Why Iron Chancellor. Battleship Bismarck - Iron Chancellor of the Seas

It is generally accepted that in many respects Bismarck's views as a diplomat were formed during his service in St. Petersburg under the influence of the Russian Vice-Chancellor Alexander Gorchakov. The future "Iron Chancellor" was not very pleased with his appointment, taking him for a link.

Gorchakov prophesied a great future for Bismarck. Once, already being chancellor, he said, pointing to Bismarck: “Look at this man! Under Frederick the Great, he could have been his minister." In Russia, Bismarck studied the Russian language, spoke it very decently and understood the essence of the way of thinking characteristic of Russians, which greatly helped him in the future in choosing the right political line in relation to Russia.

Source: wikipedia.org

He took part in the Russian royal fun - bear hunting, and even killed two bears, but stopped this activity, saying that it was dishonorable to act with a gun against unarmed animals. In one of these hunts, he had frostbitten legs so badly that there was a question of amputation.

Otto von Bismarck. Russian love

Twenty-two-year-old Ekaterina Orlova-Trubetskaya. (wikipedia.org)

In the French resort of Biarritz, Bismarck met the 22-year-old wife of the Russian ambassador to Belgium, Ekaterina Orlova-Trubetskaya. A week in her company almost drove Bismarck crazy. Catherine's husband, Prince Orlov, could not take part in the festivities and bathing of his wife, as he was wounded in the Crimean War. But Bismarck could. Once he and Ekaterina almost drowned. They were rescued by the lighthouse keeper. On that day, Bismarck would write to his wife: “After several hours of rest and writing letters to Paris and Berlin, I took another sip of salt water, this time in the harbor when there were no waves. A lot of swimming and diving, twice dipping into the surf would be too much for one day. This incident became, as it were, a divine hint that the future chancellor would no longer cheat on his wife. Soon there was no time left for betrayals - Bismarck would be swallowed up by politics.

Ems dispatch

In achieving his goals, Bismarck did not disdain anything, even falsification. In a tense situation, when the throne was vacated in Spain after the revolution in 1870, Leopold, the nephew of Wilhelm I, began to claim it. The Spaniards themselves called the Prussian prince to the throne, but France intervened, which could not allow a Prussian to take such an important throne. Bismarck put in a lot of effort to bring things to war. However, he was first convinced of the readiness of Prussia to enter the war.

Source: wikipedia.org

To push Napoleon III into conflict, Bismarck decided to use the dispatch sent from Ems to provoke France. He changed the text of the message, shortening it and giving it a harsher, more offensive tone for France. In the new text of the dispatch, falsified by Bismarck, the end was composed as follows: “His Majesty the King then refused to receive the French ambassador again and ordered the adjutant on duty to tell him that his Majesty had nothing more to report.” This text, insulting to France, was transmitted by Bismarck to the press and to all Prussian missions abroad, and the next day became known in Paris. As Bismarck expected, Napoleon III immediately declared war on Prussia, which ended in the defeat of France.

Cartoon from Punch magazine. Bismarck manipulates Russia, Austria and Germany. (wikipedia.org)

Bismarck, Russia and "nothing"

Bismarck continued to use the Russian language throughout his political career. Russian words now and then slip through his letters. Having already become the head of the Prussian government, he sometimes even made resolutions on official documents in Russian: “Impossible” or “Caution”. But the favorite word of the "Iron Chancellor" was the Russian "nothing". He admired its nuance, ambiguity and often used it in private correspondence, for example, like this: "Alles is nothing."

Resignation. From above, the new emperor Wilhelm II is looking. (wikipedia.org)

Bismarck was inspired by this word by chance. Bismarck hired a coachman, but doubted that his horses could go fast enough. "Nothing-oh!" - answered the driver and rushed along the rough road so briskly that Bismarck became worried: “But you won’t throw me out?”. "Nothing!" replied the coachman. The sleigh overturned, and Bismarck flew into the snow, breaking his face until it bled. In a rage, he swung at the driver with a steel cane, and the latter scooped up a handful of snow with his hands to wipe Bismarck's bloodied face, and kept saying: "Nothing ... nothing, oh!" Subsequently, Bismarck ordered a ring from this cane with an inscription in Latin letters: "Nothing!" And he admitted that in difficult times he was relieved, saying to himself in Russian: “Nothing!”.

200 years ago, on April 1, 1815, the first Chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, was born. This German statesman entered as the creator of the German Empire, the "Iron Chancellor" and the actual head of foreign policy of one of the greatest European powers. Bismarck's policy made Germany the leading military and economic power in Western Europe.

Youth

Otto von Bismarck (Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen) was born on April 1, 1815 at Schönhausen Castle in the province of Brandenburg. Bismarck was the fourth child and second son of a retired captain of a small estate nobleman (they were called junkers in Prussia) Ferdinand von Bismarck and his wife Wilhelmina, nee Mencken. The Bismarck family belonged to the ancient nobility, descended from the conquering knights of the Slavic lands on Labe-Elbe. The Bismarcks traced their lineage all the way back to the reign of Charlemagne. Schönhausen Manor has been in the hands of the Bismarck family since 1562. True, the Bismarck family could not boast of great wealth and did not belong to the largest landowners. Bismarcks have long served the rulers of Brandenburg in peace and military fields.

Bismarck inherited toughness, determination and willpower from his father. The Bismarck family was one of the three most self-confident Brandenburg families (Schulenburgs, Alvenslebens and Bismarcks), Friedrich Wilhelm I called them “bad, recalcitrant people” in his “Political Testament”. The mother was from a family of civil servants and belonged to the middle class. During this period, Germany was in the process of merging the old aristocracy and the new middle class. From Wilhelmina Bismarck received the liveliness of the mind of an educated bourgeois, a subtle and sensitive soul. This made Otto von Bismarck a very extraordinary person.

Otto von Bismarck spent his childhood in the Kniphof family estate near Naugard, in Pomerania. Therefore, Bismarck loved nature and retained a sense of connection with it all his life. He was educated at the private Plaman School, the Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium and the Zum Grauen Kloster Gymnasium in Berlin. Bismarck graduated from the last school at the age of 17 in 1832, having passed the matriculation exam. During this period, Otto was most interested in history. In addition, he was fond of reading foreign literature, studied French well.

Otto then entered the University of Göttingen, where he studied law. Study then attracted Otto little. He was a strong and energetic man, and gained fame as a reveler and a fighter. Otto participated in duels, in various tricks, visited pubs, dragged women and played cards for money. In 1833 Otto moved to the New Capital University in Berlin. During this period, Bismarck was mainly interested, in addition to "tricks", in international politics, and the area of \u200b\u200bhis interests went beyond the borders of Prussia and the German Confederation, within which the thinking of the vast majority of young nobles and students of that time was limited. At the same time, Bismarck had a high conceit, he saw himself as a great man. In 1834 he wrote to a friend: "I will become either the greatest scoundrel or the greatest reformer of Prussia."

However, good abilities allowed Bismarck to successfully complete his studies. Before exams, he attended tutors. In 1835 he received a diploma and began working at the Berlin Municipal Court. In 1837-1838. served as an official in Aachen and Potsdam. However, being an official quickly bored him. Bismarck decided to leave the civil service, which went against the will of his parents, and was the result of a desire for complete independence. Bismarck was generally distinguished by a craving for full will. The career of an official did not suit him. Otto said: "My pride requires me to command, and not to fulfill other people's orders."

Bismarck, 1836

Bismarck the landowner

From 1839, Bismarck was engaged in the arrangement of his estate Kniphof. During this period, Bismarck, like his father, decided to "live and die in the countryside". Bismarck studied accounting and agriculture on his own. He showed himself to be a skilled and practical landowner who knew well both the theory of agriculture and practice. The value of the Pomeranian estates increased by more than a third during the nine years that Bismarck ruled them. At the same time, three years fell on the agricultural crisis.

However, Bismarck could not be a simple, albeit intelligent, landowner. There was a strength in him that did not allow him to live in peace in the countryside. He continued to gamble, sometimes in the evening he lowered everything that he managed to accumulate after months of painstaking work. He led a campaign with bad people, drank, seduced the daughters of peasants. For violent temper he was nicknamed "mad Bismarck."

At the same time, Bismarck continued to educate himself, read the works of Hegel, Kant, Spinoza, David Friedrich Strauss and Feuerbach, and studied English literature. Byron and Shakespeare fascinated Bismarck more than Goethe. Otto was very interested in English politics. Intellectually, Bismarck was an order of magnitude superior to all the Junker landowners around him. In addition, Bismarck - the landowner participated in local government, was a deputy from the district, deputy landrat and a member of the Landtag of the province of Pomerania. Expanded the horizons of his knowledge through travels to England, France, Italy and Switzerland.

In 1843 Bismarck's life took a decisive turn. Bismarck made acquaintance with the Pomeranian Lutherans and met the bride of his friend Moritz von Blankenburg, Maria von Thadden. The girl was seriously ill and dying. The personality of this girl, her Christian convictions and fortitude during her illness struck Otto to the core. He became a believer. This made him a staunch supporter of the king and Prussia. Serving the king meant serving God for him.

In addition, there was a radical change in his personal life. Bismarck met Johanna von Puttkamer at Maria and asked for her hand in marriage. Marriage to Johanna soon became Bismarck's mainstay in life, until her death in 1894. The wedding took place in 1847. Johanna bore Otto two sons and a daughter: Herbert, Wilhelm and Maria. A selfless wife and caring mother contributed to Bismarck's political career.

Bismarck with his wife

"Mad Deputy"

In the same period, Bismarck enters politics. In 1847 he was appointed representative of the Ostelbe knighthood in the United Landtag. This event was the beginning of Otto's political career. His activities in the inter-regional body of estate representation, which mainly controlled the financing of the construction of the Ostbahn (Berlin-Konigsberg road), mainly consisted of delivering critical speeches directed against the liberals who were trying to form a real parliament. Among the conservatives, Bismarck enjoyed a reputation as an active defender of their interests, who was able, without really delving into substantive argumentation, to arrange a "firework", divert attention from the subject of the dispute and excite the minds.

Opposing the liberals, Otto von Bismarck helped organize various political movements and newspapers, including the New Prussian Newspaper. Otto became a member of the lower house of the Prussian Parliament in 1849 and of the Erfurt Parliament in 1850. Bismarck was then opposed to the nationalist aspirations of the German bourgeoisie. Otto von Bismarck saw in the revolution only "the greed of the have-nots." Bismarck considered his main task to be the need to point out the historical role of Prussia and the nobility as the main driving force of the monarchy, and the protection of the existing socio-political order. The political and social consequences of the 1848 revolution, which swept through much of Western Europe, had a profound effect on Bismarck and strengthened his monarchist views. In March 1848, Bismarck even planned to march with his peasants on Berlin in order to put an end to the revolution. Bismarck occupied the far right positions, being more radical even than the monarch.

During this revolutionary time, Bismarck acted as an ardent defender of the monarchy, Prussia and the Prussian Junkers. In 1850, Bismarck opposed a federation of German states (with or without the Austrian Empire), as he believed that this union would only strengthen the revolutionary forces. After that, King Frederick William IV, on the recommendation of the Adjutant General of the King Leopold von Gerlach (he was the leader of the ultra-right group surrounded by the monarch), appointed Bismarck as Prussian envoy to the German Confederation, in the Bundestag, which met in Frankfurt. At the same time, Bismarck also remained a member of the Prussian Landtag. The Prussian conservative debated the constitution with the liberals so vehemently that he even had a duel with one of their leaders, Georg von Vincke.

Thus, at the age of 36, Bismarck assumed the most important diplomatic post that the Prussian king could offer. After a short stay in Frankfurt, Bismarck realized that the further unification of Austria and Prussia within the framework of the German Confederation was no longer possible. The strategy of the Austrian chancellor Metternich, trying to turn Prussia into a junior partner of the Habsburg empire within the "Central Europe" led by Vienna, failed. The confrontation between Prussia and Austria in Germany during the revolution became clear. At the same time, Bismarck began to come to the conclusion that war with the Austrian Empire was inevitable. Only war can decide the future of Germany.

During the Eastern Crisis, even before the outbreak of the Crimean War, Bismarck, in a letter to Prime Minister Manteuffel, expressed the fear that the policy of Prussia, which oscillates between England and Russia, if it deviates towards Austria, an ally of England, could lead to war with Russia. “I would be careful,” Otto von Bismarck noted, “in search of protection from the storm, to moor our elegant and durable frigate to the old, worm-eaten warship of Austria.” He proposed to use this crisis wisely in the interests of Prussia, and not of England and Austria.

After the end of the Eastern (Crimean) War, Bismarck noted the collapse of the alliance based on the principles of conservatism of the three Eastern powers - Austria, Prussia and Russia. Bismarck saw that the gap between Russia and Austria would last for a long time and that Russia would seek an alliance with France. Prussia, in his opinion, had to avoid possible opposing alliances, and not allow Austria or England to involve her in an anti-Russian alliance. Bismarck increasingly took an anti-English position, expressing his distrust of the possibility of a productive alliance with England. Otto von Bismarck noted: "The security of England's island location makes it easier for her to abandon her continental ally and allows her to leave him to her fate, depending on the interests of British policy." Austria, if it becomes an ally of Prussia, will try to solve its problems at the expense of Berlin. In addition, Germany remained an area of confrontation between Austria and Prussia. As Bismarck wrote: “According to the policy of Vienna, Germany is too small for the two of us ... we both cultivate the same arable land ...”. Bismarck confirmed his earlier conclusion that Prussia would have to fight against Austria.

As Bismarck improved his knowledge of diplomacy and the art of government, he moved further and further away from the ultra-conservatives. In 1855 and 1857 Bismarck made "reconnaissance" visits to the French emperor Napoleon III and came to the conclusion that he was a less significant and dangerous politician than the Prussian conservatives believed. Bismarck broke with Gerlach's entourage. As the future "Iron Chancellor" said: "We must operate with realities, not fiction." Bismarck believed that Prussia needed a temporary alliance with France to neutralize Austria. According to Otto, Napoleon III de facto suppressed the revolution in France and became the legitimate ruler. The threat to other states with the help of the revolution is now "England's favorite pastime."

As a result, Bismarck was accused of betraying the principles of conservatism and Bonapartism. Bismarck answered his enemies that "... my ideal politician is impartiality, independence in decision-making from sympathies or antipathies to foreign states and their rulers." Bismarck saw that the stability in Europe was more threatened by England, with her parliamentarism and democratization, than by Bonapartism in France.

Political "study"

In 1858, the mentally ill brother of King Frederick William IV, Prince Wilhelm, became regent. As a result, Berlin's political course changed. The period of reaction ended and Wilhelm proclaimed a "New Era", defiantly appointing a liberal government. Bismarck's ability to influence Prussian policy declined sharply. Bismarck was recalled from the Frankfurt post and, as he himself bitterly noted, sent "to the cold on the Neva." Otto von Bismarck became an envoy in St. Petersburg.

Petersburg experience greatly helped Bismarck as the future Chancellor of Germany. Bismarck became close to the Russian Foreign Minister, Prince Gorchakov. Gorchakov would later assist Bismarck in isolating first Austria and then France, making Germany the leading power in Western Europe. In Petersburg, Bismarck will realize that Russia still holds key positions in Europe, despite the defeat in the Eastern War. Bismarck studied the balance of political forces in the environment of the king and in the metropolitan "light", and realized that the situation in Europe gives Prussia an excellent chance, which falls very rarely. Prussia could unite Germany, becoming its political and military core.

Bismarck's activities in St. Petersburg were interrupted due to a serious illness. For about a year, Bismarck was treated in Germany. He finally broke with the extreme conservatives. In 1861 and 1862 Bismarck was twice introduced to Wilhelm as a candidate for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. Bismarck outlined his view on the possibility of unifying "non-Austrian Germany". However, Wilhelm did not dare to appoint Bismarck as a minister, as he made a demonic impression on him. As Bismarck himself wrote: "He found me more fanatical than I really was."

But at the insistence of the Minister of War von Roon, who patronized Bismarck, the king nevertheless decided to send Bismarck "to study" in Paris and London. In 1862, Bismarck was sent as an envoy to Paris, but did not stay there long.

To be continued…

outlook

It is said that German Chancellor Otto Bismarck hired a coachman on his way to Petersburg, but doubted that his horses could go fast enough. "Nothing-oh!" - answered the driver and rushed along the road so that Bismarck became worried: “But you won’t dump me?” - "Nothing!" - answered the coachman. Then the sleigh overturned, and Bismarck fell into the snow, bleeding his face on a stump. In a rage, he swung at the driver with a steel cane, and the latter scooped up a handful of snow with his hands to wipe Bismarck's bloody face, and kept saying: "Nothing ... nothing, oh!" In Petersburg, Bismarck ordered a ring with the inscription "Nothing!". And when the “iron chancellor” was reproached for being too soft on Russia, he answered: “In Germany, only I say“ nothing! ”, And in Russia - the whole people.”

For more than a century there have been fierce disputes about the personality and deeds of Otto von Bismarck. The attitude towards this figure changed depending on the historical era. It is said that in German school textbooks the assessment of Bismarck's role changed no less than six times.

Not surprisingly, both in Germany itself and in the world as a whole, the real Otto von Bismarck gave way to myth. The myth of Bismarck describes him as a hero or a tyrant, depending on what political views the mythmaker adheres to. The "Iron Chancellor" is often credited with words that he never uttered, while many of Bismarck's really important historical sayings are little known.

Otto von Bismarck was born in the family estate of Schönhausen on April 1, 1815 in a family of Prussian landowners. Representatives of this family from the middle of the 17th century served the rulers of the province of Brandenburg. The ancestors of the Bismarcks - conquering knights - settled in these places during the reign of Charlemagne. All generations of this family served the rulers of Brandenburg in peace and military fields.

Wilhelmina, Otto's mother, came from a family of civil servants and belonged to the middle class. Such marriages increased in the nineteenth century as the educated middle classes and the old aristocracy began to coalesce into a new elite. At the urging of his mother, Otto and his brother were sent to Berlin for education. For 10 years of study, he changed three gymnasiums, but did not find much interest in knowledge. And only in the gymnasium "At the Gray Monastery", where Otto moved in 1830, did he feel freer than in previous educational institutions. Of all the subjects, the young cadet was most interested in the politics of the past, the history of military and peaceful rivalry between different countries.

At the age of 17, Bismarck entered the University of Göttingen, where he studied law. When he was a student, he gained a reputation as a reveler and a fighter, distinguished himself in duels (later he boasted of victories in 27 duels more than once). The future chancellor did not bother himself with the sciences at all, devoting most of his time to fencing and beer. Having started his studies, Otto transferred to the University of Berlin, but even here he was more listed than he studied, since he hardly attended lectures, but mainly used the services of tutors who pulled him up before exams.

Nevertheless, he graduated from the university and immediately tried to enter the diplomatic service, but was refused - his "riotous" reputation affected. And then Bismarck decided to start from the bottom and became an official of the Berlin judicial department.

In 1837, Otto took the post of tax official in Aachen, a year later - the same position in Potsdam. There he joined the Guards Jaeger Regiment. In the autumn of 1838, Bismarck moved to Greifswald, where, in addition to performing his military duties, he suddenly began to study animal breeding methods at the Elden Academy.

An innate distaste for the lifestyle of a Prussian official forced Bismarck to resign in September 1839 and take over the management of the family estates in Pomerania. In private conversations, Otto explained this by the fact that, due to his temperament, he was not suitable for the position of a subordinate. He did not tolerate any superiors over himself: "My pride requires me to command, and not to fulfill other people's orders."

During the nine years that Otto ruled the ancestral lands, their value has increased by more than a third!

True, sometimes during the evening Bismarck lost at cards everything that he managed to save during the months of painstaking management. And sometimes he liked to play pranks: for example, he informed his friends about his arrival by shooting at the ceiling. For violent temper in those years, he received his first nickname - "mad Bismarck."

However, intellectually, the "mad Bismarck" was far superior to his Junker neighbors. On the estate, Bismarck continued his education, taking up the works of Hegel, Kant, Spinoza, David Friedrich Strauss and Feuerbach. Otto was an excellent student of English literature, for Bismarck was more interested in England and her affairs than in any other country.

And yet Bismarck could not be just a landowner. The dream of a political career began to come true in 1847, when Otto von Bismarck became a member of the United Landtag of the Prussian Kingdom.

The middle of the 19th century was the time of revolutions in Europe. Liberals and socialists sought to expand the rights and freedoms enshrined in the constitution. Against this background, the appearance of a young politician with an extremely conservative attitude, but at the same time possessing undoubted oratorical skills, was a complete surprise. The revolutionaries greeted Bismarck with hostility, but surrounded by the Prussian king, they noted an interesting politician who could benefit the crown in the future.

We must give Bismarck his due: he did not change his electoral platform for almost half a century. He defended the Prussian junkers and the king, who "alone has the power from God to decide the policy of the country." His domestic politics would later be called "the constant duel between the people and the government."

From 1851, Otto von Bismarck, the "mad deputy" as he was now called, represented Prussia in the allied diet, which met in Frankfurt am Main. He continued to study diplomacy and successfully applied the acquired knowledge in practice.

In 1859, the king's brother Wilhelm, who was then regent, sent Bismarck as an envoy to St. Petersburg. There he became close to the Russian foreign minister, Prince Gorchakov, who assisted Bismarck in his efforts to diplomatically isolate first Austria and then France. Gorchakov predicted a great future for Bismarck. One day he said, pointing to Bismarck: “Look at that man! Under Frederick the Great, he could have been his minister." In St. Petersburg, Otto von Bismarck not only mastered the Russian language, but managed to understand the character and mentality of the Russian people. It is from the time of work in St. Petersburg that Bismarck's famous warning about the inadmissibility of war with Russia for Germany, which will inevitably have disastrous consequences for the Germans themselves, will come out.

A new round of Otto von Bismarck's career took place after Wilhelm I ascended the Prussian throne in 1861. The ensuing constitutional crisis, caused by disagreements between the king and the Landtag on the issue of expanding the military budget, forced Wilhelm I to look for a figure capable of pursuing state policy " hard hand." Such a figure was Otto von Bismarck, who at that time held the post of Prussian ambassador to France.

The extremely conservative views of Bismarck made even Wilhelm I doubt such a choice. Nevertheless, on September 23, 1862, Otto von Bismarck was appointed head of the Prussian government. A week later, he delivered a famous speech in the Landtag: "The great questions of the time are not decided by speeches and not by decisions of the majority, but by iron and blood." Ignoring the liberal opposition, Bismarck completed military reform and strengthened the German army.

Over the next decade, Bismarck's policy of uniting Germany and raising Prussia over all German lands led to three wars: the war with Denmark in 1864, after which Schleswig, Holstein (Holstein) and Lauenburg were annexed to Prussia; Austria in 1866; and France (the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871). The result of these wars was the unification in 1867 of the German states into the North German Confederation, which, along with Prussia, included about 30 more countries.

All of them, according to the constitution adopted in 1867, formed a single territory with laws and institutions common to all. The foreign and military policy of the union was actually transferred into the hands of the Prussian king, who was declared its president. A customs and military treaty was soon concluded with the South German states. These steps clearly showed that Germany was rapidly moving towards its unification under the leadership of Prussia.

It should be noted that after the defeat of the Austrian troops, Bismarck managed to achieve the rejection of the annexationist claims of Wilhelm I and the Prussian generals, who wanted to enter Vienna and demanded large territorial acquisitions, and offered Austria an honorable peace (Prague Peace of 1866). Bismarck prevented Wilhelm I from "bringing Austria to its knees" by occupying Vienna.

The future chancellor insisted on relatively easy peace terms for Austria in order to ensure her neutrality in the future conflict between Prussia and France, which year by year became inevitable, since the southern German lands of Bavaria, Württemberg and Baden remained outside the North German Confederation. France did everything possible to prevent Bismarck from including these lands in the North German Confederation. Napoleon III did not want to see a united Germany on his eastern borders. Bismarck understood that this problem could not be solved without a war.

The Franco-Prussian war that broke out in 1870, provoked by Bismarck and formally launched by Napoleon III, ended in complete disaster for both France and Napoleon himself, who was captured after the battle of Sedan. No major European power stood up for France. This was the result of the preliminary diplomatic activity of Bismarck, who managed to achieve the neutrality of Russia and England. France had to give up Alsace and Lorraine and pay a large amount of reparations.

On January 18, 1871, Otto von Bismarck proclaimed the creation of the Second Reich (German Empire). In the hall of mirrors at Versailles, the Prussian king Wilhelm I, who became the German emperor thanks to Bismarck, inscribed on the envelope an address - "the chancellor of the German Empire", thereby affirming Bismarck's right to rule the empire that he created and which was proclaimed by him.

Assessing his role in the unification of the country, Bismarck said that he always rejoiced when he managed to get even one step closer to the unity of Germany in any way. The victorious wars and the formation of a unified empire reconciled Wilhelm and Bismarck with most of the opposition, which from that moment began to enthusiastically welcome the aggressive policy of the first chancellor.

"Iron Chancellor" - so they began to call Bismarck. He ruled the German Empire for almost 20 years. During this time, Bismarck carried out reforms of German law, management and finance systems, and education reforms (it was the latter that led to conflict with the Roman Catholic Church). The struggle against the dominance of the Catholic Church (and German Catholics made up about a third of the country's population and had an extremely negative attitude towards the almost entirely Protestant Prussia) was called Kulturkampf (Kulturkampf - "struggle for culture"). During it, many bishops and priests were arrested, hundreds of dioceses were left without leaders. Now church appointments had to be coordinated with the state; clerics could not be in the service of the state apparatus.

At the same time, Bismarck passed social laws (on insurance of workers in cases of illness and injury, on old-age and disability pensions), which laid the foundations for social insurance. At the same time, Bismarck opposed any legislation regulating the working conditions of workers.

In the field of foreign policy, Bismarck made every effort to maintain peace in Europe, but at the same time the German Empire had to remain one of the leaders in international politics.

Bismarck, strictly speaking, never rushed beyond the boundaries of the European continent. He once said that if Germany were chasing colonies, it would become like a Polish gentry who boasts of a sable coat without having a nightgown.

Bismarck skillfully maneuvered in the European diplomatic theater. "Never fight on two fronts!" he warned the German military and politicians. To this end, Bismarck managed to successfully manage until his retirement, but his cautious policy began to irritate the German elite. The new empire wanted to take part in the redistribution of the world, for which it was ready to fight with everyone. The "Iron Chancellor" began to interfere with a new generation of politicians who no longer dreamed of a united Germany, but of world domination.

The year 1888 went down in German history as the "Year of the Three Emperors". After the death of 90-year-old Wilhelm I and his son, Frederick III, who suffered from throat cancer, 29-year-old Wilhelm II, the grandson of the first emperor of the Second Reich, ascended the throne.

The new Kaiser grew up an ardent admirer of the "iron chancellor", but the now boastful Wilhelm II considered Bismarck's policies too old-fashioned. Why stand aside when others are dividing the world? Wilhelm considered himself a great geopolitician and statesman. At one of the banquets, he said: "There is only one master in the country - this is me, and I will not tolerate another."

In March 1890, the 75-year-old Bismarck was sent into an honorable retirement, and with him his policies also resigned. Just a few months later, Bismarck's main nightmare came true - France and Russia entered into a military alliance, which England then joined.

Otto von Bismarck left Berlin, and crowds of people saw him off, recognizing his services to Germany - already during his lifetime he became an object of worship and imitation.

Bismarck died on his Friedrichsruhe estate on July 30, 1898, before he could see how Germany was rushing at full speed towards a suicidal war. Then no one knew that Wilhelm II, rejecting all the advice and warnings of Bismarck, would drag Germany into the First World War, which would put an end to the empire created by the "Iron Chancellor". The new Kaiser, who wanted to rule alone, took 28 years to lose everything...

Otto von Bismarck is buried in his own estate. The inscription on the gravestone says that a devoted servant of the German Kaiser Wilhelm I is buried here.

Monuments to Bismarck stand in all major cities of Germany, hundreds of streets and squares are named after him. He was called the "Iron Chancellor", he was called the Reichsmaher, but if this is translated into Russian, it will turn out - " Reich creator". Sounds better - empire builder" or " nation maker».

Bismarck quotes:

Even the most prosperous outcome of the war will never lead to the collapse of Russia, which rests on millions of Russian believers of the Greek confession. These latter, even if they are corroded by international treaties, will just as quickly reunite with each other, just as separated droplets of mercury find this way to each other.

The great questions of the time are not decided by speeches and resolutions of the majority, but by iron and blood!

Anyone who has ever looked into the glassy eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think twice before starting a war.

Do not expect that once you take advantage of Russia's weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russians always come for their money. And when they come - do not rely on the Jesuit agreements you signed, supposedly justifying you. They are not worth the paper they are written on. Therefore, it is worth either playing fair with the Russians, or not playing at all.

One and only one person should be responsible for each assigned task.

Politics is the science of the possible. Everything that lies beyond the bounds of the possible is pathetic literature for yearning widows who have long lost hope of getting married ...

The Russians cannot be defeated, we have seen this for hundreds of years. But you can instill false values, and then they will defeat themselves!

Woe to that statesman who does not bother to find a basis for war, which will still retain its significance after the war.

Even a victorious war is an evil that must be averted by the wisdom of the nations.

The press is not yet public opinion.

When the arguments end, the guns start talking. Strength is the last argument of a dumbass.

The attitude of the state towards the teacher is a state policy that indicates either the strength of the state or its weakness.

The only healthy basis of a great state is state egoism, not romanticism, and it is unworthy of a great power to fight for a cause that does not concern its own interest.

The revolution is conceived by romantics, carried out by fanatics, and scoundrels use its fruits.

Never lie so much as during the war, after the hunt and before the election.

Learn as if you were to live forever; live as if you are going to die tomorrow.

With bad laws and good officials, it is quite possible to rule the country.

Freedom is a luxury that not everyone can afford.

Life has taught me a lot to forgive, but even more to seek forgiveness.

Stupidity is a gift from God, but it should not be abused.

Otto von Bismarck, 1826

Otto von Bismarck was born on April 1, 1815 into a family of small estate nobles from the Brandenburg province of Prussia. The Bismarcks were Junkers, descendants of conquering knights who founded German settlements east of the Vistula, where Slavic tribes had previously lived.

Otto, even while studying at school, showed an interest in the history of world politics, military and peaceful cooperation between various countries. The boy was going to choose the diplomatic path, as his parents wanted.

However, in his youth, Otto was not distinguished by diligence and discipline, preferring to spend a lot of time in entertainment with friends. This was especially evident in his university years, when the future chancellor not only took part in fun feasts, but also regularly fought in duels. Bismarck had 27 of those, and only one of them ended in failure for Otto - he was injured, a trace of which in the form of a scar on his cheek remained for life.

"Mad Junker"

After university, Otto von Bismarck tried to get a job in the diplomatic service, but was refused - his "riotous" reputation affected. As a result, Otto got a job in the civil service in the city of Aachen, which was recently included in Prussia, but after the death of his mother he was forced to deal with the management of his own estates.

Here Bismarck, to the considerable surprise of those who knew him in his youth, showed prudence, showed excellent knowledge in economic matters and turned out to be a very successful and zealous owner.

But youthful habits did not go away completely - the neighbors with whom he was in conflict gave Otto his first nickname, "Mad Junker".

The dream of a political career began to come true in 1847, when Otto von Bismarck became a member of the United Landtag of the Prussian Kingdom.

The middle of the 19th century was the time of revolutions in Europe. Liberals and socialists sought to expand the rights and freedoms enshrined in the Constitution.

Against this background, the appearance of a young politician with an extremely conservative attitude, but at the same time possessing undoubted oratorical skills, was a complete surprise.

The revolutionaries greeted Bismarck with hostility, but surrounded by the Prussian king, they noted an interesting politician who could benefit the crown in the future.

Mr. Ambassador

When the revolutionary winds in Europe subsided, Bismarck's dream finally came true - he found himself in the diplomatic service. The main goal of Prussia's foreign policy, according to Bismarck, during this period was to be the strengthening of the country's position as a center for the unification of German lands and free cities. The main obstacle to the implementation of such plans was Austria, which also sought to take control of the German lands.

That is why Bismarck believed that Prussian policy in Europe should be based on the need to contribute to the weakening of the role of Austria through various alliances.

In 1857, Otto von Bismarck was appointed Prussian ambassador to Russia. Years of work in St. Petersburg had a strong impact on Bismarck's subsequent attitude towards Russia. He was closely acquainted with Vice-Chancellor Alexander Gorchakov, who highly appreciated Bismarck's diplomatic talents.

Unlike many foreign diplomats of the past and present working in Russia, Otto von Bismarck not only mastered the Russian language, but was able to understand the character and mentality of the people. It is from the time of work in St. Petersburg that Bismarck's famous warning about the inadmissibility of war with Russia for Germany, which will inevitably have disastrous consequences for the Germans themselves, will come out.

A new round of Otto von Bismarck's career took place after Wilhelm I ascended the Prussian throne in 1861.

The ensuing constitutional crisis, caused by disagreements between the king and the Landtag on the issue of expanding the military budget, forced Wilhelm I to look for a figure capable of pursuing state policy with a “hard hand”.

Such a figure was Otto von Bismarck, who at that time held the post of Prussian ambassador to France.

Empire according to Bismarck

The extremely conservative views of Bismarck made even Wilhelm I doubt such a choice. Nevertheless, on September 23, 1862, Otto von Bismarck was appointed head of the Prussian government.

In one of his first speeches, to the consternation of the liberals, Bismarck proclaimed the idea of uniting the lands around Prussia with "iron and blood."

In 1864, Prussia and Austria acted as allies in a war with Denmark over the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Success in this war greatly strengthened the position of Prussia among the German states.

In 1866, the confrontation between Prussia and Austria for influence on the German states reached its climax and resulted in a war in which Italy took the side of Prussia.

The war ended with the crushing defeat of Austria, which finally lost its influence. As a result, in 1867, the federal formation of the North German Confederation was created, headed by Prussia.

The final completion of the unification of Germany was possible only with the accession of the South German states, which France sharply opposed.

If with Russia, worried about the strengthening of Prussia, Bismarck managed to settle the issue through diplomacy, then the French emperor Napoleon III was determined to stop the creation of a new empire by force of arms.

The Franco-Prussian war that broke out in 1870 ended in complete disaster for both France and Napoleon III himself, who was captured after the battle of Sedan.

The last obstacle was removed, and on January 18, 1871, Otto von Bismarck proclaimed the creation of the Second Reich (German Empire), of which Wilhelm I became Kaiser.

January 1871 was Bismarck's major triumph.

There is no prophet in his own country...

His further activities were aimed at containing internal and external threats. Under the internal conservative, Bismarck meant the strengthening of the positions of the Social Democrats, under the external - attempts at revenge by France and Austria, as well as other European countries that joined them, fearing the strengthening of the German Empire.

The foreign policy of the "iron chancellor" went down in history as "Bismarck's system of alliances."

The main task of the agreements being concluded was to prevent the creation of powerful anti-German alliances in Europe, threatening the new empire with a war on two fronts.

To this end, Bismarck managed to successfully manage until his retirement, but his cautious policy began to irritate the German elite. The new empire wanted to take part in the redistribution of the world, for which it was ready to fight with everyone.

Bismarck declared that as long as he was Chancellor, there would be no colonial policy in Germany. However, even before his resignation, the first German colonies appeared in Africa and the Pacific, which indicated the fall of Bismarck's influence in Germany.

The "Iron Chancellor" began to interfere with a new generation of politicians who no longer dreamed of a united Germany, but of world domination.

Then no one knew that Wilhelm II, rejecting all the advice and warnings of Bismarck, would drag Germany into the First World War, which would put an end to the empire created by the "Iron Chancellor".

The "Iron Chancellor" passed away in 1898, not having seen how Germany rushes at full speed towards a suicidal war. The name of Bismarck during the First World War and at the beginning of the Second World War will be actively used in Germany for propaganda purposes.

But his warnings about the destructiveness of the war with Russia, about the nightmare of a "war on two fronts", will remain unclaimed.

The Germans paid a very high price for this selective memory of Bismarck.

Collector of German lands "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck - a great German politician and diplomat. With his tears, sweat and blood, the unification of Germany in 1871 was completed.

In 1871, Otto von Bismarck became the first Chancellor of the German Empire. Under his leadership, Germany was unified by a "revolution from above".

He was a man who loved to drink, eat well, fight duels at his leisure, and arrange a couple of good warriors. For some time, the Iron Chancellor served in Russia as the ambassador of Prussia. During this time, he fell in love with our country, but he really did not like expensive firewood, and in general he was a miser ...

Here are Bismarck's most famous quotes about Russia:

The Russians take a long time to harness, but they go fast.

Do not expect that once you take advantage of Russia's weakness, you will receive dividends forever. Russians always come for their money. And when they come - do not rely on the Jesuit agreements you signed, supposedly justifying you. They are not worth the paper they are written on. Therefore, it is worth either playing fair with the Russians, or not playing at all.

Even the most favorable outcome of the war will never lead to the decomposition of the main force of Russia. Russians, even if they are dissected by international treatises, will just as quickly reunite with each other, like particles of a cut piece of mercury. This is the indestructible state of the Russian nation, strong in its climate, its expanses and its limited needs.

It is easier to defeat ten French armies, he said, than to understand the difference between perfective and imperfective verbs.

You should either play fair with Russians or not play at all.

A preventive war against Russia is suicide for fear of death.

Presumably: If you want to build socialism, choose a country that you don't mind.

“The power of Russia can only be undermined by the separation of Ukraine from it ... it is necessary not only to tear off, but also to oppose Ukraine to Russia. To do this, you only need to find and nurture traitors among the elite and with their help change the self-consciousness of one part of the great people to such an extent that he will hate everything Russian, hate his own family, without realizing it. Everything else is a matter of time.”

Of course, the great chancellor of Germany did not describe today, but it is difficult to refuse his insight. The European Union must stand on the borders with Russia. By any means. This is an important part of the strategy. It is not for nothing that the United States reacted so painfully to these desperate throwing of the Ukrainian leadership. Brussels has entered this first significant geopolitical battle of its own.

Never plot anything against Russia, because she will respond to your every trick with her unpredictable stupidity.

In Runet, such an interpretation, more extended, is common.

Never plot anything against Russia - they will find their stupidity for any of our tricks.
The Slavs cannot be defeated, we have seen this for hundreds of years.
This is the indestructible state of the Russian nation, strong in its climate, its spaces and its limited needs.
Even the most favorable outcome of an open war will never lead to the disintegration of the main force of Russia, which is based on millions of Russians themselves...

Reich Chancellor Prince von Bismarck to Ambassador to Vienna Prince Heinrich VII Reuss
Confidentially
No. 349 Confidential (secret) Berlin 05/03/1888

After the receipt of the expected report for No. 217 of 28 last month, Count Kalnoki has raids of doubt that the officers of the General Staff, who assumed the outbreak of war in the fall, may still be wrong.
One could argue on this topic if such a war could possibly lead to such consequences that Russia, in the words of Count Kalnoki, “will be defeated”. However, such a development of events, even with brilliant victories, is unlikely.
Even the most prosperous outcome of the war will never lead to the collapse of Russia, which rests on millions of Russian believers of the Greek confession.
These latter, even if they are later corroded by international treaties, will just as quickly reunite with each other, as the separated droplets of mercury find this way to each other.
This is the indestructible State of the Russian nation, strong with its climate, its spaces and its unpretentiousness, as well as through the awareness of the need to constantly protect its borders. This State, even after a complete defeat, will remain our product, an adversary seeking revenge, as we have in the case of today's France in the West. This would create a situation of constant tension for the future, which we will be forced to assume if Russia decides to attack us or Austria. But I am not ready to take on this responsibility and be the initiator of creating such a situation by ourselves.
We have an already failed example of the “Destruction” of a nation by three strong adversaries, much weaker Poland. This destruction failed for a full 100 years.
The vitality of the Russian nation will be no less; we shall, in my opinion, have more success if we simply treat them as an existing permanent danger against which we can build and maintain protective barriers. But we can never eliminate the very existence of this danger.
By attacking today's Russia, we will only increase her desire for unity; waiting for Russia to attack us can lead to the fact that we wait before its internal disintegration before it attacks us, and moreover, we can wait for this, the less we will be through threats to prevent it from sliding into a dead end.
f. Bismarck.

All the activities of the outstanding German politician, the “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck were closely connected with Russia.

book published in germany “Bismarck. Magician of Power”, Propylaea, Berlin 2013 under the authorship Bismarck biographer Jonathan Steinberg.

The popular science 750-page tome entered the list of German bestsellers. The interest in Otto von Bismarck in Germany is enormous. Bismarck stayed in Russia as the Prussian envoy for almost three years, and his diplomatic activity was closely connected with Russia all his life. His statements about Russia are widely known - not always unambiguous, but most often benevolent.

In January 1859, the king's brother Wilhelm, who was then regent, sent Bismarck as an envoy to St. Petersburg. For other Prussian diplomats, this appointment would have been a promotion, but Bismarck took it as a link. The priorities of Prussian foreign policy did not coincide with Bismarck's convictions, and he was removed from the court far away, sent to Russia. Bismarck had the necessary diplomatic qualities for this post. He had a natural mind and political insight.

In Russia, he was treated favorably. Since during the Crimean War, Bismarck opposed Austria's attempts to mobilize German armies for war with Russia and became the main supporter of an alliance with Russia and France, who had recently fought each other. The alliance was directed against Austria.

In addition, he was favored by the Empress Dowager, born Princess Charlotte of Prussia. Bismarck was the only foreign diplomat who had close contact with the royal family.

Another reason for his popularity and success: Bismarck spoke Russian well. He began to learn the language, barely learning about the new assignment. At first he studied on his own, and then he took a tutor - law student Vladimir Alekseev. And Alekseev left his memories of Bismarck.

Bismarck had a fantastic memory. After only four months of learning Russian, Otto von Bismarck was already able to communicate in Russian. Bismarck initially hid his knowledge of the Russian language and this gave him advantages. But one day the tsar was talking to Foreign Minister Gorchakov and caught Bismarck's eye. Alexander II asked Bismarck directly: "Do you understand Russian?" Bismarck confessed, and the tsar was amazed at how quickly Bismarck mastered the Russian language and uttered a bunch of compliments to him.

Bismarck became close to the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince A.M. Gorchakov, who assisted Bismarck in his efforts to diplomatically isolate first Austria and then France.

It is believed that Bismarck's communication with Alexander Mikhailovich Gorchakov - an outstanding statesman, chancellor of the Russian Empire - played a decisive role in shaping Bismarck's future policy.

Gorchakov predicted a great future for Bismarck. Once, already being chancellor, he said, pointing to Bismarck: “Look at this man! Under Frederick the Great, he could have been his minister." Bismarck studied the Russian language well and spoke very decently, and understood the essence of the Russian way of thinking, which greatly helped him in the future in choosing the right political line towards Russia.

However, the author believes that Gorchakov's diplomatic style was alien to Bismarck, who had the main goal of creating a strong united Germany. TO When the interests of Prussia diverged from the interests of Russia, Bismarck confidently defended the positions of Prussia. After the Berlin Congress, Bismarck broke up with Gorchakov.Bismarck inflicted sensitive defeats on Gorchakov more than once in the diplomatic arena, in particular, at the Berlin Congress of 1878. And more than once he spoke negatively and dismissively about Gorchakov.He had much more respect forcavalry general and Russian ambassador to Great BritainPetr Andreevich Shuvalov,

Bismarck wanted to be in the know about the political and secular life of Russia, so read Russian bestsellers, including Turgenev's novel The Nest of Nobles and Herzen's The Bell, banned in Russia.Thus, Bismarck not only learned the language, but also joined the cultural and political context of Russian society, which gave him undeniable advantages in his diplomatic career.

He took part in the Russian royal fun - bear hunting, and even killed two, but stopped this activity, saying that it was dishonorable to act with a gun against unarmed animals. In one of these hunts, he had frostbitten legs so badly that there was a question of amputation.

Stately, representative,two meters tall andwith a lush mustache, 44-year-old Prussian diplomatenjoyed great success with“very beautiful” Russian ladies.Secular life did not satisfy him, the ambitious Bismarck missed big politics.

However, it took Bismarck only one week in the company of Katerina Orlova-Trubetskoy to be captivated by the charms of this young attractive 22-year-old woman.

In January 1861, King Frederick William IV died, and the former regent Wilhelm I took his place, after which Bismarck was transferred as ambassador to Paris.

The affair with Princess Ekaterina Orlova continued even after his departure from Russia, when Orlova's wife was appointed Russian envoy to Belgium. But in 1862, in the resort of Biarritz, there was a turning point in their turbulent romance. Katerina's husband, Prince Orlov, was seriously wounded in the Crimean War and did not take part in his wife's merry festivities and bathing. But he accepted Bismarck. She and Katerina almost drowned. They were rescued by the lighthouse keeper. On that day, Bismarck would write to his wife: “After several hours of rest and writing letters to Paris and Berlin, I took another sip of salt water, this time in the harbor when there were no waves. A lot of swimming and diving, twice dipping into the surf would be too much for one day.” Bismarck perceived I took it as a sign from above and did not cheat on my wife anymore. Moreover, King Wilhelm I appointed him prime minister of Prussia, and Bismarck devoted himself entirely to “big politics” and the creation of a unified German state.

Bismarck continued to use the Russian language throughout his political career. Russian words regularly slip through his letters. Having already become the head of the Prussian government, he sometimes even made resolutions on official documents in Russian: “Impossible” or “Caution”. But the favorite word of the “Iron Chancellor” was the Russian “nothing”. He admired its nuance, ambiguity and often used it in private correspondence, for example, like this: “Alles is nothing”.

One incident helped him to penetrate the secret of the Russian "nothing". Bismarck hired a coachman, but doubted that his horses could go fast enough. "Nothing-oh!" - the driver answered and rushed along the rough road so briskly that Bismarck became worried: “But you won’t throw me out?”. "Nothing!" - answered the coachman. The sleigh overturned, and Bismarck flew into the snow, breaking his face until it bled. In a rage, he swung at the driver with a steel cane, and the latter scooped up a handful of snow with his hands to wipe Bismarck's bloodied face, and kept saying: "Nothing ... nothing, oh!" Subsequently, Bismarck ordered a ring from this cane with an inscription in Latin letters: "Nothing!" And he admitted that in difficult times he was relieved, saying to himself in Russian: “Nothing!” When the "Iron Chancellor" was reproached for being too soft on Russia, he replied:

In Germany, only I say "nothing!", And in Russia - the whole people!

Bismarck always spoke with admiration of the beauty of the Russian language and with knowledge of the matter - of its difficult grammar. “It is easier to defeat ten French armies,” he said, “than to understand the difference between perfective and imperfective verbs.” And he was probably right.

The "Iron Chancellor" was firmly convinced that a war with Russia could be extremely dangerous for Germany. The presence of a secret treaty with Russia in 1887 - the "reinsurance agreement" - shows that Bismarck did not hesitate to act behind the backs of his own allies, Italy and Austria, in order to maintain the status quo both in the Balkans and in the Middle East.

Rivalry between Austria and Russia in the Balkans meant that Russia needed support from Germany. Russia needed to avoid the aggravation of the international situation and she was forced to lose some of the advantages of her victory in the Russo-Turkish war. Bismarck presided over the Berlin Congress dedicated to this issue. The Congress turned out to be surprisingly effective, although Bismarck had to constantly maneuver between representatives of all the great powers to do this. On July 13, 1878, Bismarck signed the Treaty of Berlin with representatives of the great powers, establishing new frontiers in Europe. Then many of the territories that had passed to Russia were returned to Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina were transferred to Austria, the Turkish Sultan, filled with gratitude, gave Cyprus to Britain.

In the Russian press, after this, an acute pan-Slavist campaign against Germany began. The nightmare of the coalition reappeared. On the verge of panic, Bismarck offered Austria to conclude a customs agreement, and when she refused, even a mutual non-aggression pact. Emperor Wilhelm I was frightened by the end of the former pro-Russian orientation of German foreign policy and warned Bismarck that things were moving towards an alliance between tsarist Russia and France, which had become a republic again. At the same time, he pointed out the unreliability of Austria as an ally, which could not deal with its internal problems, as well as the uncertainty of Britain's position.

Bismarck tried to justify his line by pointing out that his initiatives were taken in the interests of Russia as well. On October 7, 1879, he concluded a “Mutual Treaty” with Austria, which pushed Russia into an alliance with France. This was Bismarck's fatal mistake, destroying the close relations between Russia and Germany. A fierce tariff struggle began between Russia and Germany. Since that time, the General Staffs of both countries began to develop plans for a preventive war against each other.

P.S. Bismarck's legacy.

Bismarck bequeathed to his descendants never to fight directly with Russia, as he knew Russia very well. The only way to weaken Russia according to Chancellor Bismarck is to drive a wedge between a single people, and then pit one half of the people against the other. For this it was necessary to carry out Ukrainization.

And so Bismarck's ideas about the dismemberment of the Russian people, thanks to the efforts of our enemies, were embodied. Ukraine has been separated from Russia for 23 years. The time has come for the return of Russian lands to Russia. Ukraine will be left with only Galicia, which Russia lost in the 14th century and it has already managed to visit anyone, and since then has never been free.That is why the Bendera people are so embittered at the whole world. It's in their blood.

For the successful implementation of Bismarck's ideas, the Ukrainian people were invented. And in modern Ukraine, a legend is being circulated about a certain mysterious people - ukrakh who allegedly flew from Venus and therefore are an exceptional people. TO of course, none ukrov and Ukrainians in antiquity It never happened. None of the excavations confirm this.

It is our enemies who are carrying out the idea of the iron chancellor Bismarck to dismember Russia. Since the beginning of this process, the Russian people have already endured six different waves Ukrainization:

from the end of the 19th century until the Revolution - in the occupied Austrians of Galicia;
after the Revolution of 17 years - during the "banana" regimes;
in the 20s - the bloodiest wave of Ukrainization, carried out by Lazar Kaganovich and others. (In the Ukrainian SSR in the 1920s - 1930s, the widespread introduction of the Ukrainian language and culture. Ukrainization in those years can be considered as an integral element of the all-Union campaign indigenization.)
during the Nazi occupation of 1941-1943;
during Khrushchev's time;
after the rejection of Ukraine since 1991 - permanent Ukrainization, especially aggravated after the usurpation of power by the orangeades. The process of Ukrainization is generously funded and supported by the West and the United States.

Term ukrainization now used in relation to the state policy in independent Ukraine (after 1991), aimed at the development of the Ukrainian language, culture and its introduction in all areas at the expense of the Russian language.

It should not be understood that Ukrainization was carried out periodically. No. Since the beginning of the 1920s, it has been and is being conducted continuously; the list reflects only its key points.