PAGE 3 6 8 I 2 PUBLIC LIBRARY CONTENTS 1937 L I. General Factors; II. Militarism and Armaments; III. Failure of the Hague Conferences; IV. Special Subjects of International Conflict; Chapter II. Historical Background of the War 1. Foundation and Character of the German Empire; II. The Triple Alliance and the Triple Entente; III. Three Diplomatic Crises; IV. Bagdad Railroad and Mittel-Europa; V. Tripolitan and Balkan Wars. Chapter III. Indications that Germany and Austria Planned 1. Austria Proposes an Attack on Serbia; II. Secret Military Report on German Army; III. Changed Attitude of the Kaiser; IV. German Public Opinion; V. Extraordinary Military Measures of Germany; VI. Conclusion. The Austro-Serbian Controversy I. Prior Relations of Serbia, Austria and Russia; II. The Serajevo Declares War on Serbia; VI. Conclusions. Chapter V. Failure of Diplomacy to Avert War 1. Outline of Events, July 21 to August 5, 1914; II. Proposals for Preserving Peace; III. German Ultimatums and Declarations of War against Russia and France; IV. German Responsibility for the War. Chapter VI. Violation of Belgium's Neutrality Brings in I. Why Great Britain Was Expected to Stay Out; II. British Diplomacy and the War; III. Neutrality of Luxemburg and of Belgium Violated ; IV. Great Britain Enters the War. I. Other States Enter the War; II. World-wide Character of the War; lations of International Law; V. Summary and Explanation of German Policy. Chapter VIII. The United States Enters the War I. Struggle to Maintain Neutrality; N. From Neutrality to War; III. Summary of Reasons for Entering the War. I. Campaign of 1914; II. Campaign of 1915; III. Campaign of 1916; Chapter X. Proposals for Peace; Will This Be the Last War? I. Summary of States at War in 1917; II. American Aims in the War; III. Various Peace Proposals; IV. Will This Be the Last Great War ? 38 Topical Outline of the War BY SAMUEL B. HARDING, PROFESSOR OF EUROPEAN HISTORY IN INDIANA UNIVERSITY. PREPARED IN CO-OPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL BOARD FOR HISTORICAL SERVICE AND THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC INFORMATION.* even 66 * the 66 I. FUNDAMENTAL CAUSES OF THE WAR. already, to give vent to our surplus energies without I. GENERAL FACTORS. losing them and to make the motherland economi cally independent.” (Manifesto of the Colonial 1. The constitution of the German Empire permits its for League.) oign policy to be determined by the Emperor alone, who "We need a fleet strong enough not only to protect is at the same time, by “divine right,” King of Prus the colonies we now have, but to bring about the acsia—the State which possesses an overwhelming terri quisition of others.” (Manifesto of the Navy torial, political, and military predominance in the League.) Empire. “A progressive nation like ours needs territory, “The Emperor declares war with the consent of and if this cannot be obtained by peaceful means, it the Bundesrat, the assent of the Reichstag not being must be obtained by war. It is the object of tho Derequired. Not even the Bundesrat need be consulted fense Association [Wehrverein) to create this sontiif the war is defensive, and as the Hohenzollerns ment.” (Lieut.-General Wrochem in speech to the have always claimed to make defensive warfare it is Wehrverein in March, 1913.) not surprising that the Without doubt this acquisition of new lands will Bundesrat was officially informed about the present not take place without war. What world power w08 war three days after the Emperor declared it.” ever established without bloody struggles ?” (Al(Charles D. Hazen, The Government of Germany; brecht Wirth, Volkstum und Weltmacht in der Committee on Public Information publication.) (See Geschichte, 1904. Quoted by Andler, Le PangermanWar Cyclopedia, under "Autocracy,” “ Kaiserism," isme continentale, 1915, p. 308.) “ William II.”) "It is only by relying on our good German sword 2. Profit derived from war in the past by Prussia (Ger that we can hope to conquer that place in the sun many). which rightly belongs to us, and which no one will (a) Through increase of territory (cf. maps). yield to us voluntarily. ... Till the world comes to (b) Through indemnities (e. g., from France, 1871). an end, the ultimate decision must rest with the (c) Through increased prestige and influence. Hence sword.” (German Crown Prince, in Introduction to justification of the "blood and iron ” policy of Germany in Arms, 1913.) 4. Biological argument for war. (a) Darwin's theory of the “struggle for existence.” sia's power by successful and deliberately incurred as a chief factor in the evolution of species. wars. Frederick the Great followed in tho footsteps (b) Development in Germany of the theory that of his glorious ancestor. ... None of the wars which States are of necessity engaged in such a strug he fought had been forced upon him; none of them gle for existence.” did he postpone as long as possible. . . The lessons (c) Hence war is an “ordinance of God for the weedof history thus confirm the view that wars which ing out of weak and incompetent individuals and have been deliberately provoked by far-seeing states States.” Corollary: “Might makes right.” men have had the happiest results.” (Bernhardi, (d) Examples of such arguments from Treitschke, Germany and the Next War, 1911.) Bernhardi, etc. (See Conquest and Kultur, sec. 3. Gormany's demand for “ a place in the sun." 2, 4; War Cyclopedia, under “ Bernhardi,” “ Treitschke," " Vernon (ax Meaning of the Kaiser's phrase (“ a place in the “ War, German View; sun") not clear. It covers vaguely colonies, com Kellogg, Headquarters' Nights," in Atlantic merce, and influence in international affairs in Monthly for August, 1917.) proportion to Germany's population, industrial “War is a biological necessity of the frst imimportance, and military power. portance, a regulative element in the life of mankind (b) Obstacles. The German Empire was & late which cannot be dispensed with, since without it an comer in the family of nations; the best regions unhealthy development will follow, which excludes for colonization and exploitation, especially in every advancement of the race, and thereforo all real the temperate zones, were already occupied by civilization. ... 'To supplant or be supplanted is other Powers. the essence of life,' says Goethe, and the strong life (c) Examples of the demand. (See Conquest and gains the upper hand. The law of the stronger holds Kultur, secs. 6, 10; War Cyclopedia, under good everywhere. Those forms survive which are “ Place in the Sun," " Pan-Germanism," otc.) able to procure themselves the most favorablo con“We need colonies, and more colonies, than we have ditions of life, and to assert themselvos in the universal economy of Nature. The weakor sucTuis outline was prepared with the active aid of the Committee on cumb... Tublie Information (Department of Civic and Educational Co-operation), 10 Jackson Place, Washington, D. C. Frequent reference is “ Might gives the right to occupy or to conquer. made herein to the publications of this committee, which with a few Might is at once the supreme right, and the dispute neoptions are distributed tree upon application Copyright, 1917, McKinley Publishing Company. 66 66 |
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