![]() ![]() ![]() To nearly everyone’s surprise, the risk paid off, and in his handling of the crisis, Bismarck revealed the tactical flexibility, political instinct and ruthlessness that would remain hallmarks of his statesmanship. His fervid scheming on the fringes of the reactionary right during the 1848 Revolutions had earned him the reputation of an extremist. In 1862, the 47-year-old Otto von Bismarck appeared a dubious figure. His appointment to the minister-presidency of Prussia was a measure of last resort. ![]() This is the crisis Bismarck was brought into government to resolve. Crown and parliament were in deadlock and Wilhelm was said to be contemplating abdication. In the eyes of the Crown, the army was an organisation bound in personal loyalty to the monarch that must be shielded entirely from the scrutiny of civilian deputies. ![]() The liberal view was that the parliament’s constitutional control of the military budget implied a degree of co-determination in all military matters. At issue was the question of who had the right to determine the army’s character. The liberal-dominated Prussian parliament refused to approve the necessary funds. Wilhelm I and his military advisers wanted to expand and improve the army. In the autumn of 1862, the Kingdom of Prussia was paralysed by a constitutional crisis. ![]()
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