the story of mankind-第70节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　Republic　had　come　to　a　sudden　but　not　unexpected　end。

Napoleon　III　the　son　of　Louis　Bonaparte　the　former　King　of

Holland；　and　the　small　nephew　of　a　great　uncle；　had　re…

established　an　Empire　and　had　made　himself　Emperor　‘‘by　the

Grace　of　God　and　the　Will　of　the　People。''



This　young　man；　who　had　been　educated　in　Germany　and

who　mixed　his　French　with　harsh　Teutonic　gutturals　（just

as　the　first　Napoleon　had　always　spoken　the　language　of　his

adopted　country　with　a　strong　Italian　accent）　was　trying　very

hard　to　use　the　Napoleonic　tradition　for　his　own　benefit。　But

he　had　many　enemies　and　did　not　feel　very　certain　of　his　hold

upon　his　ready…made　throne。　He　had　gained　the　friendship

of　Queen　Victoria　but　this　had　not　been　a　difficult　task；　as　the

good　Queen　was　not　particularly　brilliant　and　was　very　susceptible

to　flattery。　As　for　the　other　European　sovereigns；

they　treated　the　French　Emperor　with　insulting　haughtiness

and　sat　up　nights　devising　new　ways　in　which　they　could　show

their　upstart　‘‘Good　Brother''　how　sincerely　they　despised　him。



Napoleon　was　obliged　to　find　a　way　in　which　he　could　break

this　opposition；　either　through　love　or　through　fear。　He　well

knew　the　fascination　which　the　word　‘‘glory''　still　held　for　his

subjects。　Since　he　was　forced　to　gamble　for　his　throne　he

decided　to　play　the　game　of　Empire　for　high　stakes。　He　used

an　attack　of　Russia　upon　Turkey　as　an　excuse　for　bringing

about　the　Crimean　war　in　which　England　and　France　combined

against　the　Tsar　on　behalf　of　the　Sultan。　It　was　a　very

costly　and　exceedingly　unprofitable　enterprise。　Neither

France　nor　England　nor　Russia　reaped　much　glory。



But　the　Crimean　war　did　one　good　thing。　It　gave　Sardinia

a　chance　to　volunteer　on　the　winning　side　and　when　peace　was

declared　it　gave　Cavour　the　opportunity　to　lay　claim　to　the

gratitude　of　both　England　and　France。



Having　made　use　of　the　international　situation　to　get　Sardinia

recognised　as　one　of　the　more　important　powers　of　Europe；

the　clever　Italian　then　provoked　a　war　between　Sardinia

and　Austria　in　June　of　the　year　1859。　He　assured　himself　of

the　support　of　Napoleon　in　exchange　for　the　provinces　of

Savoy　and　the　city　of　Nice；　which　was　really　an　Italian　town。

The　Franco…Italian　armies　defeated　the　Austrians　at　Magenta

and　Solferino；　and　the　former　Austrian　provinces　and　duchies

were　united　into　a　single　Italian　kingdom。　Florence　became

the　capital　of　this　new　Italy　until　the　year　1870　when　the

French　recalled　their　troops　from　Home　to　defend　France

against　the　Germans。　As　soon　as　they　were　gone；　the　Italian

troops　entered　the　eternal　city　and　the　House　of　Sardinia　took

up　its　residence　in　the　old　Palace　of　the　Quirinal　which　an

ancient　Pope　had　built　on　the　ruins　of　the　baths　of　the　Emperor

Constantine。



The　Pope；　however；　moved　across　the　river　Tiber　and　hid

behind　the　walls　of　the　Vatican；　which　had　been　the　home　of

many　of　his　predecessors　since　their　return　from　the　exile　of

Avignon　in　the　year　1377。　He　protested　loudly　against　this

high…handed　theft　of　his　domains　and　addressed　letters　of　appeal

to　those　faithful　Catholics　who　were　inclined　to　sympathise

with　him　in　his　loss。　Their　number；　however；　was　small；

and　it　has　been　steadily　decreasing。　For；　once　delivered　from

the　cares　of　state；　the　Pope　was　able　to　devote　all　his　time　to

questions　of　a　spiritual　nature。　Standing　high　above　the　petty

quarrels　of　the　European　politicians；　the　Papacy　assumed　a　new

dignity　which　proved　of　great　benefit　to　the　church　and　made

it　an　international　power　for　social　and　religious　progress

which　has　shown　a　much　more　intelligent　appreciation　of　modern

economic　problems　than　most　Protestant　sects。



In　this　way；　the　attempt　of　the　Congress　of　Vienna　to

settle　the　Italian　question　by　making　the　peninsula　an

Austrian　province　was　at　last　undone。



The　German　problem　however　remained　as　yet　unsolved。

It　proved　the　most　difficult　of　all。　The　failure　of　the　revolution

of　the　year　1848　had　led　to　the　wholesale　migration　of　the　more

energetic　and　liberal　elements　among　the　German　people。

These　young　fellows　had　moved　to　the　United　States　of　America；

to　Brazil；　to　the　new　colonies　in　Asia　and　America。　Their

work　was　continued　in　Germany　but　by　a　different　sort　of　men。



In　the　new　Diet　which　met　at　Frankfort；　after　the　collapse

of　the　German　Parliament　and　the　failure　of　the　Liberals　to

establish　a　united　country；　the　Kingdom　of　Prussia　was　represented

by　that　same　Otto　von　Bismarck　from　whom　we　parted

a　few　pages　ago。　Bismarck　by　now　had　managed　to　gain　the

complete　confidence　of　the　king　of　Prussia。　That　was　all　he

asked　for。　The　opinion　of　the　Prussian　parliament　or　of　the

Prussian　people　interested　him　not　at　all。　With　his　own　eyes

he　had　seen　the　defeat　of　the　Liberals。　He　knew　that　he

would　not　be　able　to　get　rid　of　Austria　without　a　war　and　he

began　by　strengthening　the　Prussian　army。　The　Landtag；　exasperated

at　his　high…handed　methods；　refused　to　give　him　the

necessary　credits。　Bismarck　did　not　even　bother　to　discuss

the　matter。　He　went　ahead　and　increased　his　army　with　the

help　of　funds　which　the　Prussian　house　of　Peers　and　the　king

placed　at　his　disposal。　Then　he　looked　for　a　national　cause

which　could　be　used　for　the　purpose　of　creating　a　great　wave

of　patriotism　among　all　the　German　people。



In　the　north　of　Germany　there　were　the　Duchies　of　Schleswig

and　Holstein　which　ever　since　the　middle　ages　had　been　a

source　of　trouble。　Both　countries　were　inhabited　by　a　certain

number　of　Danes　and　a　certain　number　of　Germans；　but　although

they　were　governed　by　the　King　of　Denmark；　they

were　not　an　integral　part　of　the　Danish　State　and　this　led　to

endless　difficulties。　Heaven　forbid　that　I　should　revive　this

forgotten　question　which　now　seems　settled　by　the　acts　of　the

recent　Congress　of　Versailles。　But　the　Germans　in　Holstein

were　very　loud　in　their　abuse　of　the　Danes　and　the　Danes　in

Schleswig　made　a　great　ado　of　their　Danishness；　and　all　Europe

was　discussing　the　problem　and　German　Mannerchors

and　Turnvereins　listened　to　sentimental　speeches　about　the

‘‘lost　brethren''　and　the　different　chancelleries　were　trying　to

discover　what　it　was　all　about；　when　Prussia　mobilised　her

armies　to　‘‘save　the　lost　provinces。''　As　Austria；　the　official

head　of　the　German　Confederation；　could　not　allow　Prussia

to　act　alone　in　such　an　important　matter；　the　Habsburg　troops

were　mobilised　too　and　the　combined　armies　of　the　two　great

powers　crossed　the　Danish　frontiers　and　after　a　very　brave

resistance　on　the　part　of　the　Danes；　occupied　the　two　duchies。

The　Danes　appealed　to　Europe；　but　Europe　was　otherwise

engaged　and　the　poor　Danes　were　left　to　their　fate。



Bismarck　then　prepared　the　scene　for　the　second　number

upon　his　Imperial　programme。　He　used　the　division　of　the

spoils　to　pick　a　quarrel　with　Austria。　The　Habsburgs　fell　into

the　trap。　The　new　Prussian　army；　the　creation　of　Bismarck　and

his　faithful　generals；　invaded　Bohemia　and　in　less　than　six

weeks；　the　last　of　the　Austrian　troops　had　been　destroyed　at

Koniggratz　and　Sadowa　and　the　road　to　Vienna　lay　open。　But

Bismarck　did　not　want　to　go　too　far。　He　knew　that　he　would

need　a　few　friends　in　Europe。　He　offered　the　defeated

Habsburgs　very　decent　terms　of　peace；　provided　they　would

resign　their　chairmanship　of　the　Confederation。　He　was　less

merciful　to　many　of　the　smaller　German　states　who　had　taken

the　side　of　the　Austrians；　and　annexed　them　to　Prussia。　The

greater　part　of　the　northern　states　then　formed　a　new　organisation；

the　so…called　North　German　Confederacy；　and　victorious

Prussia　assumed　the　unofficial　leadership　of　the　German

people。



Europe　stood　aghast　at　the　rapidity　with　which　the　work　of

consolidation　had　been　done。　England　was　quite　indifferent

but　France　showed　signs　of　disapproval。　Napoleon's　hold

upon　the　French　people　was　steadily　diminishing。　The　Crimean

war　had　been　costly　and　had　accomplished　nothing。



A　second　adventure　in　the　year　1863；　when　a　French　army

had　tried　to　force　an　Austrian　Grand…Duke　by　the　name　of

Maximilian　upon　the　Mexican　people　as　their　Emperor；　had

come　to　a　disastrous　end　as　soon　as　the　American　Civil　War　had

been　won　by　the　North。　For　the　Government　at　Washington

had　forced　the　French　to　withdraw　their　troops　and　this　had

given　the　Mexicans　a　chance　to　clear　their　country　of　the　enemy

and　shoot　the　unwelcome　Emperor。



It　was　necessary　to　give　the　Napoleonic　throne　a　new

coat　of　glory…paint。　Within　a　few　years　the　North　German

Confederation　would　be　a　serious　rival　of　France。　Napoleon

decided　that　a　war　with　Germany　would　be　a　good　thing　for　his

dynasty。　He　looked　for　an　excuse　and　Spain；　the　poor　victim

of　endless　revolutions；　gave　him　one。



Just　then　the　Spanish　throne　happened　to　be　vacant。　It

had　been　offered　to　the　Catholic　branch　of　the　house　of　Hohenzollern。

The　French