Otto von Bismarck Quotes
I see in our relation with the [Austrian] Bund an error of Prussia's which, sooner or later, we shall have to repair ferro et igni ["sword and fire"], unless we take advantage betimes of a favorable season to employ a healing remedy [i.e. war] against it.
Prince Otto von Bismarck-Schoenhausen, 1815-1898, German Chancellor, Letter to M. de Schleinitz, Frankfort, March 29, 1859
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
At the time the President denied that he had decided to invade Iraq. Skelton saw the “handwriting on the world.”
Although Great Britain had abolished slavery, British economic interests during the Civil War suffered because of the northern blockade of the South. Much political opinion in England was hostile to the blockade policies of the Union. Bright, a great admirer and supporter of the United Sates and the Union cause was concerned that the United States might drift into War with Great Britain. His letter to Senator Sumner was written with the understanding that it would be in shared with President Lincoln, and it was actually read at a cabinet meeting.
The Germans wanted war with Serbia and used the dispute between Austria and Serbia as an excuse to mobilize and go to war ostensibly to protect their ally, the Austrian Empire, from the Serbs who they knew would be likely supported by Russia which had traditionally supported their fellow Eastern Orthodox against Roman Catholic or Protestant enemies. Russia still tends to protect and support the Serbs. This statement was one of the many that showed that Germany was the major aggressor in the First World War and therefore had to pay reparations to France and others.
Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg[a] (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a conservative German statesman who masterminded the unification of Germany in 1871 and served as its first chancellor until 1890, in which capacity he dominated European affairs for two decades. He had previously been Minister President of Prussia (1862–1890) and Chancellor of the North German Confederation (1867–1871). He provoked three short, decisive wars, against Denmark, Austria, and France. Following the victory against Austria, he abolished the supranational German Confederation and instead formed the North German Confederation as the first German national state, aligning the smaller North German states behind Prussia, and excluding Austria. Receiving the support of the independent South German states in the Confederation's defeat of France, he formed the German Empire – which also excluded Austria – and united Germany.
