On This Day
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Otto von Bismarck is appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Prussia by King Wilhelm I

Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and...

Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as its first chancellor from 1871 to 1890. Bismarck's Realpolitik and firm governance earned him the nickname Iron Chancellor (Eiserner Kanzler).

From Junker landowner origins, Bismarck rose rapidly in Prussian politics under King Wilhelm I of Prussia. He served as the Prussian ambassador to Russia and France and in both houses of the Prussian parliament. From 1862 to 1890, he held office as the minister president and foreign minister of Prussia.

Historical Significance

Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as its first chancellor from 1871 to 1890.

Key People

Otto von Bismarck

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Wilhelm I

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Events Before

  1. Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them full rights as free citizens [O

    Alexander II of Russia signs the Emancipation Manifesto, freeing serfs and granting them full rights as free citizens [O.S. Feb 19]

  2. Abraham Lincoln is inaugurated as the 16th US President

    Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

  3. West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Ségou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali

    West African political leader El Hadj Umar Tall seizes the city of Ségou, destroying the Bambara Empire of Mali

  4. Italy is unified into a single kingdom under Victor Emmanuel II following the campaigns led by Giuseppe Garibaldi

    The Kingdom of Italy (Italian: Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 17 March 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia was proclaimed King of Italy, until 2 June 1946, when civil discontent…

  5. Fort Sumter in South Carolina is attacked by the Confederacy, beginning the American Civil War

    South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union in December 1860, and was one of the founding member states of the Confederacy in February 1861. The bombardment of the beleaguered U.S.

Events After

  1. Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved people in Confederate states

    Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

  2. P. T. Barnum stages wedding of Tom Thumb & Mercy Lavinia Warren, both midgets, in NYC

    P. T. Barnum stages wedding of Tom Thumb & Mercy Lavinia Warren, both midgets, in NYC

  3. Prince of Wales, Albert Edward (21) weds Princess Alexandra of Denmark (18) at Windsor Castle in St. George's chapel

    King Christian IX of Denmark (8 April 1818 – 29 January 1906), known as the "father-in-law of Europe", ruled Denmark from 1863 to 1906.

  4. Confederate cruiser SS Georgiana is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions and medicines valued at ove

    Confederate cruiser SS Georgiana is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions and medicines valued at over $1,000,000. The wreck is discovered exactly 102 years later by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence.

  5. Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, enters the garden of Ridván near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messen

    Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, enters the garden of Ridván near Baghdad. He makes his declaration as a Messenger of God during the 12 days he spends there.

More from the 1860s

Abraham Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation to free enslaved people in Confederate states

Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865.

Slavery is abolished in the Dutch East Indies for areas under direct rule

The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies, was a Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which declared independence on 17 August 1945.

birth

Alfred Stieglitz is born

Alfred Stieglitz, American photographer, known for american photographer, was born on 1864-01-01.

birth

Qi Baishi is born

Qi Baishi, Chinese painter, known for chinese painter, was born on 1864-01-01. Qi Baishi (1 January 1864 – 16 September 1957) was a Chinese painter, noted for the whimsical, often playful style of…

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 23, 1862?
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as its first chancellor from 1871 to 1890. Bismarck's Realpolitik and firm governance earned him the nickname Iron Chancellor (Eiserner Kanzler). From Junker landowner origins, Bismarck rose rapidly in Prussian politics under King Wilhelm I of Prussia.
Why is Otto von Bismarck is appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Prussia... significant?
Otto Eduard Leopold, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg (born Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck-Schönhausen; 1 April 1815 – 30 July 1898) was a German statesman and diplomat who oversaw the unification of Germany and served as its first chancellor from 1871 to 1890.
Who was involved in Otto von Bismarck is appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Prussia...?
Key figures include Otto von Bismarck, Wilhelm I.

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September 23 in HistoryYear 1862