This work investigates the complex diplomatic and political relationship between Count Harry von Arnim and Otto von Bismarck during the formative years of the German Empire. George O. Kent, a historian specializing in German diplomatic history, utilizes archival records and personal correspondence to analyze the power struggle between these two influential figures. The book argues that their conflict was not merely personal, but symptomatic of the structural tensions within the newly unified German state and the autocratic nature of Bismarckian diplomacy.

Historians recognize this text as a rigorous examination of the limitations and personal vendettas inherent in Bismarck's political system. Scholars frequently cite this work for its meticulous archival research and its contribution to understanding the internal instability of the German Empire.