The Prussian army had been organized, brought to perfection, tended with love by the Kings of Prussia, in order that it might serve their lust of conquest.  To take possession of neighbours’ territory was then the sole aim; territory was almost the whole of the national wealth.  But with the nineteenth century there was a new departure.  The idea peculiar to that century of diverting science to the satisfaction of men’s material wants evoked a development of industry, and consequently of commerce, so extraordinary that the old conception of wealth was completely overthrown.  Not more than fifty years were needed to bring about this transformation.  On the morrow of the war of 1870 a nation expressly made for appropriating the good things of this world had no alternative but to become industrial and commercial.  Not on that account, however, would she change the essential principle of her action.  On the contrary, she had but to utilize her habits of discipline, method, tenacity, minute care, precise information—­and, we may add, of impertinence and spying—­to which she owed the growth of her military power.  She would thus equip herself with industry and commerce not less formidable than her army, and able to march, on their part also, in military order.

From that time onwards these two were seen going forward together, advancing at an even pace and reciprocally supporting each other—­industry, which had answered the appeal of the spirit of conquest, on one side; on the other, the army, in which that spirit was incarnate, with the navy, which had just been added to the forces of the army.  Industry was free to develop in all directions; but, from the first, war was the end in view.  In enormous factories, such as the world had never seen, tens of thousands of workmen toiled in casting great guns, while by their side, in workshops and laboratories, every invention which the disinterested genius of neighbouring peoples had been able to achieve was immediately captured, bent from its intended use, and converted into an engine of war.  Reciprocally, the army and navy which owed their growth to the increasing wealth of the nation, repaid the debt by placing their services at the disposal of this wealth:  they undertook to open roads for commerce and outlets for industry.  But through this very combination the movement imposed on Prussia by her kings, and on Germany by Prussia, was bound to swerve from its course, whilst gathering speed and flinging itself forward.  Sooner or later it was bound to escape from all control and become a plunge into the abyss.

For, even though the spirit of conquest knows no limit in itself, it must limit its ambitions as long as the question is simply that of seizing a neighbour’s territory.  To constitute their kingdom, kings of Prussia had been obliged to undertake a long series of wars.  Whether the name of the spoiler be Frederick or William, not more than one or two provinces can be annexed at a time:  to take more is to weaken