ABSTRACT
Britain, which had gone to war in the Crimea in 1854-56 to prevent Russian influence in the Mediterranean, refused to accept this settlement, and a crisis erupted that threatened to engulf Europe in a war over 'The Eastern Question'. British perceptions of Germany in the First World War were certainly constructed, but they were built upon earlier stereotypes and myths, most of which had their origins decades before the outbreak of war in 1914. A cornerstone of the anti-German sentiment that so strongly imbued negative German stereotypes in Britain was the creation of a damaging and dangerous myth surrounding Otto von Bismarck. Britain was represented by Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, ably assisted by the Foreign Secretary the Marquis of Salisbury; Russia was led by Prince Alexander Gorchakov, seconded by Count Peter Shuvalov; and Austria by Count Julius Andrassy. Many scholars believe that the Congress marked the apex of both Bismarck's diplomatic career and his esteem in Britain.
