It is known that the plan to elect a Prussian prince to the Spanish throne was the proximate, and Bismarck's "Ems telegram" an immediate cause of the war of 1870. But much has remained obscure about the roles of the principal figures. Lawrence Steefel fills in the lacunae with secret German documents available only after World War II, including the correspondence between Bismarck and Marshal Prim of Spain. It becomes clear that Bismarck did not initiate...

This book by American historian William O. Aydelotte deals with the first chapter in the history of the German colonial empire, the dispute between Germany and England over South West Africa during the years 1883-85. Since South West Africa was the first German colony, its history shows most clearly the reactions and readjustments both in British and German policy which were the consequence of the German colonial program. The incident also brings...