continuous war with one another, while between
the principal states, Austria and Prussia, there was
a never ending struggle for supremacy. These
quarrelsome governments have finally been harm
onized and combined into a mighty and' enlight
ened nation, mainly through the efforts of one
man, Prince Bismarck.
A little less than thirty years ago, when this re
markable man was placed at the head of the Prus
sian government, all Germany was under the dom
inant influence of Austria. But he immediately
laid his plans for the unification of these separate
principalites into a strong national government
which should have Prussia for its head. His idea
was to carry out his plans by military force, and
he boldly declared that German affairs were not
to be settled by speeches or majorities, but by
“blood and iron.” With this end in view the
already overburdened people were called upon to
furnish money for the reorganization of the army.
When the Prussian assembly refused to grant his
requests or sanction his loans he told them plainly
that he would take the money when and where
he could get it. This shows at once the
ruling purpose of the man to carry out his plans
in spite of all opposition.
He took the money and prepared for war with
Austria, for he plainly foresaw that Austrian power
must be humbled before the other states would
consent to unite uhder the leadership of Prussia.
When that war came it lasted but seven weeks.
But in this short time the Austrian armies were al
most annihilated and her power and influence
completely broken.
Prussia having thus d isposed of her rival took
the first step towards the unification of Germany
by the formation of a league of the North Ger
man slates, which, however, excluded Austria and
her southern allies.
This remarkable development of Prussia as a
military power startled the nations of Europe, but
especially did it hurt the vanity and excite the
jealousy of France. That she should have her
military glory eclipsed and be compelled to oc-
THE FREE LANCE.
cupy a subordinate position was something not
to be calmly endured. So in 1870 France de
clared war on the North German League with
only a mere pretext for a cause ; and witness the
result. The long smouldering fire of German
patriotism flashed up into a brilliant light. The
entire German people north and south rose in
arms and for the first time we behold Germany a
compact national power. It was only a few
months before proud France was humbled almost
as completly as Austria had been, and the old Ger
man provinces won by Louis XIV had to be given
up. In the Imperial pallace at Versailles, where
the old French Kings had so often plotted their
invasions of the German states, the North Ger
man League was enlarged to include all Germany,
and we have at last a compact indivisible Ger
man nation.
Bismarck’s plans had been carried to a successful
termination. Blood and iron had been used un
sparingly, but Germany was united and his own
Fatherland, Prussia, was at the head of the govern
ment. . In this respect Bismarck’s policy has been
a magnificent success But has he been careful to
guard the future security of the nation he has
built up? In his seizure of the provinces of Alsace
and Lorraine he has secured a permanent enemy
in France, who is liable to make war at any time.
In his treatment of Russia he has made that tre
mendous military power hostile, and by his brutal
attitude towards the Empress Augusta he has made
England justly indignant. Among these mighty na
tions he has placed his couutry in a very insecure
position.
While, in the main, successful in his foreign poli
cy, in his treatment of internal questions he has
met with most signal defeat. His domestic policy
has always been one of most rigid repression.
He has no faith whatever in majorities or popular
movements, and has considered that he could gov
ern much better than the people themselves.
Whatever was opposed to his ideas he endeavored
to crush out of existance by brute force. When
he became Imperial Chancellor he found two