Otto von Bismarck is known for his role in the unification of Germany. As Chancellor of the Kingdom of Prussia, he orchestrated a series of wars and diplomatic maneuvers in the 1860s and 1870s that led to the consolidation of various independent German states into a single nation-state. Key events, including the Austro-Prussian War and the Franco-Prussian War, were central to this unification process. Bismarck's political strategy, characterized by Realpolitik and pragmatic governance, established the German Empire in 1871, with Wilhelm I as its first emperor, fundamentally reshaping the political landscape of Europe.