Bismarck’s Circus: The German Foreign Office and the Emergence of an Imperial Secret Service, 1867–1890

Abstract

Based upon this new study, the traditional image of Bismarck as a conservative statesman who did not rely on espionage to conduct his diplomacy must be completely revised. The available source material shows clearly that the German chancellor created and funded a large and effective secret service organization within the Foreign Office. This imperial intelligence agency existed outside of the constitutional framework of the German Empire but was an integral component of the conduct of diplomacy in this era and helped to make Bismarck the most successful statesman of his era.