Otto von Bismarck (1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German-Prussian statesman who oversaw the unification of Germany. He earned the nickname "The Iron Chancellor" because he ruled with an iron fist. Besides uniting Germany, he is most famous for his diplomacy of Realpolitik. Realpolitiks literally translates as “actual” “politics” and is politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives. This means using realistic or pragmatic ways to solve political problems rather than ideological ones, focusing on considerations of power, not ideals, morals, or principles. Bismarck used balance-of-power diplomacy to ensure that the newly united Germany enjoyed peace during the 1870s and 1880s. Bismarck was the first chancellor of a united Germany, a post he held from 1871 until 1890. Emperor Wilhelm I died in 1888 and he was succeeded by his son Friedrich III who was already sick and died after less than a year on the throne. Friedrich III was succeeded by his son Wilhelm II who strongly disagreed with Bismarck’s foreign policy. As a result, Bismarck was forced to resign his post as chancellor in 1890. Bismarck spent his final years writing his memoirs, Thoughts and Memories, in which he strongly criticized Emperor Wilhelm I. He died in 1898 aged 83 and "Loyal German Servant of Kaiser Wilhelm I" is written on his gravestone.
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