During a quarter of a century, German Social Democrats have been the most ardent and insistent pioneers of internationalism and anti-militarism.  But it has not been so generally known that they too have protected their rear by a Rueckversicherung: (1.) They have consistently taught that every man must learn to bear arms, and that both man and woman must be prepared to make any sacrifice for their Fatherland. (2.) They have always held that national interests must be considered before international palaver.

In Chapter I. we have seen that up till July 28th, 1914, the German Social Democratic Party considered Austria and Germany to be entirely responsible for the European crisis.  They had then no shadow of doubt, that Austria alone was guilty for bringing the danger of a European war to their very doors; from that point we again take up the story.[71]

[Footnote 71:  In all the mass of literature published by German Socialists during the war I have found only one mention of their first attitude to the war danger.  On the first anniversary of the ultimatum to Serbia (July 23rd, 1915) the Leipziger Volkszeitung contains these lines in a leading article:  “To-day we may not repeat that which we wrote about the ultimatum in our issue of July 24th, 1914.  But there was no doubt in any section of the Press, that Europe stood on the brink of war from the moment that ultimatum was despatched.”]

Three days later they tacitly agreed that Russia was the guilty party and acquiesced in the mobilization of the German army.  On August 1st this proclamation occupied the front page of their seventy-seven daily papers: 

“PARTEIGENOSSEN!  Military law has been proclaimed.  Any hour may bring with it the outbreak of the world war.  Thereby the severest trials will be imposed upon, not only our nation, but upon the whole of our continent.

  “Up till the last minute the internationalists have done their duty,
  and on the other side of our frontiers every nerve is being strained
  to preserve peace and to make war impossible.

“If our earnest protests, our repeated endeavours have been without success, it is because the conditions under which we live have once again proved stronger than our will, and the will of our workmen brothers.  Hence, whatever comes, we must now face it with firmness.

  “The horrible self-laceration of the European peoples, is the cruel
  confirmation of our warnings to the ruling classes for more than a
  generation; we have spoken admonishingly and in vain.

“Parteigenossen (comrades), we shall not live through coming events in fatalistic indifference; we shall remain true to our cause; we shall hold firmly together, permeated by the sublime greatness of our cultural mission.

“The women, on whom the burden of events presses two and threefold, have above all,