Blood and Iron (speech)
Blood and Iron (German: Blut und Eisen) is the name given to a speech made by Otto von Bismarck given on 30 September 1862, at the time when he was Minister President of Prussia, about the unification of the German territories.It is also a transposed phrase that Bismarck uttered near the end of the speech that has become one of his most widely known quotations.A few days later, Bismarck appeared before the House's Budget Committee and stressed the need for military preparedness to solve the German Question.Not through speeches and majority decisions will the great questions of the day be decided—that was the great mistake of 1848 and 1849—but by iron and blood (Eisen und Blut).This phrase, relying on a patriotic poem written by Max von Schenkendorf during the Napoleonic Wars, was popularized as the more euphonious Blut und Eisen ("Blood and Iron"), and became symbolic of Bismarckian Machtpolitik ("Power politics").Although Bismarck was an outstanding diplomat, the phrase "blood and iron" has become a popular description of his foreign policy partly because he did on occasion resort to war to further the unification of Germany and the expansion of its continental power.
Blood and IronGermanOtto von BismarckMinister President of Prussiaunification of the German territoriesPrussian House of RepresentativesWilhelm IForeign MinisterGerman Questionthe treaties of Vienna1848 and 1849Max von SchenkendorfNapoleonic WarsMachtpolitikUnification of GermanyAustrian EmpireAustria-HungaryKingdom of BavariaKingdom of HanoverKingdom of PrussiaKingdom of SaxonyKingdom of WürttembergStates of the German ConfederationConfederation of the RhineGerman ConfederationZollvereinGerman Empire (1848–1849)Erfurt UnionNorth German ConfederationGerman EmpireCongress of ViennaVormärzWartburg FestivalCarlsbad DecreesHambach FestivalFrankfurter Wachensturm1848 RevolutionsFrankfurt ParliamentGreater Poland uprisingPunctation of OlmützDresden ConferenceSecond Schleswig WarAustro-Prussian WarPeace of PragueFranco-Prussian WarTreaty of VersaillesBaron von SteinCharles IChristian IXEduard von SimsonFranz IFranz Joseph IFrederick William IIIFrederick William IVFriedrich Daniel BassermannFriedrich Ferdinand von BeustHeinrich von GagernJohann Gottlieb FichteJohann Gustav DroysenArchduke JohnJohn, King of SaxonyKarl August von HardenbergKlemens von MetternichLudwig IINapoleon IIIRobert BlumWilhelm von HumboldtAlsace–LorraineAustro-Prussian rivalryBurschenschaftDas Lied der DeutschenDie Wacht am RheinFlag of GermanyLützow Free CorpsPan-GermanismLesser GermanyGerman reunificationGreater Austria proposalSchleswig–Holstein questionSonderweg