FAILURES, WEAKNESSES, NEGATIVE ROLE OF BISMARCK IN EUROPE

i) The loophole of the 1871 Frankfurt treaty
The 1871 Frankfurt treaty had its own weaknesses. It was too punitive and severe to France in as far as it imposed a heavy war indemnity of £200M and an army of occupation on her. It also formalized the creation of the German Empire at the expense of two mineralized French territories i.e. Alsace and Lorraine.
It should be noted that France's desire to recover Alsace and Lorraine became a big issue and was partly responsible for the formation of the rival triple entente in 1907 that made the outbreak of World War 1 inevitable.
ii) The collapse of the Second French Empire and instability in the third French republic Bismarck was greatly responsible for the downfall of the Second French Empire and instability in the third French republic. During the Unification, Bismarck schemed a war to defeat France as the last enemy in the path of German unification. In 1871, the then Prussian troops defeated France at the battle of Sedan upon which Napoleon III of France was exiled. Thereafter, Bismarck supported the establishment of the third French republic that replaced the second French Empire. After this, he went ahead to support opposition against the third French republic in order to create internal instability that would preoccupy
France and make it difficult for her to strengthen her diplomatic relations with other powers. Thus, one can rightly blame Bismarck for contributing to the overthrow of the Second French Empire and instability that rocked the third French republic.
iii) Anti Semitism
Bismarck promoted anti Semitic feelings and sentiments against the Jews in Europe. In 1880's, Jewish traders and National Liberal Party allied and waged a serious campaign against Bismarck's policy of protectionism in favour of a free trade policy. Bismarck used anti-Semitic propaganda in the mass media, public functions and parliament to fight and isolate the Jews. In the propaganda, he emphasized that the Jews were non-Germans and did not have any right in Germany. Consequently, the Jews were systematically isolated, over taxed, and persecuted. This was the genesis of anti-Jewish sentiments in Germany that was fully executed by Hitler and Mussolini during the Second World War.
iv) Anti catholic policies
Bismarck's anti catholic sentiments brought him into loggerheads with Catholics in Germany and Pope
Pius IX. He favoured his Protestant Prussians to the disadvantage of Catholics in the German Empire. This partly prompted the Pope in 1870 to issue the dogma of Papal Infallibility that Bismarck denounced. He
(Bismarck) thereafter enacted the falk laws of 1873, 1874 and 1875 through which he suppressed Catholicism. It was accomplished through arrest, imprisonment, exile arid harassment of catholic priests, bishops, catechists and die hard Catholics. This destroyed freedom of worship and created a lot bitterness in the Catholics and the Pope that was cooled down in 1879 when a new Pope Leo III reconciled with Bismarck.
v) The war of nerves
The war of nerves created a lot of unnecessary tension and instability in Europe. It worsened the already poor relationship between France and Germany. It also attracted Britain and Russia who openly declared their support of France against Germany. The war of nerves also broke Germany's diplomatic relationship with Britain and Russia and made it hard to convince Russia to renew the Dreikaiserbund. This is a clear indication that Bismarck failed to isolate republican France from the Monarchical governments of Europe. The war demonstrates Bismarck's failure in consolidating German supremacy and maintaining European peace. In other words, Bismarck's war of nerves against France for no genuine reason disqualifies him from being a man of peace from 1871 - 1890.
vi) The 1878 Berlin congress
The 1878 Berlin congress also had its own weaknesses and failures. It made it impossible to renew the Dreikaiserbund treaty because it left Russia very bitter since Bismarck supported Turkey, Britain and Austria against her (Russia). Thus, the Dreikaiserbund was officially ended at the Berlin congress of 1878 when Bismarck openly supported Britain and Austria against Russia. The Congress also worsened the fragile relationship between Austria and Russia and made Russia out of frustration to peruse a more aggressive policy towards the Ottoman Empire including supporting Serbia in the Balkans. It strengthened Serbian nationalism that destabilized the Balkans and climaxed in the outbreak of the First World War. It also shows Bismarck's failure given the fact that the Dreikaiserbund was to be renewed after every 4 years.
vii) Neglect of the forces of liberalism and nationalism in the Balkans
Bismarck ignored the forces of liberalism and nationalism in the Balkans which contributed to instability in Europe. The Berlin congress of 1878 neglected the forces of liberalism and nationalism by subjecting Bosnia and Herzegovinia to Austria's control. This paved way for Austro-Russian hostility that resulted into Russian support to Serbia and a renewed Austro-German alliance that destabilized European peace. It also triggered off militant/violent Slav nationalism in Bosnia and Herzegovinia against Austrian imperialism that was responsible for the Sarajevo assassination, which began the First World War.
viii) Russian imperialism
Bismarck is also criticized for encouraging Russian imperialism, which destabilized European peace. He had earlier on promised to assist Russia to violate the 1856 black Sea clause during the unification, which intensified Russian imperialism that climaxed in the creation of the big Bulgaria with a lot of destructions.
After this, the same Bismarck turned round and promised to help Russia to revise the big Bulgaria in 1881, which still made Russia more aggressive towards the Ottoman Empire in favour of the Balkan states. This made the Balkans a historical storm center for the explosion of World War 1.
ix) Escalation of colonial conflicts
Bismarck is also blamed for promoting colonial conflicts between France and other powers as a strategy of isolating her (France) in Europe. He stirred colonial conflicts between Italy and France over Tunisia and Libya, Britain and France over Egypt. These caused unnecessary tension not only between Italy and France but also other powers that were interested in colonizing Tunisia and other parts of North Africa.
Thus, Bismarck fell short of being a perfect man of peace in Europe.
x) Isolation of France
Bismarck's foreign policy was primarily concerned with isolation of France amongst European powers. He thus created a network of complicated alliances such as the three Emperor's League of 1872, the dual alliance of 1879 and the reinsurance treaty of 1887. Even the terms of the 1878 Berlin congress were partly influenced by Bismarck's personal interest to isolate France eg the French occupation of Tunisia was meant to conflict France with Italy and keep her isolated. The isolation of France therefore led to suspicion, bitterness, secret diplomacy and dubious alliances that undermined European diplomacy.
xi) Creation of division and antagonism
Bismarck created division and antagonism in Europe through a net work of alliances. Some of the alliances he made later were dubious and contradicted earlier ones e.g. the 1879 Dual alliance consolidated Austro-German alliance against the Dreikaisebund of 1872. The 1887 Reinsurance treaty was a secret dealing with Russia that was against the renewed Draikaiserbund of 1881. Such contradicting alliances caused suspicion, fear, rivalry and panic in other European powers and hence war fever. Besides, alliances such as the Dual alliance were defensive where Bismarck was preparing for war, which undermines his status as a man of peace. All these were responsible for the formation of rival alliances, which led Europe to the First World War.
NB. Although Bismarck is highly rated for maintaining European peace using a network of alliances, he is nevertheless accused of creating a complicated and dubious foreign policy, which neither Kaiser William II nor his successors could manage. No wonder that after Bismarck's downfall, counter alliances were formed leading to suspicion, tension and antagonism that climaxed into the outbreak of World War I.