A. Plan of Investigation The focus of this study is the effect that Otto Von Bismarck's leadership and policies had on pre-World War I tensions in Europe. This study examines the extent to which Otto Von Bismarck's actions led to World War I. This study focuses on the period between Bismarck's appointment as Minister-President of Prussia on September 23, 1862 and the Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on Serbia on July 28, 1914. Bismarck's earlier career is discussed briefly, but only as a method for understanding his political attitudes. And likewise, as Bismarck was removed from office in 1890, the only events discussed between 1890 and 1914 will be based on the policies instilled by Bismarck, not those of William II. Research will be drawn from numerous sources, including several historical studies and online articles. . The sources used revolve around Bismarck's attitudes and actions towards German unification and general politics. Sources include the works of historians AJP Taylor and James Wycliffe Headlam. Bismarck's policies during the interwar period have also been the subject of research, through several scholastic journals and written works.B. Summary of Evidence Germany was already on the path to unification in the early 1800s. The Congress of Vienna in 1815 had created the German Confederation, with Prussia and Austria-Hungary lacking the power to impose their domination over the region (Greusel 71). Austria-Hungary was generally considered the most dominant of the German states. The capital of the German Confederation was Frankfurt, in the Austrian state of Hesse-Kassel (Headlam 87). Two solutions were considered to this duality: “Großdeutsche” and “Kleindeutsche”. The Großdeutsche approach suggested a unification of all of Germany...... middle of paper ......19th century history. About.com, and Web. April 28, 2014. Mowbray, James A. “Preceding the Outbreak of War.” » The Great War. United States Air Force: Air War College, nd Web. April 30, 2014.Otto Von Bismarck, Reden 1847-1869, Hg., Wilhelm Schüßler, Band 10, Bismarck: Die gesammelten Werke, Hg. Hermann von Petersdorff. Berlin: Otto Stolberg, 1924-35, p. 139-40. Sarkin-Hughes, Jeremy. The German genocide of the Herero: Emperor William II, his general, his colonists, his soldiers. Cape Town, South Africa: UCT, 2011. Print. Schofield, Benedict. Private lives and collective destinies: class, nation and people in the works of Gustav Freytag (1816-1895). London: Modern Humanities Research Association, 2012. Print. Steinberg, Jonathan. Bismarck: a life. New York: Oxford UP, 2011. Print.Taylor, AJP Bismarck the man and the statesman. London: Hamilton, 1955. Print.