The history of Europe is a rather interesting and complex matter of study. However, there are certain personalities that make this history, and this paper will focus on three of such personalities. Napoleon Bonaparte, Klemens von Metternich, and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck are the great historical figures who successes and failures were the results of their own actions but not of their acting according to the circumstances under which they lived; these persons made events and processes happen rather than managed to be at the right place in the right time. Napoleon, Metternich, and Bismarck were the people to shape the history.
Thus, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769 – 1821) was one of the most prominent figures through the whole history of France (Stearns et al., 2005). To achieve this, Napoleon exercised his will much and finally, supported by few people, managed to carry out coup-d’etat that dismissed the Directory and placed Napoleon on the top of the French state authority in 1799, which would be impossible if he lived according to circumstances and not shaped them himself (Brummett, 2006, p. 553). Napoleon was a talented statesman who established the basics of the French state structure. Napoleon, based on the political reforms of 1802, managed to develop a state apparatus able of controlling and operating the army, economic and financial affairs of the country, exploiting the country’s natural and human resources, etc. (Brummett, 2006, p. 554). Thus, Napoleon was the man to shape himself and the history of France and the whole Europe.
The same, to some extent, can be said about Metternich, the Prime Minister and the actual ruler of Austria and the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the early 19th century after the Napoleonic Wars (Stearns et al., 2005). Pursuing the interests of his own and his country, Metternich was also concerned with the overall stability in Europe, and it was mainly his work at the 1815 Vienna Congress of the European nations that allowed the continent to have the 40-year long period of the peaceful co-existence of countries (Brummett, 2006, p. 753). Accordingly, Metternich needed a strong basis for his power, which he found in “a backward system” that helped him to win the 1830 elections and remain in power for almost a decade more (Brummett, 2006, p. 754) as contrasted to the liberalist and nationalist ideologies that dominated Europe after the Napoleonic Wars (Stearns et al., 2005). So, all the facts mentioned are results of Metternich’s actions that met no support by the rich and powerful people. Metternich can also be viewed as the person who created the events and made history develop in the direction beneficial to him and his country.
Otto von Bismarck was also a person of strong will and great power. His concept of Realpolitik is still viewed as the role model for the modern politicians as it allowed achieving peace with Russia in 1863, waging the joint was against Denmark with Austria in 1864, and uniting Germany in 1871 (Brummett, 2006, p. 761). Being a skillful politician, Bismarck managed to control the state affairs in the united Germany which he himself created. The fact that Wilhelm II dismissed Bismarck from the position of Chancellor in 1888 also evidences the strong will of this person, whom even the kings of Germany were afraid of and did not want to compete with (Brummett, 2006, p. 764). Thus, Bismarck can also be called the strong personality who shaped the history.
To conclude, Napoleon Bonaparte, Klemens von Metternich, and Chancellor Otto von Bismarck are the great historical figures who successes and failures were the results of their own actions but not of their acting according to the circumstances under which they lived. Descending from ordinary families, these people managed to achieve the highest state powers and leave their traces in the European history.
Works Cited
- Brummett, Palmira J., Robert R. Edgar, Neil J. Hackett, George F. Jewsbury, Barbara S. Molony. Civilization: Past & Present, Volume II: From 1300. Longman, 2006
- Stearns, Peter N., Stephen S. Gosch, Erwin P. Grieshaber. Documents in World History: The Modern Centuries, Volume 2 (From 1500 to the Present). Longman, 2005.