Two Chancellors

Diplomatic partnership becomes a question of unequal advantage in Julian Klaczko's account of Prince Gortchakof and Prince Bismarck. Combining sketches of their lives with European political history from 1855 to 1871, he examines the relationship between the Russian and Prussian statesmen. The opening traces Gortchakof's family background and education, placing his career within the institutions and traditions of imperial Russia.

Klaczko's argument gives the reader a strongly partisan view of European affairs. His translator openly identifies his sympathy for Austria and opposition to Prussia. The account of 1866 moves through secret treaties, dispatches, parliamentary disputes and efforts to encourage unrest in Austria's army. In one passage, Klaczko tests Bismarck's later explanation against the dates of earlier decisions. Readers interested in political biography and diplomatic history can follow both the negotiations themselves and the author's attempt to assign responsibility for Europe's changing balance of power.