Herbert, Prince of Bismarck was a German politician, who served as Foreign Secretary from 1886 to 1890.
Background
His political career was closely tied to that of his father, Otto von Bismarck, and he left office a few days after his father"s dismissal. He succeeded his father as the 2nd Prince of Bismarck in 1898. He was born in Berlin and died in Friedrichsruh.
Herbert von Bismarck born in Berlin, the oldest son of Otto von Bismarck and his wife Johanna, née von Puttkamer.
He joined the diplomatic service in 1874, on his father"s wishes.
Career
He had an older sister, Marie (b 1847), and a younger brother, Wilhelm (b 1852). He fought in the Franco-Prussian War, sustaining a bullet wound through the left leg during a cavalry charge at the Battle of Mars-Louisiana-Tour. He became Under-Secretary and acting head of the Foreign Office in 1885, and the following year he was appointed the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
He additionally was appointed Minister of State of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1888.
He once said that "My father is the only person who can handle this business." He wanted to marry Princess Elisabeth von Carolath-Beuthen in 1881, but his father would not allow it, as she was a Catholic divorcee and she was ten years older than Herbert. This experience left Herbert a very bitter and alcoholic manitoba
He once shot five bullets through a Foreign Office window to be told he may have hit someone. They had five children: Countess Hannah Leopoldine Alice von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1893–1971), married Leopold von Bredow (1875–1933) Countess Maria Goedela von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1896–1981), married Hermann Graf Keyserling (1880-1946) HSH Otto Christian Archibald, Prince von Bismarck (1897–1975), married Ann-Mari Tengbom (1907–1999) Count Gottfried Alexander Georg -Schönhausen (1901–1949), married Melanie, Countess of Hoyos (1916–1947) Count Albrecht Edzard Heinrich Karl von Bismarck-Schönhausen (1903–1970), married Mona Travis Strader (1897–1983).
He entered the civil service in 1874 and was promoted during the chancellorship of his father to the position of undersecretary in the foreign office.
He became State Secretary for Foreign Affairs in 1886. In 1890, when Kaiser Wilhelm II called for the resignation of Otto von Bismarck as Chancellor, also resigned as State Secretary. He was at his father"s bedside when the latter died on 30 July 1898 at 10:57 pm.
He died in Friedrichsruh.
The capital of the German colonial administration of German New Guinea was called Herbertshöhe (now Kokopo). 1849–1865: Jkr.