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Bismarck and England in the Earlier period of his Career

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 February 2009

V. Valentin
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Extract

Queen Victoria wrote in a famous letter to her grandson William II, on June 12th 1899: “I never personally attacked or complained of Prince Bismarck, though I knew well what a bitter enemy he was to England and all the harm he did.” Why did Queen Victoria call Bismarck “a bitter enemy to England”? Obviously her remark was meant in a purely political sense. It was well known, as well to Queen Victoria as to anyone else in that period, that Prince Bismarck had a strong personal liking for England. He had known English and indeed had spoken the language well as a youth, not as well as he spoke French later on, but we have it from reliable witnesses that he was quite able to express himself fluently. There were times when he would hesitate, and instead of the ordinary word would find a most original and telling phrase. Lord Goschen, too, has borne witness to “his racy style of speech.” Until he reached old age Bismarck displayed an astonishing intimacy with Shakespeare and was very fond of Walter Scott.

Type
Research Article
Information
Transactions of the Royal Historical Society , Volume 20 , December 1937 , pp. 13 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Historical Society 1937

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References

page 13 note 1 Queen Victoria, the Letters, Third Series, vol. III, pp. 381–2;Google Scholar the thesis: Baum, Eva Maria, Bismarcks Urteil über England und die Engländer, München, 1936, is an industrious but rather trivial study, unfortunately spoiled by many elementary mistakes.Google Scholar

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page 29 note 2 As Professor Webster suggested in the discussion. Queen Victoria used to identify England with the house of Coburg; Bismarck, indeed, was no friend of the Coburg family and its European influence; cp. many new letters of the Queen in Queen Victoria-ein Frauenleben, ed. Jagow, K., Berlin, 1936.Google Scholar