Bismarck's Foreign Policy Reconsidered: From the perspective of US-German Relations

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K21186
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: History of Europe and America; International relations
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: IIDA Yosuke 岡山大学, 教育学研究科, 准教授 (50506152)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 西洋史 / 外交史 / ビスマルク / 独米関係 / 独仏戦争 / プロイセン海軍 / パリ宣言 / 海洋問題

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study reconsidered the foreign policy of Prussian chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, from the perspective of US-German relations. Between the Luxembourg Crisis of 1867 and the Franco-German War of 1870-71, he tried to approach the United States of America just after the Civil War of 1861-65. The findings of this study are as follows; (1) Bismarck's aim was not to enter into an alliance with the US against France, but to try to purchase a warship, or to cooperate with the US for the revision of the Paris Declaration respecting Maritime Law of April 1856; (2) Background of his approach was a great difference of naval power between France and Prussia, and he was faced with the necessity of defending German merchant ships all over the world against French warships; (3) Therefore he maintained good relations with the US during the Franco-German War.

Free Research Field

ドイツ近現代史