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How did Otto von Bismarck help create the German Empire in 1871?

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Otto von Bismarck, serving as the prime minister of Prussia, orchestrated the unification of Germany through a combination of strategic diplomacy and military conflict. He famously argued that the great issues of the day would be decided not by speeches and majority votes, but by "blood and iron".12

Bismarck led Prussia through three decisive wars that consolidated German states under Prussian leadership:
* Second Schleswig War (1864): A conflict against Denmark that established Prussian influence over the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.32
* Seven Weeks’ War (1866): A victory over the Habsburg monarchy that excluded Austria from German affairs and led to the formation of the North German Confederation.432
* Franco-German War (1870–71): Bismarck manipulated the Ems telegram to provoke France into declaring war. This conflict stirred nationalist passions, compelling the southern German states to join the North German Confederation.52

These efforts culminated in the proclamation of the German Empire on January 18, 1871.3