Otto Pflanze (1918–2007)

3257. Bismarck and the Development of Germany: Volume I The Period of Unification, 1815-1871, by Otto Pflanze (read Oct 18, 1999) I've been wanting to read this book and its succeeding two volumes ever since I first saw them on a local college library shelf, and decided if I did not read them I never would. (How profound!) The first 100 pages were heavy going, but when Bismarck's career became the focus of the book the narrative becomes absorbing. This is a magisterial and stupendous work of real history, told in a masterful way.… (mer)

3257. Bismarck and the Development of Germany: Volume I The Period of Unification, 1815-1871, by Otto Pflanze (Oct 18) I've been wanting to read these books ever since I first saw them on local college library shelf, and decided if I did not read them I never would. (How profound!) The first 100 pages were heavy going, but when Bismarck's career became the focus of the book the narrative becomes absorbing. This is a magisterial and
stupendous work of real history, told in a masterful way.
3258. Bismarck and the Development of Germany: Volume II The Period of Consolidation, 1871-1880, by Otto Pflanze (Oct 21) This is about the period after 1871, and spends a lot of time on internal as well as external German affairs, but surprisingly is still good reading.
3259. Bismarck and the Development of Germany: Volume III The Period of Fortification, 1880-1898. (Oct 22) I am glad I read this well-researched and fascinating work. I surely was glad the footnotes were where they are supposed to be--on the bottom of the page. I conclude that Bismarck's able preservation of autocratic power in Germany played a role in the ability of Germany to proceed down the road to its ruin.… (mer)