Machiavelli vs Bismarck

Otto von Bismarck reminds me of Machiavelli. Bismarck’s position as the minister-president was similar to that of Machiavelli’s role in the Florentine government; effectively ruling the state under their sovereign’s authority. Like Machiavelli, Bismarck was ingenious and manipulative. His belief that the end justifies the means is evident in the way that he was able to unify Germany. He weakened Austria by exploiting the Hapsburgs’ economic disadvantages as well as their internal ethnic conflicts. However, the most Machiavellian thing that he did was when he provoked the French so that Britain would not intervene. After meeting with the French to discuss the Spanish thrown Bismarck made it seem as though Germany had been snubbed by France, and angered them by suggesting such. He escalated the conflict until France declared war. He was willing to risk fighting a war with France in order to boost nationalism in the remaining independent German states in hopes that they would want to join the cause of the North German Confederation. After the French were defeated, Bismarck organized the remaining German states into an empire with William I as emperor, or Kaiser.
Mission Accomplished.