238
And fears that he is losing his mind 279, 280
At Cabinet criticism (1869) of nomination of Hanoverian Helding to be Director of the Postal Service 280
‘Angry enough to bite the table’ 468
Furious (1869) that King refuses to dismiss Usedom 278–9
frustration about Spanish candidature 284
Uncontrollable at Moltke and his ‘demi-gods’ 294
Stosch thinks that King fears 301
Attacks Stosch in 308
Daily government business provokes 312
At Catholic Church and Pius IX 335
House of Lords’ opposition (1872) provokes 340
Out of control (1875) 346
Foreign affairs never provoke 350
‘Pathologically sick with’ because Kaiser could write him a critical letter 361
At Lasker for attack on his policy 382
Wütend at President of Reichstag for censure 382, 468
Causes indigestion, facial pains when King (1879) forbids his trip to Vienna 386
At the audacity of the Bundesrat (April 1880) to vote against his policy 403
At Tiedemann for resigning as personal assistant 405
At Herbert for his desire to marry Princess Carolath 408, 468
Defeat by Windthorst causes rage with attendant hypochondria and collapse 412
At Crown Princess and her support of Battenberg marriage 419
And the sin of wrath 467
Ravages his body 471
Realpolitik
Langenscheidt’s definition of as ‘realism’ 131
Speech defending Olmütz (1850) first expression of 108
Two letters to Leopold von Gerlach (May 1857) the full statement of 130–1
Letter to von Below-Hohendorf (1861) on the ‘sovereignty swindle’ of German states 169
Lassalle shares the same attitudes 203
Religion
Marie von Thadden (1843) sees ‘boredom and emptiness’ 56
Werbebrief (1846) to Johanna’s father, describes 65
Death of Marie brings him closer to prayer 68
Pflanze and Gall try to assess 82
Never shares Gerlachs’ devotion to 93
Little Hans (1849) makes him say morning prayers 102
Tries prayer (1851) to subdue ‘brutal sensuality 115
His Realpolitik denies a role for 169–70
Denies the charge that he has none 236
Rejects Pastor Knak’s ‘puritannical condemnation of dancing and other pleasures’ 109
William I urges him to pray as antidote to his hypochondria 278
Von Mühler denies that Bismarck has any religion, just materialism and power 320
Rejects Christian doctrine of forgiveness 468
Mocks the faith of the conservative Junkers 479
Resignation threats
2 August 1863: if King accepts invitation to Congress of Princes 196–7
Over soft peace for Austria in 1866 253–4 see also 255, for the actual situation
Over Usedom, Frankfurt, etc.
22 February 1869 277–9
13 December 1872 342
21 December 1872, as Minister-President of Prussia 343
4 May 1875 352
27 March 1877 357–9
30 November 1877 360
5 October 1879 387
4 April 1880 403
24 January 1890 442–3
Final resignation 20 March 1890 447–50
Hildegard Spitzemberg explains reasons for his fall 450
Revenge
Lucius on ‘how intensively he nurses thoughts of revenge and retaliation’ 11
Takes revenge on Lasker after his death (1884) by refusing tribute from US House of Representatives 477
On the Liberals, to King of Bavaria (4 August 1879) 385
Need for 415
Waldersee (1888): ‘the tendency to revenge in the Bismarck family’ 431
Uses Hamburger Nachrichten (1890) to take revenge for dismissal 452
Busch publishes resignation letter after his death to get revenge 463
Royal favour and health
Dowager Tsarina, Empress Alexandra Feodorovna as comforter, ‘homey’ 151
whole day ‘en grandeur’ with Tsar Alexander II … slept splendidly … very comfortable’ 156
Bismarck, Wilhelmine Mencken (1789–1839)
Father’s death 1801 a catastrophe for, never would have married Ferdinand Bismarck 31–2
Frau Charlotte von Quast Radensleben describes as ‘not a pleasant woman, very smart but cold’ 32–3
Attempt to turn sons into substitute for father 33–4
Otto hates his cold mother 33–4
and the school she chose 33
Pflanze on the psychology of 34
Bismarck-Schönhausen, Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von (1771–1845), landowner and Father of Otto von Bismarck-Schönhausen 13, 30
Marries Wilhelmine Mencken, 6 July 1806, in the Garrison Church, Potsdam 28
His character, jokes, and eccentricties 28–9
Engelberg on Ferdinand’s gain in status by marriage doubted 32
Inherits Kniephof 1816 and family moves to 36
Changes production from cereal crops to cattle (1820s) 36
Ferdinand (1839) makes over Pomeranian estates to Bernhard and Otto 51
Otto cares for during final illness (1845) 62–3
Otto writes to Johanna (1847) how he ‘really loved’ him 29–30
Bismarck-Schönhausen, Wilhelm (Bill) Graf von (1852–1901)
Tells Tiedemann that Kaiser ‘angry’ because Eulenburg circulated list of Liberal cabinet ministers 363
Hildegard on sons’ ‘brutal use of the right of the stronger, their complete lack of sensitivity’ 408
Introduces Dr Schweninger to father and mother 413
Bismarck-Bohlen, Caroline von, Bismarck’s beautiful cousin 51
Bismarck-Bohlen, Friedrich, Theodor Alexander Count von (1818–94), relative of Bismarck and Prussian General
Travels with Roon in Italy and meets Bismarck on honeymoon 83
Asked to find estate for Wrangel as king’s present 219
Bismarck-Bohlen, Karl von 294
Blanckenburg, Hedwig von
Warns Johanna of need to grow up 114
Blanckenburg, Moritz von (1815–88) 10, 53, 60, 141, 147, 219, 221, 305, 324, 337, 468
Introduces 17-year-old Bismarck to Roon 44
Recalls Bismarck’s ability at gymnasium 54
Marie compares to Bismarck 56
Wedding of Marie von Thadden-Trieglaff and (4 October 1844) 60
Tolerates Bismarck’s love for Marie 62
Mourns Marie (1846) with Bismarck and Hans von Kleist 64
Defends Bismarck’s speech in 1847 78, 82
Below writes to about Bismarck’s deranged state 155
Bismarck writes to about foreign situation (1860) 161
Roon uses name as code in telegrams to Bismarck 168, 178
Despairs at Bismarck’s behavior 185, 280, 345
Elected to Landtag (1863) 208
Warns Roon that Bismarck wants to dismiss Eulenburg 305
Offered the Ministry of Agriculture in 1872 190
Bismarck treats badly 467
Bleichröder, Gerson (1822–93), Bismarck’s personal banker
Mayer Carl von Rothschild recommends to Bismarck as banker 148–9
Writes James about Bismarck’s new cabinet (September 1862) 179
Tell James Rothschild the latest from Bismarck on conflict with Austria 225
Brokers scheme to buy Austria out of Schleswig-Holstein 227
And sale of Cologne Minden Railway to raise money for war with Austria 230
Scheme with Rothschilds to buy Prussian Seehandlung 231
Bismarck asks Eulenburg (1865) to tell Bleichröder not to sell shares 233
Bismarck orders (1870) sale of his shares 286
Bismarck uses to negotiate French reparations 295
Moltke’s staff call the Chancellor’s ‘private Jew’ 295
Bismarcks mocks as a dog ‘sniffing’ other Jewish bankers 295
Bronsart resents his presumption in going to HQ 309
Tells Frederick Crown Prince how rude Bismarck was to French negotiators 309–10
Roon sells his estate Gütergotz to (1875) 330
Oppenheim complains to about depth of depression (1874) 332
Bucher tells how Bismarck’s ailments emotional 340
Reports to Bismarck that American competition threatens England 377
Disraeli describes his palace (1878) 392
Warns William I (1880) that anti-semitic movement ‘a terrible social revolution’ 396
Kardoff tells that Bismarck ill because of Herbert crisis (410)
Wreaths for funeral of Frederick III from ‘Jews’ 435
Urges Windthorst (March 1890) to see Bismarck 445–6
Blome, Gustav Lehngraf von (1829–1906), Austrian Diplomat 128–232
Bodelschwingh, Carl von, acts as second in Bismarck-Vincke duel 120
Bodelschwingh, Karl von (1800–73), Prussian Finance Minister 189, 262
Bismarck hates because of his bureaucratic precision and caution 222
Bismarck likens to the fox apparently dead who bites your arse 263
Boetticher, Karl Heinrich von (1833–1907), Bismarck’s last deputy
As model civil servant 441–2
Ordered to reject conciliation during miners’ strike (1889) and report it to Kaiser 442
At dinner when Herbert insists on predecence (1886) 409
At farewell dinner for Bismarcks 451
Bismarck reveals secret loan to his father to discredit 453
Bismarck devotes six pages of memoirs to vilify 453
Bonaparte, Louis Napoleon (1808–73), Emperor Napoleon III, 141, 220, 298
Seizes power December 1851 121
Makes Bismarck’s career possible 122
Useful to Bismarck’s foreign policy 132–4
Leopold, Prince Hohenzollern, a relative of 281
Outwitted by Bismarck 185
Bismarck’s intervention in Polish Revolt and 192
Tries to extort Left Bank of Rhine during wars of unification 214
Unable to intervene in Danish crisis 227
Helps arrange huge Austrian loan (1865) 233
Bismarck meets, in Biarritz, and discusses question of Luxemburg 236
No clear policy in crisis of 1866 244
Bismarck uses Spanish succession to provoke 281
Bismarck ‘forces’ to go to war (1870) 289
Orders MacMahon to relieve Bazaine in Franco-Prussian War 293
Napoleon defeated at Sedan and taken prisoner 293
Destruction of removes protection of Vatican 316
Bonapartism
Gerlachs call ‘our worst enemy’ 123, 243
Bismarck concludes masses vote for sovereigns 474
Brandenburg, Frederick William Count von (1792–1850), Prussian General and Prime Minister 96, 98, 118, 205
tells Bismarck he knows nothing about politics 97
Bismarck writes that he ‘allows himself to be wound round’ by Radowitz 105
Brandenburg, Mark or Markgravate 13, 14, 18, 24, 29, 79, 88, 92, 94, 95, 101, 289, 305, 445
Brandt, Heinrich von (1789–1868), Prussian General and author
Writes Stosch (1859) that Roon unlikely to succeed in reform 185–7
Stosch writes Holzendorff that ‘my general’ very pessimistic about reform 180
Brauer, Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Arthur von (1845–1926)
Denies that Keudell could have thought of employing Bucher 207
arrives in Berlin in 1872, notes frenzy about money 329–30
Bronsart von Schellendorf, Paul Leopold Eduard Heinrich Anton (1832–91), ‘demi-god’ on Moltke’s staff and Prussian Minister of War 290, 294, 296
Diary: ‘The civil servant in the cuirassier jacket [Bismarck] becomes more impudent every day’ 2, 301
Diary (7 December 1870): ‘Bismarck begins really to be ready for the mad house’ 4
Hates Bismarck and tries to keep him out of military affairs 294
Moltke’s staff make anti-semitic remarks in Rothschild palace at Ferrière 295
Catches Bismarck in a lie and asks to have nothing more to do with him 300
Submits resignation rather than give Bismarck military minutes, order rescinded 300–1
Diary (18 January 1871): makeshift altar stands in front of naked Venus at Versailles 306
Diary (25 January 1871): Bismarck ‘inwardly base’ and must dominate others 309
Bucher, Lothar (1817–92), revolutionary who becomes aid to Bismarck
Bucher tells how Bismarck’s ailments emotional 340
As amanuensis for Bismarck’s memoirs 454
Bismarck only praised one article he wrote in twenty years of effort 189
Goes with Lassalle to London to visit Marx 200–1
Rejects Lassalle’s Mazzinianism, only changes persons, not systems 201
Explains to Bismarck the error of Hegelianism applied to politics 202
Letters to Lassalle published (1878) to embarrass Bismarck 205
Decides to work for Bismarck 206–7
Low status made him a useful ‘tool’ for Bismarck 207
Myth that helped write constitution of North German Federation 267
Explains Bismarck’s illnesses as ‘annoyed by affairs … he has physical complaints’ 340
Tells Tiedemann that Bismarck wants him as personal assistant 346–7
Bülow-Cummerow, Ernst von (1775–1851) 71
Complains about Bismarck’s provocative speech in 1847 78
As organizer of the Junker Parliament in 1848 94
Buol-Schauenstein, Karl Graf (1797–1865)
Becomes Austrian foreign minister in 1852 124
Prokesch urges policy to reduce Prussia 124–5
Writes that he prefers Prussia to stay neutral in war against Russia 127
Prokesch complains to about success of Bismarck’s double neutrality ploy 128
Bund and Bund Politics
Schwarzenberg restores in 1850 107
Manteuffel appoints Bismarck to 110
Constitution and operations of 111–13
Inequalties of power in 113
Bismarck as ambassador to 118
Who has the right to smoke cigars at? 119
Vincke mocks Bismarck with ‘burning cigar’ in Bund palace 120
Heine’s jingle ‘O Bund! Du Hund!’ 121
Bismarck’s principle that middle state policies necessarily against Prussia 121, 154
Austria seeks support of in 1854 124
Rejects Austrian motion to mobilize 127
Prokesch to Buol that Prussia now dominant in 127–8
Napoleon III fears mobilization of in 1859 153
Bismarck’s ‘sovereignty swindle letter’ 169–70
Prussia demands German parliament as reform of 191
Schmerling’s reform calls for Congress of Princes 196
Prussia counters with national assembly directly elected 198
Bismarck refuses to support Augustenburg to add another hostile small state 210, 213
Schleswig-Holstein crisis opportunity for Bismarck to destroy 211
Orders Saxon and Hanoverian troops to Holstein (1864) 213, 226
Austrians need to strengthen 226–7
Bund reform (1866) has ‘caught fire’ 240
Prussian government formally moves (1866) to create democratic chamber within Bund 241
Gerlach protests at proposal for universal suffrage 243
9 May 1866: demands that Prussia explain mobilization 244
Austria guilty of revoking agreements 246
14 June 1866: Prussia declares Bund in violation of its constitution 248
New constitution (1866) absorbs institutions of 265
Voting rights and institutions of carried into North German constitution 267–8
Old institutions to be given no precedence 270
Busch, Julius Hermann Moritz (1821–99), journalist and Bismarck aide
Bismarck tells how stenographers at the Reichstag conspire against him 3–4
Bismarck complains that Varzin makes no money 359
Bismarck complains to that elections of 1881 show German philistines in action 411
Publishes Bismarck’s resignation letter to embarrass the Kaiser 463
Carolath-Beuthen Princess Elisabeth von (1839–1914), Herbert Bismarck’s lover
Her account of the way Herbert forced to leave her 406–7
Delbrück, Martin Friedrich Rudolph von (1817–1903), Vice-Chancellor 270–1, 284, 325
Bismarck says, produces ‘decree diarrhoea’ 271
Bismarck complains that ‘confers with Friedberg, Friedenthal, Lasker, Wolffson,
Bamberger, always with Jews’ 272
Cannot find letter of Prince Luitpold inviting William to be Emperor 304
Diest, Gustav von (1826–1911), Prussian Provincial President
Bismarck: A Life Page 74