Few statesmen in history have inspired the imagination of generations of Germans more than the founder of the Kaiserreich, Otto von Bismarck. This book provides an analysis of Bismarck's legacy as a political myth that undermined parliamentary democracy in Germany and contributed to the rise of Hitler.

The quarrel over Bismarck's legacy demonstrates how the clash of ideologies, particularly between 1918 and 1933, resulted in a highly political fight for the 'correct' and universal interpretation of the German past. Essential reading for anyone interested in modern German history, this book sheds new light on the Weimar Republic's struggle for survival and the reasons for its failure.

1. Introduction
2. Prologue: The Bismarck Myth in Wilhelmine Germany 1890-1918
3. After the Collapse
4. Fragmented Society, Divided Memory: Perceptions of Bismarck in Early Weimar Germany
5. Fighting the 'Enemies of the Reich': Bismarck and the State Crisis of 1922-23
6. Bismarck as an Election Campaigner
7. In the Shadow of Stabilization
8. Towards the Abyss: Bismarck and the Dissolution of the Weimar Republic
9. Epilogue: Bismarck Between the 'Seizure of Power' and Reunification 1933-1990
10. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index