Some of the difficulties of government would have been met had Bismarck identified himself with a single party, formed a party Ministry and carried out their programme.

This he always refused to do; he did not wish in his old age to become a Parliamentary Minister, for had he depended for his support on a party, then if he lost their confidence, or they lost the confidence of the country, he would have had to retire from office.

The whole work of his earlier years would have been undone.

What he wished to secure was a Government party, a Bismarck party _sans phrase_, who would always support all his measures in internal as well as external policy.

In this, however, he did not succeed.