Who was the most important and influential person in the unification of Germany in the 19th century? Just about anyone who has studied this period of history would right off tell you that Otto von Bismarck was that person. There is no doubt that Bismarck is the man who not only united Germany, but built one of the strongest economic and military empires in Europe during the time.
On April 1, 1815, Bismarck was born into a high class family. The family manor was called Schonhausen, in Brandenburg, north of Berlin. Bismarck's father was a nobleman who could trace back his family roots nearly five centuries. Bismarck's mother was of middle class descent, which her ancestors were of either civil servant s or academicians. Before this time marriage of high and middle classes were unheard of. But during this period, these types of marriages became more and more common. This marriage of classes formed a new "elite class". (Showalter, Bismarck 1) .
Bismarck's education in Berlin during his high school years had little impact on his future political career. He studied science, mathematics, literature, and music while attending high school which had little "influence on the formation of his mind." (1).
In 1832, Bismarck entered the University of Gottingien His main goal was to pass the law examinations required for a civil service appointment with as little effort as possible. (1) In 1834, Bismarck transferred to the University of Berlin and passed his examinations. Bismarck soon after received an appointment as an apprentice official. (1) In 1838, Bismarck resigned from his civil services as the lord of Schonhausen. Bismarck found the job boring and uneventful, (Kimmich 13) in which in his letter to his sister stated that "he wanted to conduct the orchestra, not play in it.
