80 



BISMAECK, PEINCE VON. 



prevent the Upper House from disagreeing to 

 the resolution of the Second Chamber, pro- 

 viding for the adoption of the provision of the 

 Federal Constitution, in reference to freedom 

 of speech, into the Prussian Constitution. The 

 antagonism between Bismarck and the Liber- 

 als again assumed a serious shape respecting 

 the question of a general nationality. The 

 National Liberals, whose most advanced sec- 

 tion was in this case led by Deputy Lasker, 

 made the demand in the Eeichstag, in March, 

 1870, that the admission of Baden to the 

 Northern Confederation should be delayed no 

 longer. Bismarck opposed their proposition 

 in the most determined manner, whereupon 

 that part of the Liberal press which agreed 

 with Lasker declared that there could be no 

 further cooperation with the chancellor. The 

 alienation increased, when Bismarck soon 

 afterward contended against the majority of 

 the Eeichstag for the retention of the death- 

 penalty. But it is impossible to determine 

 how far he was carrying out his own views on 

 these contested questions. He often com- 

 plained that he had to yield to the King and 

 the ultra-feudalists in order not to endanger 

 the success of his own projects. The events of 

 the war showed that this consideration was not 

 without foundation. The hostility between 

 himself and the Count von Lippe, Minister of 

 Justice, was long regarded as a vain comedy. 

 But the count was removed from his office on 

 October 10, 1867, after Bismarck had sharply 

 criticised him in the open session of Parlia- 

 ment. Equally unpleasant were his relations 

 with Count Eulenburg, Minister of the Interior, 

 who, like the Count von Lippe, was highly 

 esteemed at court. Von der Heydt, the Min- 

 ister of Finance, was also obliged to withdraw 

 from the cabinet in 1869, and Bismarck an- 

 nounced soon afterward in the Second Cham- 

 ber, that the Government would not neglect 

 to sue for an indemnity for the arbitrary acts 

 which this minister had permitted in the 

 management of the finances. On the other 

 hand, many causes of irritation with the House 

 of Lords were developed, which gradually led 

 to an open breach, and the ultra-feudalists 

 could not conceal from themselves that their 

 traditions and pretensions must receive a 

 severe shock by the operation of the new 

 policy of the minister. 



The great labor to which Bismarck had 

 been subjected, brought upon him a nervous 

 disease, which much embarrassed him. He 

 spent the summer and autumn of 1869 at his 

 estate of Yarzin, in Pomerania. When he re- 

 turned to Berlin, about Christmas, he could 

 only superintend the most important affairs, 

 and was obliged to leave the real business to 

 llerren vonThiele and Dellbruck. When, after 

 the adjournment of the Eeichstag, the Foreign 

 Office of Prussia was merged in that of the 

 Confederation, Bismarck attained a position 

 which gave him a measurable superiority over 

 the Prussian ministry. 



"While, during the first months of the year 

 1870, Count Bismarck occupies but rarely a 

 prominent place in the history of events, the 

 great conflict between Germany and France, 

 which began in July, 1871, again put his states- 

 manship to severe tests, and gained for him 

 laurels even more brilliant than those won in 

 the past. The diplomatic negotiations which 

 preceded the declaration of war were conducted 

 on the part of Bismarck with a skill which was 

 recognized on all sides. To the great disap- 

 pointment of France, the South-German gov- 

 ernments joined North Germany, and even 

 the Diets of Bavaria and Wurtemberg, which 

 had thus far been controlled by majorities 

 decidedly hostile to the policy of Bismarck, 

 voted the war-credits. While the hostile 

 armies were preparing for the opening of the 

 campaign, Bismarck dealt out to France a stag- 

 gering diplomatic blow. He published on July 

 29th an autograph letter addressed to him in 

 1866, by the French ambassador, Benedetti, 

 in which the latter in the name of his govern- 

 ment offered to Prussia an alliance against 

 Austria, claiming in return the consent of 

 Prussia to the incorporation of Belgium with 

 France. As the declaration of Benedetti, that 

 the document had been dictated to him by 

 Bismarck, found but little if any credence, 

 public opinion in the neutral countries became 

 strongly enlisted against Napoleon. On July 

 31st Bismarck accompanied the King of Prus- 

 sia to the seat of war. On September 1st he 

 witnessed the great German victory at Sedan, 

 and with Moltke conducted the negotiations 

 concerning the capitulation. When, after the 

 establishment of the French Eepublic, the ne- 

 gotiations for the conclusion of an armistice 

 and of peace began, Bismarck was careful to 

 secure the cooperation of the diplomatic repre- 

 sentatives of the South-German governments. 

 Among the principal conditions of peace, which 

 Count Bismarck in the name of his govern- 

 ment demanded, was the session of Alsace 

 and German Lorraine. At its first mention, 

 this demand was indignantly repelled by the 

 French commissioners ; it was on many sides, 

 and even by some parties in Germany, de- 

 nounced as being too harsh ; but in his notes, 

 which will form an important contribution to 

 the history of his life, Count Bismarck with 

 an iron calmness developed the reasons why 

 this claim in particular could not be aban- 

 doned. The war was continued until con- 

 quered France had to accept the terms pro- 

 posed by Bismarck. When the Peace Con- 

 ference, which was opened at Brussels in 

 March, protracted the negotiations in an un- 

 expected manner, Bismarck arranged a con- 

 ference at Frankfort, with Favre (May 10th), 

 when the definitive peace was soon agreed 

 upon and signed. 



Long before the conditions of peace had been 

 agreed upon, negotiations began at Versailles, 

 October 25, 1870, between Count Bismarck, 

 and the representatives of the South-German 



