The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word BISMARCK
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
B
I
S
M
A
R
C
K
More clues leading to the result BISMARCK
- In retreat, king studies one British or German statesman
- For whom the clue “Man looking both ways” was written?
- I back Mrs Batty for chancellor!
- German statesman‘s doctrine dividing king and nipper after uprising
- Old Chancellor found in Mick’s Bar, wrecked.
- Statesman’s terrible racism revealed within covers of book
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "German statesman/German statesman" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case german statesman/german statesman = bismarck.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.