Author: Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian political figure. He had a large influence in German and European affairs from the 1860s until 1890. He helped unite Germany in to what it is today.
Context: He wrote this during his rise to power. He describes the events that took place while Austria was attempting to negotiate terms of surrender. The majority of the council wanted to continue with military action but Bismarck advised against it and wanted peace.
Language: Informative and clear. He is recalling memories and writing them exactly has he remembers in order to let people know the events that occurred.
Audience: Writing for the people of Germany and Prussia. He feared that if military action continued there would be a desire for revenge by Austria.
Intent: Inform the people of the events that took place and why he thought it was necessary to stand for peace instead of further military action.
Message: He is attempting to conclude the best way for Germany to rise to power while not creating unnecessary enemies. War is inevitable but in time, Austria would be a better ally than adversary.
Why?: Bismarck wants to let the people know that he was the one that wanted peace with Austria in order to prevent any future tensions.
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Bismarck’s diplomatic relations were extremely insightful and impressive. Very few leaders recognize the importance of trying to maintain civil relations with newly defeated nations. Bismarck wanted to maintain positive relations with Austria in order to foster either a neutral relationship or a future alliance. However, few recognize the importance of respecting the defeated nation, and the defeat of Germany is a prime example. The massive reparations and blame of the war all fell to the Germans, leading the country into disarray. The chaos caused by the end of WW1 set the stage for WWII. Had the negotiations followed the logic of Bismarck, the course of history could have been drastically different.