ABSTRACT
Bismarck was appointed Prussian minister-president and foreign minister in 1862 because he gained the confidence of the king. Unlike other senior Prussian officials, he was prepared at Babelsberg to declare his willingness to govern unconstitutionally and defy the will of the Prussian parliament in order to secure the army reform without modification. The obstinacy of a 66-year-old monarch who refused to compromise, the polarisation of political opinion so, the constitutional issue superseded all others, and the elimination of political alternatives all conspired to create the opportunity for a man whose chief recommendations were his determination to defend the king's prerogatives, his pugnacious will and his self-confidence that he could succeed where others had failed. Finally, Bismarck's eagerness for power in 1862 undoubtedly led him to underestimate the obstacles he faced and overestimate the scope for compromise. Thus his position from September 1862 was precarious and, unless he could deliver some tangible successes, his tenure of office was expected to be short.
