Foreign Policy

Bismarck was reponsible for the foreign policy of united Germany.
With the founding of the German Empire, a new major power in Europe had emerged , and this first had to find it's place in the system of other powers. The policy of Germany appeared to the other States as it can not be calculated. There were several options to integrate itself into the state system. Bismarck settled on the variant as an "honest agent".
In the peace settlement of Frankfurt-on-Main, the German Empire demanded reparations of five billion francs and stationed an army for four years in France until the amount was paid. Added the territories of Alsace and the coal-producing Lorraine to their empire.


Germany had a populationn of 39 million people and more miles of railway, which were better arranged for military purposes, than other states of Europe. The shorter military service mobilised the workers better and the consumption from modern energy was 50% larger. The iron and steel production, and also the gross national product wer 2 1/2 times as great. Germany became the most powerful country in Europe.

The German Reich

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