the story of mankind-第79章

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many　of　his　predecessors　since　their　return　from　the　exile　of

Avignon　in　the　year　1377。　He　protested　loudly　against　this

high…handed　theft　of　his　domains　and　addressed　letters　of　appeal

to　those　faithful　Catholics　who　were　inclined　to　sympathise

with　him　in　his　loss。　Their　number；　however；　was　small；

and　it　has　been　steadily　decreasing。　For；　once　delivered　from

the　cares　of　state；　the　Pope　was　able　to　devote　all　his　time　to

questions　of　a　spiritual　nature。　Standing　high　above　the　petty

quarrels　of　the　European　politicians；　the　Papacy　assumed　a　new

dignity　which　proved　of　great　benefit　to　the　church　and　made

it　an　international　power　for　social　and　religious　progress

which　has　shown　a　much　more　intelligent　appreciation　of　modern

economic　problems　than　most　Protestant　sects。



In　this　way；　the　attempt　of　the　Congress　of　Vienna　to

settle　the　Italian　question　by　making　the　peninsula　an

Austrian　province　was　at　last　undone。



The　German　problem　however　remained　as　yet　unsolved。

It　proved　the　most　difficult　of　all。　The　failure　of　the　revolution

of　the　year　1848　had　led　to　the　wholesale　migration　of　the　more

energetic　and　liberal　elements　among　the　German　people。

These　young　fellows　had　moved　to　the　United　States　of　America；

to　Brazil；　to　the　new　colonies　in　Asia　and　America。　Their

work　was　continued　in　Germany　but　by　a　different　sort　of　men。



In　the　new　Diet　which　met　at　Frankfort；　after　the　collapse

of　the　German　Parliament　and　the　failure　of　the　Liberals　to

establish　a　united　country；　the　Kingdom　of　Prussia　was　represented

by　that　same　Otto　von　Bismarck　from　whom　we　parted

a　few　pages　ago。　Bismarck　by　now　had　managed　to　gain　the

complete　confidence　of　the　king　of　Prussia。　That　was　all　he

asked　for。　The　opinion　of　the　Prussian　parliament　or　of　the

Prussian　people　interested　him　not　at　all。　With　his　own　eyes

he　had　seen　the　defeat　of　the　Liberals。　He　knew　that　he

would　not　be　able　to　get　rid　of　Austria　without　a　war　and　he

began　by　strengthening　the　Prussian　army。　The　Landtag；　exasperated

at　his　high…handed　methods；　refused　to　give　him　the

necessary　credits。　Bismarck　did　not　even　bother　to　discuss

the　matter。　He　went　ahead　and　increased　his　army　with　the

help　of　funds　which　the　Prussian　house　of　Peers　and　the　king

placed　at　his　disposal。　Then　he　looked　for　a　national　cause

which　could　be　used　for　the　purpose　of　creating　a　great　wave

of　patriotism　among　all　the　German　people。



In　the　north　of　Germany　there　were　the　Duchies　of　Schleswig

and　Holstein　which　ever　since　the　middle　ages　had　been　a

source　of　trouble。　Both　countries　were　inhabited　by　a　certain

number　of　Danes　and　a　certain　number　of　Germans；　but　although

they　were　governed　by　the　King　of　Denmark；　they

were　not　an　integral　part　of　the　Danish　State　and　this　led　to

endless　difficulties。　Heaven　forbid　that　I　should　revive　this

forgotten　question　which　now　seems　settled　by　the　acts　of　the

recent　Congress　of　Versailles。　But　the　Germans　in　Holstein

were　very　loud　in　their　abuse　of　the　Danes　and　the　Danes　in

Schleswig　made　a　great　ado　of　their　Danishness；　and　all　Europe

was　discussing　the　problem　and　German　Mannerchors

and　Turnvereins　listened　to　sentimental　speeches　about　the

‘‘lost　brethren''　and　the　different　chancelleries　were　trying　to

discover　what　it　was　all　about；　when　Prussia　mobilised　her

armies　to　‘‘save　the　lost　provinces。''　As　Austria；　the　official

head　of　the　German　Confederation；　could　not　allow　Prussia

to　act　alone　in　such　an　important　matter；　the　Habsburg　troops

were　mobilised　too　and　the　combined　armies　of　the　two　great

powers　crossed　the　Danish　frontiers　and　after　a　very　brave

resistance　on　the　part　of　the　Danes；　occupied　the　two　duchies。

The　Danes　appealed　to　Europe；　but　Europe　was　otherwise

engaged　and　the　poor　Danes　were　left　to　their　fate。



Bismarck　then　prepared　the　scene　for　the　second　number

upon　his　Imperial　programme。　He　used　the　division　of　the

spoils　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　Austria。　The　Habsburgs　fell　into

the　trap。　The　new　Prussian　army；　the　creation　of　Bismarck　and

his　faithful　generals；　invaded　Bohemia　and　in　less　than　six

weeks；　the　last　of　the　Austrian　troops　had　been　destroyed　at

Koniggratz　and　Sadowa　and　the　road　to　Vienna　lay　open。　But

Bismarck　did　not　want　to　go　too　far。　He　knew　that　he　would

need　a　few　friends　in　Europe。　He　offered　the　defeated

Habsburgs　very　decent　terms　of　peace；　provided　they　would

resign　their　chairmanship　of　the　Confederation。　He　was　less

merciful　to　many　of　the　smaller　German　states　who　had　taken

the　side　of　the　Austrians；　and　annexed　them　to　Prussia。　The

greater　part　of　the　northern　states　then　formed　a　new　organisation；

the　so…called　North　German　Confederacy；　and　victorious

Prussia　assumed　the　unofficial　leadership　of　the　German

people。



Europe　stood　aghast　at　the　rapidity　with　which　the　work　of

consolidation　had　been　done。　England　was　quite　indifferent

but　France　showed　signs　of　disapproval。　Napoleon's　hold

upon　the　French　people　was　steadily　diminishing。　The　Crimean

war　had　been　costly　and　had　accomplished　nothing。



A　second　adventure　in　the　year　1863；　when　a　French　army

had　tried　to　force　an　Austrian　Grand…Duke　by　the　name　of

Maximilian　upon　the　Mexican　people　as　their　Emperor；　had

come　to　a　disastrous　end　as　soon　as　the　American　Civil　War　had

been　won　by　the　North。　For　the　Government　at　Washington

had　forced　the　French　to　withdraw　their　troops　and　this　had

given　the　Mexicans　a　chance　to　clear　their　country　of　the　enemy

and　shoot　the　unwelcome　Emperor。



It　was　necessary　to　give　the　Napoleonic　throne　a　new

coat　of　glory…paint。　Within　a　few　years　the　North　German

Confederation　would　be　a　serious　rival　of　France。　Napoleon

decided　that　a　war　with　Germany　would　be　a　good　thing　for　his

dynasty。　He　looked　for　an　excuse　and　Spain；　the　poor　victim

of　endless　revolutions；　gave　him　one。



Just　then　the　Spanish　throne　happened　to　be　vacant。　It

had　been　offered　to　the　Catholic　branch　of　the　house　of　Hohenzollern。

The　French　government　had　objected　and　the　Hohenzollerns

had　politely　refused　to　accept　the　crown。　But

Napoleon；　who　was　showing　signs　of　illness；　was　very　much

under　the　influence　of　his　beautiful　wife；　Eugenie　de　Montijo；

the　daughter　of　a　Spanish　gentleman　and　the　grand…daughter

of　William　Kirkpatrick；　an　American　consul　at　Malaga；　where

the　grapes　come　from。　Eugenie；　although　shrewd　enough；　was

as　badly　educated　as　most　Spanish　women　of　that　day。　She

was　at　the　mercy　of　her　spiritual　advisers　and　these　worthy

gentlemen　felt　no　love　for　the　Protestant　King　of　Prussia。　‘‘Be

bold；''　was　the　advice　of　the　Empress　to　her　husband；　but　she

omitted　to　add　the　second　half　of　that　famous　Persian　proverb

which　admonishes　the　hero　to　‘‘be　bold　but　not　too　bold。''

Napoleon；　convinced　of　the　strength　of　his　army；　addressed

himself　to　the　king　of　Prussia　and　insisted　that　the　king　give

him　assurances　that　‘‘he　would　never　permit　another　candidature

of　a　Hohenzollern　prince　to　the　Spanish　crown。''　As

the　Hohenzollerns　had　just　declined　the　honour；　the　demand

was　superfluous；　and　Bismarck　so　informed　the　French　government。

But　Napoleon　was　not　satisfied。



It　was　the　year　1870　and　King　William　was　taking　the

waters　at　Ems。　There　one　day　he　was　approached　by　the

French　minister　who　tried　to　re…open　the　discussion。　The　king

answered　very　pleasantly　that　it　was　a　fine　day　and　that　the

Spanish　question　was　now　closed　and　that　nothing　more

remained　to　be　said　upon　the　subject。　As　a　matter　of

routine；　a　report　of　this　interview　was　telegraphed　to

Bismarck；　who　handled　all　foreign　affairs。　Bismarck　edited

the　dispatch　for　the　benefit　of　the　Prussian　and　French

press。　Many　people　have　called　him　names　for　doing

this。　Bismarck　however　could　plead　the　excuse　that　the　doctoring

of　official　news；　since　time　immemorial；　had　been　one

of　the　privileges　of　all　civilised　governments。　When　the　‘‘edited''

telegram　was　printed；　the　good