With Russians, there is no playing

The first Chancellor of the German Empire, Otto von Bismarck, went down in history as the "Iron Chancellor." Thousands of books have been written about him—the creator of the Second Reich—but none have been able to unveil all the mysteries of this most brilliant and extraordinary personality of the 19th century. And no historian has been able to decipher the secrets of his political genius and foresight. The debates about him are endless. How did the "mad junker" Bismarck transform into the "mad deputy" of the Berlin Diet? Why did the descendant of knights resolve the "great issues of the time" with iron and blood? Why did he unleash three wars in succession—with Denmark, Austria, and France? Why did he support two Russian emperors—Alexander II and Nicholas II? What intrigues did he weave while being the ambassador of Prussia in Russia? How did the passionate love affair between Bismarck and the young Russian princess Ekaterina Orlova-Trubetskaya end? Which of Bismarck's warnings about impending military conflicts were completely fulfilled? And which of his assessments of the future that the world awaits remain relevant even today? You will find answers to these and other intriguing questions that shed new light on the remarkable life of the German Chancellor in his memoirs.