TheAustro-Prussianwarof1866markedanimportantsteptowardstheunificationofGermany.AtthebattleofKoniggratz,therewasamomentwhenitseemedthatthecrownprinceofPrussiamightnotarriveintimewithhisarmyandtheseparatePrussianarmiesmightbedefeated.
ButMoltke,thePrussiancommander,wasnotworried.WhenPrimeMinisterBismarckrodeupandofferedhimacigar,hewillinglyaccepted.InthecaseBismarckpresentedtherewerejusttwocigarsleft,onetopqualityHavanaandtheotherofamuchpoorertype.MoltkestudiedthemcarefullybeforeselectingtheHavana.Themilitarysituationwasclearlynotdisturbinghim,andBismarckwasenormouslyreassured.Withinminutesthesoundofthecrownprince'sgunscouldbeheardinthedistance.Thebattlewaswon.
一八六六年奧地利和普魯士之戰，是德意志統一的重要一步。雙方在哥尼格拉茨交兵，其間普魯士王儲似乎未能及時率軍趕到，普軍可能被各個擊破。
但普軍司令毛奇並不擔心。首相俾斯麥策馬走到他跟前，遞與雪茄，他欣然接受。俾斯麥遞給他的盒子裏只剩下兩支雪茄，一支是上品的哈瓦那，另一支的品質則差得多。毛奇小心比較之後，選擇了那支哈瓦那雪茄。戰情顯然沒有令他不安，俾斯麥大感放心了。幾分鐘之後，王儲軍隊的大砲在遠處響起，普魯士贏了戰爭。
【附注】俾斯麥是德意志統一的主腦，世稱鐵血宰相。