Wilhelm von Bismarck
Encyclopedia
Count Wilhelm von Bismarck (né Wilhelm Otto Albrecht von Bismarck) (1 August 1852 – 30 May 1901) was a German counselor, civil servant and politician, who served as a member of the Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....

 from 1880 to 1881 and president of the Regency of Hanover from 1889 to 1890. The youngest son of Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...

, he and his brother Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert, Prince of Bismarck was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father's dismissal...

 both resigned their posts after the elder Bismarck was dismissed as Chancellor of Germany
Chancellor of Germany
The Chancellor of Germany is, under the German 1949 constitution, the head of government of Germany...

 in 1890. Wilhelm subsequently accepted an appointment as Governor of East Prussia in 1894.

Biography

Wilhelm von Bismarck was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, and the youngest three children born to Otto von Bismarck
Otto von Bismarck
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Duke of Lauenburg , simply known as Otto von Bismarck, was a Prussian-German statesman whose actions unified Germany, made it a major player in world affairs, and created a balance of power that kept Europe at peace after 1871.As Minister President of...

 and his wife Johanna, née von Puttkamer
Johanna von Puttkamer
Johanna Friederike Charlotte Dorothea Eleonore von Puttkamer was a Prussian noblewoman, also known as Johanna von Bismarck. She was the sister of statesman Robert von Puttkamer....

. He had an older sister, Marie (b. 1847), and brother, Herbert
Herbert von Bismarck
Herbert, Prince of Bismarck was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890. His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father's dismissal...

 (b. 1849), the latter serving as Foreign Secretary
Minister for Foreign Affairs (Germany)
The Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs is the head of the Federal Foreign Office and a member of the Cabinet of Germany. The current office holder is Guido Westerwelle...

 from 1886 to 1890.

Though Herbert was considered next in line as Prince of Bismarck
Fürst von Bismarck
The great German statesman and diplomat Otto von Bismarck received several noble titles during the course of his career.Born into a Junker family as simply Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, he was created Graf von Bismarck-Schönhausen in 1865, following the Prussian victory over Denmark in the...

, and head of the Bismarck royal house, Wilhelm von Bismarck was considered "the more popular of the two brothers". He was a noted athlete and sportsman in college and, like his father, participated in dueling. On at least one of these occasions, he nearly lost his life and initially not expected to live more than a month. Wilhelm's likeness to his father was considered "remarkable" having "the same haughty demeanor, the same shape of head, and even the same gestures".

Both he and his brother fought in the Franco-Prussian War
Franco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...

, each holding a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...

's commission, as staff officers with the 1st Dragoon Regiment, and received the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....

 for gallantry. In 1879, Bismarck was made secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...

 to General Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel
Edwin Freiherr von Manteuffel was a German Generalfeldmarschall noted for his victories in the Franco-Prussian War....

, military governor of the then recently ceded provinces of Alsace and Lorraine.

Bismarck briefly joined his brother and father in German politics
Politics of Germany
The Federal Republic of Germany is a federal parliamentary republic, based on representative democracy. The Chancellor is the head of government, while the President of Germany is the head of state, which is a ceremonial role but with substantial reserve powers.Executive power is vested in the...

 becoming a member of the Reichstag
Reichstag (German Empire)
The Reichstag was the parliament of the North German Confederation , and of the German Reich ....

 but was defeated upon seeking re-election in 1881. He then pursued a career in law and, the next year, became a government counselor. In 1885, he married his cousin, Sybil von Arnim, and together had four children.

Four years later, in 1889, he became President of the Regency of Hanover and held this position until the following year when he and Herbert left their respective appointments in protest of their father, Otto von Bismarck, being forced to step down as Chancellor by Kaiser Wilhelm II. In 1894, he was unexpectedly appointed Governor of East Prussia.

On the morning of May 31, 1901, after an illness of six days, Bismarck died in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...

 from peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...

. The funeral took place a week later, the same day Wilhelm II planned to unveil a statue to Otto von Bismarck in front of the Reichstag building
Reichstag
Reichstag may refer to:*Reichstag – the diets or parliaments of the Holy Roman Empire, of the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy, and of Germany from 1871 to 1945** Reichstag ** Reichstag...

. At the time, given the somewhat tense relationship between Wilhelm and the Bismarck family, there was some speculation whether they would attend. The Kaiser's refusal to postpone the ceremony, given the preparations had already been completed and an expected attendance of thousands from Germany and elsewhere in Europe, made their attendance an impossibility.

Of the newspapers which carried obituaries of Wilhelm's passing, according to the New York Times, "few of them are complimentary, and the majority point out that the son possessed all of his father's foibles without his father's greatness."

Further reading

  • Rich, Norman. Friedrich von Holstein: Politics and Diplomacy in the Era of Bismarck and Wilhelm II. Volume 1. London: Cambridge University Press, 1965.
  • Stern, Fritz. Gold and Iron: Bismarck, Bleichroder and the Building of the German Empire. London: Allen and Unwin, 1977.

See also

  • Bismarck family
    Bismarck family
    The House of Bismarck is a German noble family that rose to great prominence with 19th century statesman Otto von Bismarck, who was conferred the hereditary title of Prince of Bismarck in 1871, and additionally a hereditary comital title in 1865 and a ducal title, Duke of Lauenburg, held only for...

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