At a time when Germany is standing at a crossroads in its history and Europe is well on the road to unity, the centennial celebrations of the death of the great statesman Otto von Bismarck incite us to reflect on the changes that he was responsible for and that he sometimes originated. But they should primarily incite us to examine the upheavals that Germany, Europe and humanity in general have lived through in the century since the death of the first chancellor of the second Reich. 1898-1998: the difference between these two dates is vast, and it is likely that the difference between 1989 and 2098 will be even sharper. An added reason, if one is needed, to learn from the past while attempting to better understand the actions of a man who saw how to anticipate and manage major changes.

Joseph Rovan has taught German studies at the French universities of Vincennes and Paris-III. He is the author of many books and articles, including Histoire Politique des Catholiques Allemands, Histoire de la Social-Démocratie Allemande, L'Allemagne N'est Pas Ce Que Vous Croyez and Histoire de l'Allemagne des Origines à Nos Jours. He is the co-author with Jacques Delors and Karl Lamers of France-Allemagne: Le Bond en Avant, published by Editions Odile Jacob.