Bismarck's First Defeat

In 1882, Otto von Bismarck was at the height of his power. He had consolidated his alliance system, binding Austria, Russia and Italy to him. France was isolated and ignored in Europe. And that year, Britain also fell into his net.
The occupation of Egypt in 1882, alienated Britain from France premanently. This left Germany as the only state not actively hostile to London. It was an advantage Bismarck did not intend to waste. This video aims to be a short documentary, looking at how the British prime Minister, Lord Salisbury, attempted to escape Bismarck's diplomatic web.
Patreon: / oldbritannia
#history, #Bismarck, #Britishempire,

[@generaltom6850]

I know you won’t read this, but the quality of your videos has increased dramatically and they are some of the best geopolitical videos that you can find. Particularly in the historical field where there is a shocking lack of detailed studies. Keep up the good work.

[@Thurnmourer]

Increased? Seems fairly same to what he's done before. Which, in general, is a pretty big tick in his favour as he had a solid sense of video identity and associated quality from the get go.

[@rossjohnson9098]

I mean it's true, he's been great from the start

[@Blazer7713-l9b]

He does read these

[@generaltom6850]

@@Thurnmourer I was talking about the animations and graphics.

[@OldBritannia]

Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say. I’m no substitute for reading about the subject from proper historians of course, but I’m glad you find these videos enjoyable introductions.

[@AlexScarpinato]

I fucking love Old Britannia maps UUUGHHHH IM GONA COMBUST

[@TickleMeChelmno]

Why do you have to make it weird?

[@giancarlo1822]

Blood and iron all over my computer screen 😫😫😫

[@tenshihinanawi4546]

man, these comments make me guts and blackpowder all over the place

[@paddyodonovan2016]

Has he ever disclosed how he makes his maps?

[@vadertrap6535]

real

[@scott2452]

I had to do a double take at 5:40… Austrian-Serbian alliance? Amazing how much can change in just a few decades.

[@dano4996]

It changed after the coup d'état in 1903 when the Obrenovic (pro Austrian) were deposed and the karadjordjevic (pro russian) ascended to the throne. It is known as the may coup

[@ziroja]

​@@dano4996 Good comment. I would just like to add that Karadjordjevic dynasty was not only friendly to Russia, but mainly to France. Peter Karadjordjevic (who replaced last Obrenovic king) was a french solider in the war of 1871. So, until 1903. Serbia was under informal Austrian protection, and Austria considered it it's client state, which was only half true. But that is a topic for other video.

[@eedwardgrey2]

@@dano4996 It was like a real life red wedding

[@dano4996]

@@eedwardgrey2 why was it a "red wedding" ?

[@eedwardgrey2]

@@dano4996 Serbian king married a woman his subjects didn't like, he ended up killed along with her

[@thespiritphoenix3798]

So glad to see you go back to your best area of 19th Century Diplomatic history. With Bismarck too!

[@e.lectric9990]

A very interesting examination of Britain's interactions with Germany during Bismarck's period as Chancellor, which is oft-overlooked compared to his work uniting the country. Having read "Bismarck: A Life" by Jonathan Steinberg, one gets a distinct impression that Bismarck's grasp of the European international political reality was much fuzzier beyond his attitude towards bringing the German states under the Kaiser's control - the ultimate fragility of the Three Emperor's alliance, for instance, seems to not have been fully accounted for in the longer term, the failure of which would in time leave Germany with an unfriendly Russia to her east to compliment the hostile France on her western border. I think it's also worth noting how during this period Bismarck was having to grapple with the rise of liberal and Catholic political opposition within Germany, which could not have done great things for his focus internationally. I also find it very interesting how from this period one can detect the source of both Bismarck's conviction of the dangers of "fool things in the Balkans" that would be borne out in 1914 and the importance of positive ties with Britain, the latter of which Wilhelm II would discard following his dismissal of Bismarck at his own peril. It makes one wonder if perhaps under different circumstances where he had not been dismissed he may have been able to come to grips with the new state of Europe and rebuild a different international bloc for Germany - though on the other hand Bismarck was getting on in age and died only eight years after his dismissal, which certainly isn't nothing but also may not have been enough for truly radical changes. Thank you for the video!

[@theliato3809]

In a reading of Dreadnought about the troubling build up of massive fleets and power plays it comes across that bismark kept a juggling act going that eventually fell apart because he didnt tell the person throwing the balls to stop.

[@mullerreus145]

A lot of people forget that Bismarck wasn't the Pericles he's often presented as, apart from this video which is about his usual "legendary" strength as some would say he was often getting in trouble domestically as well; his attempts to destroy the Catholic bloc in German politics was a total failure for example and actually only strengthened them.

[@AnonymousIdealist]

Yep.

[@AnonymousIdealist]

Yeah.

[@sarpyasar5893]

He would have been a far better foreign minister rather than an chancellor.

[@indefatigable8193]

“Chestnuts out of the fire” I feel like I’m getting an academic lecture from an old professor of the empire lol

[@generaltom6850]

Hell yeah, Old Britannia uploaded.

[@YitzharVered]

'The mighty wobble when Bulgaria is on the table' - Sailsbury, probably

[@couldbeanybody2508]

Someone slammed their big Bulgarian meat on the table and shattered the three emperor's league

[@eedwardgrey2]

Churchills father supporting defense cuts and a close alliance with Germany is pretty ironic

[@oscarcritic]

Salisbury is one of the most fascinating British Prime Minister, really want to learn more. Thank You for providing some great details!

[@dano4996]

This video was a lovely one. This is a great complement to your video on Salisbury's Triumph which explained how Salisbury was able to get out of the scramble for Africa with a great deal of his aims achieved but you did not dive into the details of how britain was able to get away of the shaky Egypt situation. I am very glad that you make videos like this one because it is really interesting to see great powers manoeuvering to gain some ground like freedom of action which is closer to what we see today contrary to what you have done by the past which we could describe as "hard" diplomacy such as the congress of Berlin with high tensions and threats of war. It shows that great powers game is not necessarily a bomb with devastating effects. On the Bismarck point, he also suffered a big defeat which was the end of the 3 emperors League which was a real sigh of relief for France. Germany kept Austria but this ally would prove itself quite inefficient contrary to the franco-russian entente as you described into your video "why Germany had to start the war". Collapse of the 3 emperors league was far from a fatal blow but it will be the start of the slow German climb down in the European diplomacy

[@Goldenblitzer]

This stuff makes my day, its absolutely fascinating

[@_pawter]

Outstanding. This meshes nicely with a book called Scramble For Africa I first read as an undergrad 30+ years ago. I'm rereading it now to enjoy the personalities behind the geographic maneuvers dictated by the deep mutual mistrust among all the major powers at that time.

[@J-Bahn]

4:48 from a geopolitical perspective, that was probably one of the stupidest decisions Austria ever made. I mean, what would they have to gain from supporting a small country in the Balkans against their supposed ally? For once, Russia wasn’t trying to stir up trouble like they were in 1877, so why not just defer to Bismarck and Russia?

[@AFGuidesHD]

Bismarck's first defeat was not balkanizing France and allowing it to inevitably go to war with Germany in the future.

[@computer1-hc1qn]

Bus marks first mistake was not eating his brekkie 🧇 🍳

[@AFGuidesHD]

@@computer1-hc1qn clearly a Croissant enjoyer

[@computer1-hc1qn]

@AFGuidesHD perhaps France had to give up its strategic croissant reserve in order to not be balkanised.

[@theodorsebastian4272]

By the latter stage of Franco-Prussian war(After the downfall of Napoleon III) European sympathies have already shifted from Germany to France. Doing too much damage to France would crank up Europeon paranoia even further and leave Germany isolated afterwards And this is before Germany reconciliation with Austria,So there are risks of pushing that empire away

[@basedpatriarch]

Balkanize it into what?

[@JJLiu-xc3kg]

I echo those complimentary comments as one of the few channels consistently focussing on 19th-century history…however, I cringe each time you say GladSTONE and not, properly, GladSTEN

[@ducasx3094]

11:50 The dodecanese is shown under Italy although the Italo-Turkish war has not yet happened.

[@ilFrancotti]

This video is incredibly instructive. It really shows all sorts of diplomatic tactics employed by Bismarck to deal with European crisis or various countries' expansionism without ever risking the German Empire itself. Literally the same conditions that would eventually lead to the First World War in 1914 are skilfully dodged by his genius: - instead of him signing any Black Check to Austria-Hungary he let Great Britain enter the Balkans affaires and deal with the ambitions of the most problematic country in Europe at the time. - on the colonial stage, not being paranoid about other countries' vast colonial empires he was ready and keen to support Great Britain over France in Egypt, despite the former already holding the largest network of colonies around the world. (The so called tactic of supporting the weaker of the two to your advantage is completely flipped in his diplomatic perspective) It really chills the blood hearing that without a mind such as his, Europe could have entered the Great War much sooner as the German Empire would have been diplomatically isolated by its own colonial fever. Last but not least, impressive that he accurately predicted, more than 30 years earlier, what end Austria-Hungary would have met if it went down to a war with the Russian Empire. This said, good job to Great Britain's PM, Marquees of Salisbury, for eventually outmaneuvering Bismark's diplomatic architecture and pushing him to reveal where the true weakness of German Empire was.

[@yonek1316]

George F Kennan's "The Decline of Bismarck's European Order" is an excellent book on this subject.

[@marknieuweboer8099]

Now realize that politics within the EU works in exactly the same way, except that battle fields have been replaced by meeting rooms. Brexit goes against Salisbury's policy.

[@pawedobrosz152]

Well, to be fair Bismarck inadvertently created the environment for the disaster of 1914 - he misscalculated actual strenths and weaknesses of Germany in terms of grand strategy. We know very well, that Germany was more than capable of waging a total, continental war with both France and Russia combined, and still carry out a victory. What Germany couldn't do is sustaining it's economy with naval blockade and no acces to the global finantial market. So Bismarck really should have aimed for a proper alliance with Britain instead of blackmailing them. With allied, or at least neutral Britain Germany could easily take out both Russia and France, one after the other. Now of course, that would've still failed if in such a timeline Willhelm II still would still push for a Naval arms race and so on, but we could assume he wouldn't with actually proper Anglo-German relations.

[@justachannel8600]

There's a navy KZbinr who talked about the naval arms race. If I recall from that Bismarck wanted to do exactly that. But some egomaniac admiral managed to kick off the naval duck measuring contest and after that it was all in.

[@brsn2991]

Watching these statesmen go at it after watching the recent US presidential debate is a stark stark contrast...

[@Ethan-cz8xq]

I absolutely love your channel and this video is the best example of why. Diplomatic maneuvering is my favorite part of history, and your detailed coverage of it plus your beautiful maps make every video a treat

[@nightdragonx123]

You truly are in the top 3 of my all time Favorite HistoryTubers. I do wish you would upload more, as I've watched every video on your channel countless times, yet I respect your time schedule as it produces great works such as This, the Anglo-American series, and the ongoing Hapsberg series. I hope you continue to do great work

[@Mightfox]

Who are your other favorites?

[@nightdragonx123]

@Mightfox History Matters; they do short form content that's well researched. Indy Nidal with his WWI and WWII series are Masterpieces in their own rights. Oversimplified History is a nice channel to show my nieces and nephews. History Civics is the other Diplomatic History channel that also amazing

[@TommasoBalsimelli]

Hello, I'm a student of historical sciences at University of Florence and I have a bachelor in History. I really like your contents, style and tone and I would like to export it to an Italian audience, talking about larger and smaller historical themes of XVIII and XIX century. Could you teach me how do you make videos please?

[@alansmithee8831]

Germany resurgent in football despite Thor's attempted strike for Denmark, then Salisbury gets to push them back into their box via Old Britannia.

[@anthonyruby2668]

I like how videos defend Kaiser Willy. Then you see an official quote of his that makes Donald Trump look like Ronald Reagan

[@zacharykiesewetter2345]

Absolutely disjointed opinion. G.H.W. Bush was King Spook at the CIA right before becoming Reagan's VP. You don't really have an opinion here, please admit you just hate Trump and don't belong in politics.

[@FF-qp4xq]

I am defenetly not an expert on this period, but I did read hear and their that Bismarck's greatest mistake was the annexation of Alsace Lorraine as it made France permantly hostile to Germany without significantly weakening her, but Bismarck was aware of this as he had done everything in his power to prevant the army from taking austrian land in 1866, so why did he take land from France ?

[@alberto2287]

He didn’t want to annex an inch of French soil but the army and the Kaiser were firm on this

[@patrice-the-gaul]

Some believed that Bismark believed that if France had a direct border with the southern German states, France could meddle in the internal politics of a German Empire.

[@achgelisfocke-wulf6851]

I really don't understand why Bismarck wanted to preserve austria, Germany would be the one who would have gained most out of a partition together with Italy and Russia and he could have secured alliances with the two through it as well

[@khronostheavenger8923]

Germany would then be next on the list for Russian expansion, and Russia would be too imposing by then. He wanted Russia as an ally, but on equal if not lesser footing. At least, that's my guess

[@achgelisfocke-wulf6851]

@@khronostheavenger8923 germany was stronger on that point and germany would have become even more powerful with austria and bohemia, remember that russia lost even against japan in these times.

[@unusualhistorian1336]

Another incredible documentary as always! Keep it up!

[@alperturlu3076]

I get very excited when you upload new videos. The content that you share teaches rather high level history with outstanding quality which is hard to find in KZbin. I know that you put in extraordinary work to make such good quality contnent but I must say it is worth it. Thank you

[@greekfoxgod5611]

More Videos about Bismarck please!

[@rafaelcanha2923]

This comment is a sacrifice to the algorithm.

[@markselby9352]

It seems very hyperbolic to describe ‘a general partition of Britain’s empire would be on the cards’ if Bismarck joined the other European powers. What evidence is there for this claim?

[@jamesh4616]

I am always thoroughly impressed with your content. Easily one od my favourite channels altogether on YT.

[@Drheims]

Love this. Can you do a video on Belarus during the period from 1917 to 1918? I never understood how they operated. The borders, heads of state and all that stuff. I know it’s a minor country but I’d love a video on it if that’s a possibly in you’re style.

[@siphesihlemosesmsimango6961]

your videos always keep the mind thinking about history and pondering the many "what ifs" that tend to tag along, love from south africa 🇿🇦❤

[@blitcut9712]

Bismarck, the Cavour of Germany.

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

Plans within Plans LOL

[@tylerpetersen6226]

Bismark was one of the best statesmen to ever live but even he was not perfect. His greatest failing of all was preparing the next generation to succeed him.

[@memofromessex]

Hi love your videos. I have two requests one broad: Anglo-French relations in the Long Nineteenth Century; and the very niche - Scandinavian geopolitics of the Long Nineteenth Century. THANKS!

[@AtreidesMan]

Why was Bismarck so committed to maintaining Austria as a great power? If Austria was dismembered, Germany could always absorb the German part, and the hell with rest of it, as Bismarck himself famously said: “To me the Balkans are not worth the bones of a single Pomeranian grenadier”

[@BloodyRedVein]

honestly one of the best history channels in YT right now. Love your slow and detailed style

[@kulloth]

Old Britannia at [5:39] missed the opportunity to spell the "Serbo-Buglarian [sic] War" as "Serbo-Burglarian War"

[@foregone_roulette]

Your videos do an excellent job clarifying the geopolitical situations of the time. There are college courses taught about Bismarckian diplomacy and I'm certain that they don't get to the point the same way

[@bilbo6793]

What software do you use for making your videos (the zoom in, zoom out of the European continent)? I find your videos so visually appealing.

[@samwerth5452]

Probably my favorite history channel on KZbin

[@Mahros1]

Just a comment to say I really enjoy these videos. Fascinating to see how the alliances fluctuated prior to 1914.

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

Generally great… But it’s insane to say that the British Empire was threat because Austria was miffed. What were they going to do: march to India? Only France had a navy that mattered - and it didn’t matter much. What was under threat was British commercial interests on the continent.

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

Also… the stuff about Churchill and defence cuts predicated on a German alliance making Britain vulnerable is utter bs. Would you care to show a source for this? He resigned over being denied spending cuts but they were nothing like that extreme and a German alliance wasn’t involved.

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

I mean ffs, this is the 1880s: Germany’s navy was still tiny.

[@jared_hall]

But this is the point Britian was a commerical power , everyone being in a coaltion agnaist it would have destoyed its ability to operate. Akin to the conniental system of napoleon with germany being able to manufacture its own goods this time. And it wasn't till 1889 that the 2 power standard was implemented that the UK could enjoy its isolation. In the mid 19th century every power that had become isolated had suffered defeat , russia in the crimean war, austria in the brother war and france in the franco prussian war. Perhaps britian could face down the continent but its a massive gamble , if a war ever ended up with say russia and france it would have to face russia in the east and india and france in africa and the west. What allies would it have portugal or japan maybe, certianly not the US or any other major power at this time. Britian might pull through but like ww2 be so weak that it empire declined precipitously

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

@@jared_hall >But this is the point Britian was a commerical power , everyone being in a coaltion agnaist it would have destoyed its ability to operate There was no question of such a coalition, but that is still more intelligent than the video’s claims.

[@jusu8961]

man I love your videos

[@nicksmith8159]

This channel is so incredibly high quality. It deserves far more subs!

[@andrewzebic6201]

Great including the political cartoon of the day in the visuals

[@Pm-jf2mw]

Nice editing upgrades. Your research bona fides strogn as ever. Thanks for these

[@dan-860]

I’m feeling it is only natural that a video on the Ulster Crisis soon appears

[@colindunnigan8621]

Salisbury, you mad thing, you!

[@ramodamo10]

Ah yes. Another fine addition to my playlist. Keep it up!!!

[@semiretired86]

Wilhelm I never were chanselor he was king of Preussia

[@Lord_Lambert]

Vids like this make me realise just how abysmally Victoria 3 models diplomacy

[@danehollyoak4897]

Wow your videos are getting better and better keep it up!

[@saucy2833]

Excellent video as always, love how it rounds out Bismarks story showing how his story isn't just one win after another. Personally, I would love to see you break down the Congress of Vienna in detail, partly as a rebuttal to many of the conclusions made by Historia Civilis in his analysis of the Congress.

[@andrewmcalister3462]

Another's excellent Old Britannia video. Best wishes to getting to 100k subscribers.

[@OldBritannia]

Thank you, you’re very kind.

[@janarchivell]

would love to see a bibliography list

[@SimonBea1]

We so often look at history as if it was predetermined. Your videos show the fascinating way everything was in question without resorting to alternative history. The amount of details you give realy make the story feel alive and the stakes important. Good job!

[@joeshmoe8345]

Thanks a bunch for sharing this with us Big Dog!

[@basedpatriarch]

A great start to the weekend!

[@Jack-qu3nx]

Amazing video's as always!

[@KaiserDrewboi]

bismarck may have lost this one time but 96% of the time he found victory got und kaiseler!

[@Hundredyacrewoods]

Now, stop me if I sound silly. I think Old Britannia really admirers Salisbury. I know, it sounds ridiculous. But I do think so.

[@ReichLife]

Honestly, it should have explained why Russia had issue with Bulgaria taking over Rumelia since on first glance it doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

[@Fixundfertig1]

William Happystone (Gladstone)😂

[@davidmajer3652]

Always enjoy your content.

[@richardque1036]

Isnt bismark calling king lois 15 of france idiot for backing austria during the 7 years war,since france has little to gain,ironically kaiser make same mistake for backing austria over bosnia.

[@venator0405]

If you could release a video thats a full 4 hour breakdown of Victorian geopolitics that'd be great, theres simply not enough of your content.

[@MustardAndFries]

Huge fan of the channel and recently began listening to Apostolic Majesty. He does deep dives similar to your videos although over a broader time range. Would you ever consider doing anything with a channel like his?

[@demondelaplace5161]

Haven’t watched video yet, but I remember this. Flashman got a retired boxer to thrash him.

[@alanschwartz7073]

Thank for not showing desk with talking head every 3 minutes like other channels. Lets viewer fall into the plot better

[@EduardQualls]

Another excellent presentation!

[@HotheadLad]

Babe, babe, wake up. Old Britannia posted another video.

[@Techno963]

Babe wake up, Old Britannia's talking about realpolitik

[@poiuyt975]

5:40 Serbs had to be rescued by their Austrian Ally. Oh, the irony!

[@johnnyhaigs243]

Thoughts on the historiography of A. J. P. Taylor?

[@aregulargamer3813]

What ever happened to the Rise and Fall of Prussia series?

[@Gamenetreviews]

Bump

[@luisfilipe2023]

Diplomatic games and entanglements are so interesting I could listen OB talking about them for hours

[@henrycrystal9740]

where were you when the whole gang met at the congress of berlin?

[@bishopbrennan3558]

I watch these videos but I'm not sure how much I really take them in while I'm watching them, or remember them afterwards

[@crocodileguy4319]

OldBri hasn’t uploaded in a while, it might be joever...

[@OldBritannia]

@@crocodileguy4319 Haha, not just yet. Been a bit ill and then had a ridiculously persistent cold that stopped me making recording edits. New video should be up very soon.

[@crocodileguy4319]

​@@OldBritanniaayyy nice

[@Kalex-xe5wc]

Don't worry he is coming back in a few months

[@matthewdavid6134]

Why back Austria??!! I don’t get it, why not partition Austria between Germany, Russia and Italy like they Poland 100 years back? Why all this loyalty to state they were at war with only a few decades prior?

[@uyuty600]

Austria represents the old regime, the old Europe did that delegitimized absolute governments like the Russian or semi-absolute with Germany.

[@awsomeness4016]

BABE NEW OLD BRITANIA VIDEO JUST DROPPED

[@R0B0TUK]

Old Britannia uploaded, i click.

[@jackbharucha1475]

"Denounce all the powerful countries as disreputable autocracies." ...."Wait why are they all aligning against us." Britain in the 1880's or my country (the USA) in the 2010's. Doing the "right thing" is often not the best course of action.

[@merocaine]

My very thoughts, the perils of a liberal ideology. This does seem to be the hook on which the west is wriggling at the moment. Unfortunately, I don't see a Salisbury or a Bismarck to guide us through, just a whole clatter of Gladstone's.

[@AFGuidesHD]

Indeed the whole "Axis of Evil" speech and policies afterwards.... can't really blame China, Iran, NK and Russia to sign treaties with each other against such a blatant aggressor.

[@Voland1871]

It was definitely a massive over correction from the Laisser-faire morality of the Cold War, if an understandable one.

[@Pausi10_00]

Don't forget the battle of Langensalza

[@Dionaea_floridensis]

Absolutely exceptional channel, you've really opened up my mind to corners of history I was woefully ignorant of ... that's American education for you I suppose

[@OldBritannia]

In fairness, I don’t think intricate diplomatic duels between 19th century statesmen is necessarily the most important subject for an American school child to learn😂

[@rahjah6958]

2:47 we gave it all up for America lol

[@inferioraim]

Great video! Really motivating me to read more on this topic and doing a degree in this field

[@mademan7641]

It’s always a good day when Old Britannia uploads

[@thisis_chavez]

I'm one of your biggest fan

[@BennettDufault]

BABE WAKE UP OLD BRITANNIA POSTED

[@GregBartlesbyProductions]

WAKE UP BABE NEW OLD BRITANNIA