Was he the greatest diplomat ever?

>>2984991
>I hate krauts who disagree with me but I hate other countries even more
>t: otto von bismarck

Truly.

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Nah the greatest diplomats met at the Congress of Vienna m8, 1814-5 was like the wrestlemania of diplomats.
>Austria
Represented by Prince Metternich, a tactful man who though being challenged by Russian Tsar Alexander to a duel, managed to cement Austria's position in the negotiations and thus a great power in the 19th century.
>UK
Led by Viscount Castlereagh (Later Wellington but he had to go fight Napoleon), the man who came up with the congress system which would be the base plate for the congress of Berlin, League of Nations, and eventually the UN through the concept of collective security.
>Russia
Headed by Tsar Alexander, who wanted Poland and to suppress Secular Republicanism, both of which he succeeded in doing.
>Prussia
Karl August von Hardenberg was the front man who embodied Prussia, whilst he failed in his dream to dismember France he did succeed in bringing Prussia, Austria, and Russia into an anti French alliance despite being lesser to that of Metternich.
>France
Represented by the most electrifying diplomat in all of historical entertainment (And this is coming from a Perfidious Anglo) France had the greatest diplomat of all, Talleyrand. This motherfucker flipped the Congress of Vienna on its head and despite everyone in Europe out for blood against the French, he secured not only their position as a great power in the 19th century, but also managed to maneuver France into the great powers negotiations changing the "Big Four" to the "Big five." He gathered support from all the lesser nations and used it as diplomatic leverage against the Great powers and not only that but he preyed on the shortcomings of the Russo-Prussian-Austrian alliance to make a secret treaty with UK and Austria against Russia and Prussia spelling the end of the anti French sentiment before it had even been acted upon. Whats more he secured Frances borders to its 1792 state without having to pay anything to the Coalition powers.

Truly Politics is now shit.

>>2984991
I don't know about "ever", but he certainly was great.

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>>2984991

No. He was great at uniting Germany but after formation he was mediocre at best. Bismark realized that the formation of Germany would completely break the balance of power, but failed in trying to prevent Germany's diplomatic isolation. While not necessarily his fault, the taking of Alsace-Lorraine pretty much guaranteed that France and Germany would never see eye-to-eye and war was inevitable. This led to Bismark scrambling to try and form at least some sort of alliance but the only ones willing to form an alliance was Austria-Hungary, who greatly benefited from the deal and Germany got the shit end of the stick.