THE STRATEGY OF INTEGRATION: BISMARCK VIS-À-VIS VALLABHBHAI

Vallabhbhai Patel in India is very often compared with Bismarck of Germany because of his role in the integration of India. At the outset, it seems that the leaders made similar efforts to create a strong nation-state. But a closer analysis of the internal and external developments of both the countries of their period reflects their different approaches. The attempt has been made to analyze the different ‘contexts' in which they played decisive and distinct roles.