Otto von Bismarck
 Otto von Bismarck      ( deep politician) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 April 1815 Schönhausen, Kreis Jerichow II, Province of Saxony, Prussia |
| Died | 30 July 1898 (Age 83) Friedrichsruh, Schleswig-Holstein, German Empire |
| Alma mater | • University of Göttingen • University of Berlin • University of Greifswald |
| Parents | Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand von Bismarck (1771–1845) Wilhelmine Luise Mencken (1789–1839) |
| Children | • Marie • Herbert • Wilhelm |
| Spouse | Johanna von Puttkamer |
| Party | Independent |
Rothschilds
Gerson von Bleichröder, whose family bank functioned as a 'branch office in Berlin of the Rothschild banking house', became Bismarck’s personal financial agent, managed his portfolio, bribed officials on his behalf, financed wars while bypassing parliamentary opposition, and served as intermediary between European finance and the Prussian state.
Following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, Bismarck sent Bleichröder to Versailles as his financial adviser to negotiate the terms of the French indemnity. Bleichröder advised on the amount — he had recommended four billion francs; the final figure was five billion, roughly a quarter of French GDP - and subsequently handled the technical processing of reparation payments on the German side. For these services he received the Iron Cross, a military decoration awarded to a banker. On the French side, it was Alphonse de Rothschild, head of the Paris house, who led the syndicate that raised the bonds to pay the indemnity[1]. Bleichröder’s own firm then organised a German syndicate to purchase those French bonds. The Rothschild network profited from both ends of a five-billion-franc transaction that reshaped the European balance of power.[2][3]
