the story of mankind-第67章

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During　the　seventies　of　the　last　century　the　people　of

Serbia　and　Bulgaria　and　Montenegro　and　Roumania　were　once

more　trying　to　gain　their　freedom　and　the　Turks　（with　the

support　of　many　of　the　western　powers）；　were　trying　to　prevent

this。



After　a　period　of　particularly　atrocious　massacres　in　Bulgaria

in　the　year　1876；　the　Russian　people　lost　all　patience。

The　Government　was　forced　to　intervene　just　as　President　McKinley

was　obliged　to　go　to　Cuba　and　stop　the　shooting…squads

of　General　Weyler　in　Havana。　In　April　of　the　year　1877　the

Russian　armies　crossed　the　Danube；　stormed　the　Shipka　pass；

and　after　the　capture　of　Plevna；　marched　southward　until　they

reached　the　gates　of　Constantinople。　Turkey　appealed　for

help　to　England。　There　were　many　English　people　who　denounced

their　government　when　it　took　the　side　of　the　Sultan。

But　Disraeli　（who　had　just　made　Queen　Victoria　Empress　of

India　and　who　loved　the　picturesque　Turks　while　he　hated　the

Russians　who　were　brutally　cruel　to　the　Jewish　people　within

their　frontiers）　decided　to　interfere。　Russia　was　forced　to

conclude　the　peace　of　San　Stefano　（1878）　and　the　question　of

the　Balkans　was　left　to　a　Congress　which　convened　at　Berlin

in　June　and　July　of　the　same　year。



This　famous　conference　was　entirely　dominated　by　the　personality

of　Disraeli。　Even　Bismarck　feared　the　clever　old

man　with　his　well…oiled　curly　hair　and　his　supreme　arrogance；

tempered　by　a　cynical　sense　of　humor　and　a　marvellous　gift

for　flattery。　At　Berlin　the　British　prime…minister　carefully

watched　over　the　fate　of　his　friends　the　Turks。　Montenegro；

Serbia　and　Roumania　were　recognised　as　independent　kingdoms。

The　principality　of　Bulgaria　was　given　a　semi…independent

status　under　Prince　Alexander　of　Battenberg；　a

nephew　of　Tsar　Alexander　II。　But　none　of　those　countries

were　given　the　chance　to　develop　their　powers　and　their　resources

as　they　would　have　been　able　to　do；　had　England　been

less　anxious　about　the　fate　of　the　Sultan；　whose　domains　were

necessary　to　the　safety　of　the　British　Empire　as　a　bulwark

against　further　Russian　aggression。



To　make　matters　worse；　the　congress　allowed　Austria　to

take　Bosnia　and　Herzegovina　away　from　the　Turks　to　be

‘‘administered''　as　part　of　the　Habsburg　domains。　It　is　true

that　Austria　made　an　excellent　job　of　it。　The　neglected　provinces

were　as　well　managed　as　the　best　of　the　British　colonies；

and　that　is　saying　a　great　deal。　But　they　were　inhabited　by

many　Serbians。　In　older　days　they　had　been　part　of　the　great

Serbian　empire　of　Stephan　Dushan；　who　early　in　the　fourteenth

century　had　defended　western　Europe　against　the　invasions

of　the　Turks　and　whose　capital　of　Uskub　had　been　a

centre　of　civilisation　one　hundred　and　fifty　years　before　Columbus

discovered　the　new　lands　of　the　west。　The　Serbians　remem…

bered　their　ancient　glory　as　who　would　not？　They　resented

the　presence　of　the　Austrians　in　two　provinces；　which；　so　they

felt；　were　theirs　by　every　right　of　tradition。



And　it　was　in　Sarajevo；　the　capital　of　Bosnia；　that　the

archduke　Ferdinand；　heir　to　the　Austrian　throne；　was　murdered

on　June　28　of　the　year　1914。　The　assassin　was　a　Serbian

student　who　had　acted　from　purely　patriotic　motives。



But　the　blame　for　this　terrible　catastrophe　which　was　the

immediate；　though　not　the　only　cause　of　the　Great　World　War

did　not　lie　with　the　half…crazy　Serbian　boy　or　his　Austrian

victim。　It　must　be　traced　back　to　the　days　of　the　famous

Berlin　Conference　when　Europe　was　too　busy　building　a　material

civilisation　to　care　about　the　aspirations　and　the　dreams

of　a　forgotten　race　in　a　dreary　corner　of　the　old　Balkan

peninsula。







A　NEW　WORLD



THE　GREAT　WAR　WHICH　WAS　REALLY　THE

STRUGGLE　FOR　A　NEW　AND

BETTER　WORLD





THE　Marquis　de　Condorcet　was　one　of　the　noblest　characters

among　the　small　group　of　honest　enthusiasts　who　were

responsible　for　the　outbreak　of　the　great　French　Revolution。

He　had　devoted　his　life　to　the　cause　of　the　poor　and　the　unfortunate。

He　had　been　one　of　the　assistants　of　d'Alembert　and

Diderot　when　they　wrote　their　famous　Encyclopedie。　During

the　first　years　of　the　Revolution　he　had　been　the　leader　of　the

Moderate　wing　of　the　Convention。



His　tolerance；　his　kindliness；　his　stout　common　sense；　had

made　him　an　object　of　suspicion　when　the　treason　of　the　king

and　the　court　clique　had　given　the　extreme　radicals　their　chance

to　get　hold　of　the　government　and　kill　their　opponents。

Condorcet　was　declared　‘‘hors　de　loi；''　or　outlawed；　an　outcast

who　was　henceforth　at　the　mercy　of　every　true　patriot。　His

friends　offered　to　hide　him　at　their　own　peril。　Condorcet

refused　to　accept　their　sacrifice。　He　escaped　and　tried　to　reach

his　home；　where　he　might　be　safe。　After　three　nights　in　the

open；　torn　and　bleeding；　he　entered　an　inn　and　asked　for　some

food。　The　suspicious　yokels　searched　him　and　in　his　pockets

they　found　a　copy　of　Horace；　the　Latin　poet。　This　showed

that　their　prisoner　was　a　man　of　gentle　breeding　and　had　no

business　upon　the　highroads　at　a　time　when　every　educated

person　was　regarded　as　an　enemy　of　the　Revolutionary　state。

They　took　Condorcet　and　they　bound　him　and　they　gagged

him　and　they　threw　him　into　the　village　lock…up；　but　in　the

morning　when　the　soldiers　came　to　drag　him　back　to　Paris　and

cut　his　head　off；　behold！　he　was　dead。



This　man　who　had　given　all　and　had　received　nothing　had

good　reason　to　despair　of　the　human　race。　But　he　has　written

a　few　sentences　which　ring　as　true　to…day　as　they　did　one

hundred　and　thirty　years　ago。　I　repeat　them　here　for　your

benefit。



‘‘Nature　has　set　no　limits　to　our　hopes；''　he　wrote；　‘‘and

the　picture　of　the　human　race；　now　freed　from　its　chains　and

marching　with　a　firm　tread　on　the　road　of　truth　and　virtue

and　happiness；　offers　to　the　philosopher　a　spectacle　which

consoles　him　for　the　errors；　for　the　crimes　and　the　injustices

which　still　pollute　and　afflict　this　earth。''



The　world　has　just　passed　through　an　agony　of　pain　compared

to　which　the　French　Revolution　was　a　mere　incident。

The　shock　has　been　so　great　that　it　has　killed　the　last　spark　of

hope　in　the　breasts　of　millions　of　men。　They　were　chanting　a

hymn　of　progress；　and　four　years　of　slaughter　followed　their

prayers　for　peace。　‘‘Is　it　worth　while；''　so　they　ask；　‘‘to　work

and　slave　for　the　benefit　of　creatures　who　have　not　yet　passed

beyond　the　stage　of　the　earliest　cave　men？''



There　is　but　one　answer。



That　answer　is　‘‘Yes！''



The　World　War　was　a　terrible　calamity。　But　it　did　not

mean　the　end　of　things。　On　the　contrary　it　brought　about　the

coming　of　a　new　day。



It　is　easy　to　write　a　history　of　Greece　and　Rome　or　the

Middle　Ages。　The　actors　who　played　their　parts　upon　that

long…forgotten　stage　are　all　dead。　We　can　criticize　them　with

a　cool　head。　The　audience　that　applauded　their　efforts　has

dispersed。　Our　remarks　cannot　possibly　hurt　their　feelings。



But　it　is　very　difficult　to　give　a　true　account　of　contemporary

events。　The　problems　that　fill　the　minds　of　the　people

with　whom　we　pass　through　life；　are　our　own　problems；　and

they　hurt　us　too　much　or　they　please　us　too　well　to　be　described

with　that　fairness　which　is　necessary　when　we　are　writing

history　and　not　blowing　the　trumpet　of　propaganda。　All

the　same　I　shall　endeavour　to　tell　you　why　I　agree　with　poor

Condorcet　when　he　expressed　his　firm　faith　in　a　better　future。



Often　before　have　I　warned　you　against　the　false　impression

which　is　created　by　the　use　of　our　so…called　historical

epochs　which　divide　the　story　of　man　into　four　parts；　the　ancient

world；　the　Middle　Ages；　the　Renaissance　and　the　Reformation；

and　Modern　Time。　The　last　of　these　terms　is　the　most

dangerous。　The　word　‘‘modern''　implies　that　we；　the　people

of　the　twentieth　century；　are　at　the　top　of　human　achievement。

Fifty　years　ago　the　liberals　of　England　who　followed　the　leadership

of　Gladstone　felt　that　the　problem　of　a　truly　representative

and　democratic　form　of　government　had　been　solved　forever

by　the　second　great　Reform　Bill；　which　gave　workmen

an　equal　share　in　the　government　with　their　employers。　When

Disraeli　and　his　conservative　friends　talked　of　a　dangerous

‘‘leap　in　the　dark''　they　answered　‘‘No。''　They　felt　certain　of

their　cause　and　trusted　that　henceforth　all　classes　of　society

would　co…operate　to　make　the　government　of　their　common

country　a　success。　Since　then　many　things　have　happened；

and　the　few　liberals　who　are　still　alive　begin　to　understand

that　they　were　mistaken。



There　is　no　definite　answer　to　any　historical　problem。



Every　generation　must　fight　the　good　fight　anew　or　perish

as　those　sluggish　animals　of　the　prehistoric　world　have

perished。



If　you　once　get　hold　of　this　great　truth　you　will　get　a　new

and　much　broader　view　of　life。　Then；　go　one　step　further

and　try　to　imagine　yourself　in　the　position　of　your　own　great…

great…grandchildren　who　will　take　your　place　in　the　year

10；000。　They　too　will　learn　history。　But　what　will　they

think　of　those　short　four　thousand　years　during　which　we　have

kept　a　written　record　of　our　actions　and　of　our　thoughts？

They　will　think　of　Napoleon　as　a　contemporary　of　Tiglath

Pileser；　the　Assyrian　conqueror。　Perhaps　they　will　confuse

him　with　Jenghiz　Khan　or　Alexander　the　Macedonian。　The

great　war　which　has　just　come　to　an　end　will　appear　in　the　light

of　that　long　commercial　conflict　which　settled　the　supremacy

of　the　Mediterranean　when　Rome　and　Carthage　fought　during

one　hundred　and　twenty…eight　years　for　the　mastery　of　the　sea。

The　Balkan　troubles　of　the　19th　century　（the　struggle　for

freedom　of　Serbia　and　Greece　and　Bulgaria　and　Montenegro）

to　them　will　seem　a　continuation　of　the　disordered　conditions

caused　by　the　Great　Migrations。　They　will　look　at　pictures

of　the　Rheims　cathedral　which　only　yesterday　was　destroyed

by　German　guns　as　we　look　upon　a　photograph　of　the　Acropolis

ruined　two　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago　during　a　war

between　the　Turks　and　the　Venetians。　They　will　regard　the

fear　of　death；　which　is　still　common　among　many　people；　as　a

childish　superstition　which　was　perhaps　natural　in　a　race　of

men　who　had　burned　witches　as　late　as　the　year　1692。　Even

our　hospitals　and　our　laboratories　and　our　operating　rooms

of　which　we　are　so　proud　will　look　like　slightly　improved

workshops　of　alchemists　and　mediaeval　surgeons。



And　the　reason　for　all　this　is　simple。　We　modern　men　and

women　are　not　‘‘modern''　at　all。　On　the　contrary　we　still

belong　to　the　last　generations　of　the　cave…dwellers。　The　foundation

for　a　new　era　was　laid　but　yesterday。　The　human　race

was　given　its　first　chance　to　become　truly　civilised　when　it　took

courage　to　question　all　things　and　made　‘‘knowledge　and

understanding''　the　foundation　upon　which　to　create　a　more

reasonable　and　sensible　society　of　human　beings。　The　Great

Wa