Prince Otto von Bismarck – the Iron Chancellor, father of German unity and founder of the welfare state. In 1871, after the Battle of Sedan and the foundation of the German Reich, Bismarck was appointed the first Chancellor of the Reich. He proved to be a master of the tactical power game. He deftly established, both in terms of his domestic and foreign policies, a system of alliances and pacts to stabilise the balance of power in Europe and to secure the borders of the infant German Reich. Internally he pursued a progressive social welfare policy and established statutory accident and health insurance. The Iron Chancellor held office until 1890, almost 20 years. What is the story behind this man, the epitome of typical Prussian virtues such as discipline and strength? With the aid of elaborate reconstructions, this film also presents the other Otto von Bismarck; the one who stood out as a law student more for his cockiness and carousing than for his academic performances. And who, heavily in debt, had to return to his parents’ estate in Pommern without completing his legal clerkship. It was only through the excellent political contacts of his wife that Bismarck managed in 1847 to enter the Prussian legislature, Berliner Landtag, as an alternate. Even in his later years, he knew no moderation in his appetites for food and alcohol. After his retirement, Bismarck withdrew to his country estate near Hamburg. His memoirs, which he wrote there, became a best-seller. Bismarck died on July 30, 1898 from pneumonia.