What might Otto von Bismarck do if he appeared in modern Germany?
Short answerHe might adapt into an effective political operator, but his pragmatism does not establish a commitment to democracy.
NotesBismarck's adaptability is offered as a reason he might become effective in modern German politics after learning its circumstances. Calling him pro-democracy draws an objection based on his ruthless state-building and restrictions on liberal politics. The claim is then narrowed: he could regard a degree of public participation as necessary while wanting it to exercise as little power as possible. Representation, in this interpretation, helped relieve pressure that might otherwise produce revolution. His anti-Catholic politics and the different political traditions of eastern and western Germany complicate the picture of simple pragmatism.