Germany and the Next War

Friedrich Von Bernhardi

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• Publié par: bekoh
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 49
• Langue: English

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by Friedrich von Bernhardi
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Title: Germany and the Next War
Author: Friedrich von Bernhardi
Release Date: February 28, 2004 [EBook #11352]
[Date last updated: August 18, 2005]
Language: English
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG
EBOOK GERMANY AND THE NEXT WAR ***
Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Bonny Fafard and
PG Distributed ProofreadersGERMANY AND THE NEXT
WAR
BY GENERAL FRIEDRICH VON
BERNHARDI
TRANSLATED BY ALLEN H. POWLES
1912
All the patriotic sections of the German people
were greatly excited during the summer and
autumn of 1911. The conviction lay heavy on all
hearts that in the settlement of the Morocco
dispute no mere commercial or colonial question of
minor importance was being discussed, but that
the honour and future of the German nation were
at stake. A deep rift had opened between the
feeling of the nation and the diplomatic action of
the Government. Public opinion, which was clearly
in favour of asserting ourselves, did not understand
the dangers of our political position, and the
sacrifices which a boldly-outlined policy would have
demanded. I cannot say whether the nation, which
undoubtedly in an overwhelming majority wouldhave gladly obeyed the call to arms, would have
been equally ready to bear permanent and heavy
burdens of taxation. Haggling about war
contributions is as pronounced a characteristic of
the German Reichstag in modern Berlin as it was
in medieval Regensburg. These conditions have
induced me to publish now the following pages,
which were partly written some time ago.
Nobody can fail to see that we have reached a
crisis in our national and political development. At
such times it is necessary to be absolutely clear on
three points: the goals to be aimed at, the
difficulties to be surmounted, and the sacrifices to
be made.
The task I have set myself is to discuss these
matters, stripped of all diplomatic disguise, as
clearly and convincingly as possible. It is obvious
that this can only be done by taking a national point
of view.
Our science, our literature, and the warlike
achievements of our past, have made me proudly
conscious of belonging to a great civilized nation
which, in spite of all the weakness and mistakes of
bygone days, must, and assuredly will, win a
glorious future; and it is out of the fulness of my
German heart that I have recorded my convictions.
I believe that thus I shall most effectually rouse the
national feeling in my readers' hearts, and
strengthen the national purpose.
THE AUTHOR.October, 1911CONTENTS
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION
Power of the peace idea—Causes of the love of
peace in Germany—
German consciousness of strength—Lack of
definite political aims
—Perilous situation of Germany and the
conditions of successful
self-assertion—Need to test the authority of the
peace idea, and to
explain the tasks and aims of Germany in the
light of history
CHAPTER I THE RIGHT TO MAKE WAR
Pacific ideals and arbitration—The biological
necessity of war—The
duty of self-assertion—The right of conquest—
The struggle for
employment—War a moral obligation—Beneficent
results of war
—War from the Christian and from the materialist
standpoints—
Arbitration and international law—Destructiveness
and immorality of peace aspirations—Real and Utopian humanity
—Dangerous
results of peace aspirations in Germany—The
duty of
the State
CHAPTER II THE DUTY TO MAKE WAR
Bismarck and the justification of war—The duty to
fight—The teaching
of history—War only justifiable on adequate
grounds—The
foundations of political morality—Political and
individual morality
—The grounds for making war—The decision to
make war—The
responsibility of the statesman
CHAPTER III A BRIEF SURVEY OF GERMANY'S
HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT
The ways of Providence in history—Christianity and
the Germans—
The Empire and the Papacy—Breach between
the German World
Empire and the revived spiritual power—Rise of
the great States
of Europe and political downfall of Germany after
the Thirty
Years' War—Rise of the Prussian State—The
epoch of the Revolution
and the War of Liberation—Intellectualsupremacy of
Germany—After the War of Liberation—Germany
under William
I. and Bismarck—Change in the conception of the
State and
the principle of nationality—New economic
developments and
the World Power of England—Rise of other World
Powers—
Socialism, and how to overcome it—German
science and art—
Internal disintegration of Germany and her latent
strength
CHAPTER IV GERMANY'S HISTORICAL
MISSION
Grounds of the intellectual supremacy of Germany
—Germany's role
as spiritual and intellectual leader—Conquest of
religious and
social obstacles—Inadequacy of our present
political position—
To secure what we have won our first duty—
Necessity of increasing
our political power—Necessity of colonial
expansion—
Menace to our aspirations from hostile Powers
CHAPTER V WORLD POWER OR DOWNFALL
Points of view for judging of the political situation—The States of the
Triple Alliance—The political interests of France
and Russia—
The Russo-French Alliance—The policy of Great
Britain—
America and the rising World Powers of the Far
East—The importance
of Turkey—Spain and the minor States of Europe
—Perilous
position of Germany—World power or downfall—
Increase
of political power: how to obtain it—German
colonial
policy—The principle of the balance of power in
Europe—Neutral
States—The principle of non-intervention in the
internal affairs
of other States—Germany and the rules of
international politics
—The foundations of our internal strength
CHAPTER VI THE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL
SIGNIFICANCE OF ARMY FOR WAR
Its necessity—Its twofold aspect—The educational
importance of military efficiency—Different military
systems—Change in the nature of military
efficiency due to the advance of civilization—
Variety of methods of preparation for war—The
armaments of minor States—The armaments of
the Great Powers—Harmonious development of all
elements of strength—Influence on armaments of
different conceptions of the duties of the State—Permanent factors to be kept in sight in relation to
military preparedness— Statecraft in this
connection
CHAPTER VII THE CHARACTER OF OUR NEXT
WAR
Our opponents—The French army—The military
power of Russia—
The land forces of England—The military power
of Germany and
Austria; of Italy—The Turkish army—The smaller
Balkan States
—The Roumanian army—The armies of the lesser
States of Central
Europe—Greece and Spain—The fleets of the
principal naval
Powers—The enmity of France—The hostility of
England—
Russia's probable behaviour in a war against
Germany—The
military situation of Germany—Her isolation—
What will be at
stake in our next war—Preparation for war
CHAPTER VIII THE NEXT NAVAL WAR
England's preparations for a naval war against
Germany—Germany's first measures against
England—England and the neutrality of the small
neighbouring States—The importance of Denmark
—Commercial mobilization—The two kinds of