In justice to the pacifist elements it must be stated that they were up against bayonets.  The only pity is that British public opinion, or any section of it, had been led to believe that it could ever have been otherwise.  Austria had committed an unpardonable act of provocation, which at first reasonable opinion in Germany openly condemned.  Simultaneously the German Government set in motion an avalanche of racial feeling to play off against the just and moderate measures taken by other powers to checkmate Austrian aggression.  In addition to the racial hostility, which had been lashed into bitterness during the spring of 1914, came Germany’s morbid conception of national and personal honour.  Lastly the fear of a Russian invasion was astutely inoculated into the nation.

It is the author’s firm conviction, and the military events in Poland and Galicia have only strengthened this opinion, that from the very beginning Germany could have prevented any Russian invasion of her territory, but she did not desire that end, but rather that the fear of Russia should complete the “Kriegsrausch” of the German nation.  After frightening the people the Berlin Government struck its blow in the direction of their political ambitions—­to the West, and after the Russians had been allowed to penetrate German territories they were hurled over the Eastern frontiers at the end of August.  While the Kaiser was sending peaceful telegrams to Petrograd and Vienna, the Press was full of horrible pictures of Cossack barbarism and the dread terrors of the Russian knout, both of which—­the public was led to believe—­were about to strike Germany.

In this manner the Kaiser and his advisers created a national psychology which left open only two alternatives:  the absolute humiliation of Russia and the consequent hegemony of Germany in Europe—­or war.

CHAPTER II

ON THE LEASH

Russia gave the world to understand by an official declaration, issued on Friday, July 24th, 1914, that she was not an indifferent, but a keenly interested spectator to the Austro-Serbian conflict.  On the following day Russia’s declaration was published in almost the entire German Press, and from that moment the same Press was flooded with all kinds of attacks directed against the Eastern neighbour.  Russia was frankly told to mind her own business—­the quarrel did not concern her.

The German public immediately accepted this point of view, so that every subsequent move on Russia’s part appeared in the light of an unwarrantable offensive.  Undoubtedly the Bismarckian tactics of publishing inspired articles in all parts of Germany were employed, and their colouring left no doubt on the public mind that the much-talked-of Slavonic danger had assumed an acute form.

A request on Russia’s part, made on July 25th, that the space of time (forty-eight hours) allowed to Serbia for an answer should be extended, only increased popular irritation in the Germanic Empires.  This irritation was accompanied by an unmistakable bellicose spirit which called forth its natural counterpart in Petrograd.