entrance,--Bismarck was obliged to tell them that it would be a poor
policy "to skim off the cream and let the rest of the milk turn sour."

Bismarck remained Chancellor of the Empire as well as Minister-President
of Prussia until 1890, when William II. demanded his resignation. During
these years the military strength of the Empire was greatly increased;
its finances were placed upon an independent footing; its authority was
extended in legislative matters, and its administrative system was
developed and consolidated. Conflicts with the Roman Catholic hierarchy
(1873-87), and with the Social Democracy (1878-90) resulted
indecisively; though Bismarck's desire to alleviate the misery which in
his opinion caused the socialistic movement gave rise to a series of
remarkable laws for the insurance of the laboring classes against
accident, disease, and old age. With a return to the protective system,
which Bismarck advocated for fiscal reasons, he combined the attempt to
enlarge Germany's foreign market by the establishment of imperial
colonies in Africa and in the Pacific Ocean. In other respects his
foreign policy, after 1870, was controlled by the desire to preserve
peace. "Germany," he said, "belongs to the satisfied nations." When the
Russian friendship cooled, he secured an alliance with Austria (1879),
which Italy also joined (1882); and the "triple alliance" thus formed
continued to dominate European politics for many years after Bismarck's
withdrawal from office.

Of Bismarck's State papers, the greater portion are still buried in the
Prussian archives. The most important series that has been published
consists of his dispatches from Frankfort (Poschinger, Preussen im
Bundestag, 1851-8, 4 vols.). These are marked by clearness of statement,
force of argument, and felicity of illustration. The style, although
less direct and simple than that of his unofficial writings, is still