Bismark was the first to start a universal healthcare system, a universal education system and a universal pension system in world history, he was quit good at governing. Germany created 48 noble prize winners during bismark chanclorship. germany had more Kindergardens, elementary schools, universitys, librarys, theaters, hospitals and companys than any other state in the world at the time. to be fair he was lucky to inherit 50 former capitiol citys, all with there own university, theater and library. Einstein went to school in Bismarks education system...

Bismarck would have either been able to stop ww1 or keep it from becoming a World war and kept it a regional conflict I believe. He was a legendary diplomat.

The thought process of declaring the German Empire in France was basically that all the necessary statesmen for German unification were present in Paris anyway, plus some humiliation for France on top. No wonder that Germany had to sign the Versailles Treaty that ended WWI in the exact same location. Until the European Union, Germany and France were basically the Ash Ketchum and Gary Oak of Europe!

I really like Otto Von Bismarck's Extra Story series, but I think they should add one more chapter. After the German unification He still has an important and crucial role to play in the geopolitics of the second half of the 19th century, He is responsible for the African partition and the horror of that massive colonization in the continent that ruined its political and territorial stability, with an impact that persists today. And we must not forget that African colonization considerably increased the tensions that would lead to World War I.

Bismarck was also building an alliance with Russia if he was alive during ww1 its actually possible Russia would have been on Germany’s side if it became a Great War. The person who later fired Bismarck (Kaiser Wilhelm the second) would go on to break most of the things Bismarck had been working on including breaking this alliance with Russia Bismarck was working on.

What they forget to mention was that the Government of National Defense didn't just declare themselves - they abolished the Second French Empire and proclaimed the Third Republic. Also, the map is faulty - the Germans just annexed Alsace and Moselle, a part of Lorraine, not the huge swath of land shown in the video.

Just remember...Bismarck had a plan. Bismarck ALWAYS had a plan :)

i recommend Extra History - Justinian and Theodora(explaining the nika riots, the roles of Belisaurius and Theodora and how Justinian dealt with the empire after his friends have died) and Extra History - Khosrau Anushirvan - The Immortal Soul(Khosrau is the Sassanid ruler and rival of Justinian. he was a great governor and conqueror-like Justinian- and a troll. he trolled Justinian a lot)

Keep in mind, although Extra History is great, they tend to lay into the "great man" narrative and make it seem like one man (or woman) has the power to change the world's destiny. In reality, Bismarck didn't make all this happen by himself. There forces far outside his control operating and driving the world, and he was smart enough, careful enough and lucky enough (never underestimate the power of being at the right place at the right time) to take advantage of those forces and steer Prussia according to the correct tides. But the unification of Germany probably could have and would have happened at some point even without him. The pan-Germanist push was strong.

If you planned to react to another Extra History series, I recommend Catherine the Great.

After Moltke won the argument to march on Paris Bismark figured if they were going to do that they would need to go all in so they could end the war quickly. Shelling Paris wasn't a madman decision, it was about hurrying up the innevitable. It probably saved lives, starvation would have done much worse. France had to accept Wilhelm as Emperor because France currently held the title of Emperor in the West. This goes back to the old Western Roman Empire. You can't have two alpha dogs in the same yard.

He certainly was effective at governing and laid in many ways the foundations of the modern german welfare state. Sure, he did it mostly to prevent a communist revolution, but the effects were nice anyway.

It's a shame that Kaiser Willhelm the second deposed him and caused ww1 in the end.