Bernhard von Bülow

German and Prussian politician (1849–1929)

  • Fame55.0
  • Momentum0.0
  • Wikipedia11.3K
Source-basedFalling
Lived 1849–1929, aged 80Germany
  • Wikipedia
    50 languages
    Cross-language footprint
  • Era
    1849–1929
    Aged 80
  • Awards
    14
    recognised works
Summary
Updated 2026-06-09

The German chancellor who spent nine years trying to turn his country into a global power and succeeded mainly in making enemies. His bellicose Weltpolitik picked fights over Morocco, strengthened the alliance against Germany, and laid track straight toward 1914.

Biography

About

Bernhard von Bülow was born in 1849 into Danish-German aristocracy and followed his father into diplomacy after the elder Bülow became foreign secretary under Bismarck. He climbed through posts including ambassador to Rome before Wilhelm II made him foreign secretary in 1897, then chancellor in 1900. For nine years he oversaw economic growth and scientific progress at home while pushing an expansionist foreign policy that repeatedly misfired: his challenge to France in Morocco sparked the First Moroccan Crisis and tightened the Entente Cordiale instead of breaking it. In 1908 the Daily Telegra…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Bernhard von Bülow

Bernhard von Bülow
said
[It was] through the ineptitude and stupidity of Bethmann and Jagow [that Germany had] blundered into war [in den Krieg taumelten].
Letter to Theodor Wolff (30 April 1925), quoted in John C. G. Röhl, 'Germany', in Keith Wilson (ed.), Decisions for War 1914 (1995), p. 29
Bernhard von Bülow
said
We ourselves brought about [this war] through the ultimatum to Serbia (which we either permitted or inspired).
Notebook entry (1916), quoted in John C. G. Röhl, 'Germany', in Keith Wilson (ed.), Decisions for War 1914 (1995), p. 29
Bernhard von Bülow
said
You have given [the Austrians] carte blanche – do you realize what you have done?
Remarks to Theodor Wolff, explaining what he would have said in July 1914 if he had been summoned to the Wilhelmstrasse (c. 1916), quoted
Bernhard von Bülow
saidundated
The Auswärtiges Amt of 1914 was the incubator in which the monstrous egg of the ultimatum to Serbia was hatched.
Denkwürdigkeiten, Vol. I (1930), p. 13, quoted in John C. G. Röhl, 'Germany', in Keith Wilson (ed.), Decisions for War 1914 (1995), p. 29
Bernhard von Bülow
saidundated
What does their hate matter to us? ... Oderint dum metuant! Let them hate us, but let them fear us!
W. W. Coole and M. F. Potter (eds.), Thus Spake Germany (1941), p. 156
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Score breakdown

The six component signals behind the Fame score, and their ranks across the leaderboards.

Fame
Falling
55.0
Composite of search demand, mentions, audience & graph footprint.
Score components
Historical24.2
Source confidence60.0
Completeness70.0
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Sources

  • Wikidata
    wikidata · wikidata.org
    High confidence
  • Wikipedia
    wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org
    High confidence
  • Pantheon 2.0
    database · pantheon.world
    High confidence