How did Bismarck come to the title of Chancellor?

• A. By strategically utilizing 'blood and iron' policies, combining military force with master diplomacy.
• B. By popular vote.
• C. By hereditary appointment.
• D. By naval power.

Answer: (A)

The idea being tested is how a leader earned a powerful government post through appointment and strategic action rather than popular vote or heredity. Bismarck’s path to the title of Chancellor was through the king of Prussia’s appointment, after he had used a blend of military force and shrewd diplomacy—often summarized as “blood and iron”—to unify the German states under Prussian leadership. He directed victories in key wars and crafted alliances that made unification possible, and once the German Empire was established in 1871, the monarch appointed him as chancellor. This position was not obtained by elections, nor by hereditary right, and naval power played little into his rise compared with the decisive use of force and diplomacy to achieve unity.