Man of Blood and Iron
Preserved but no longer current.
An epithet be- stowed on Bismarck (1815-98), for many years Chancellor of Prussia and Germany, on account of his war policy and his indomitable will expressed in his first speech after appoint- ment as Minister-General.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Man of Blood and Iron” mean?
An epithet be- stowed on Bismarck (1815-98), for many years Chancellor of Prussia and Germany, on account of his war policy and his indomitable will expressed in his first speech after appoint- ment as Minister-General.
Is “Man of Blood and Iron” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.