Otto, Prince of Bismarck, Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen, Duke of Lauenburg, born Junker Otto Eduard Leopold von Bismarck, was a conservative German statesman, diplomat, and writer. Bismarck masterminded the unification of Germany in 1871 and served as its first chancellor until 1890, in which capacity he dominated European affairs for two decades. He had served as the chancellor of the North German Confederation from 1867 to 1871 and alongside the office of chancellor of Germany, he was Prussia's minister president and the minister of Foreign Affairs from 1862 to 1890. Before his rise to the executive power, Bismarck was the Prussian ambassador to France and Russia and served in both houses of the Prussian Parliament. He cooperated with King Wilhelm I of Prussia to unify the various German states, a partnership that would last for the rest of Wilhelm's life. King Wilhelm granted Chancellor Bismarck the titles of Count of Bismarck-Schönhausen in 1865 and Prince of Bismarck in 1871. Bismarck provoked three short, decisive wars against Denmark, Austria, and France.