GERMANY
BEFORE THE WAR
BY
BARON BEYENS
LATE BELGIAN MINISTER AT THE COURT OF BERLIN
Translated by Paul V. Cohn, B.A.
THOMAS NELSON AND SONS, Ltd.
London, Edinburgh, and New York
First published March 1916.
CONTENTS.
| Introduction | 7 | |
| I. | The Emperor William | 13 |
| II. | The Imperial Family, Court, and Government | 55 |
| III. | The Army and Navy—The War Party | 106 |
| IV. | The Reichstag and Political Parties | 138 |
| V. | Public Opinion—Economic Causes of the War | 177 |
| VI. | The Moroccan Question | 215 |
| VII. | The Eastern Question | 240 |
| VIII. | The Week of Tragedy | 270 |
| IX. | Belgian Neutrality and the Invasion of Belgium | 312 |
Conclusion | 355 | |
Appendix | 365 |
INTRODUCTION.
At the close of the nineteenth century and the openingof the twentieth, several efforts were made, both inEurope and America, towards the prevention of futurewars, by substituting legal methods for brute forcein the settlement of international disputes. It isworth while to recall the preliminary steps that somehigh-minded rulers took in this direction. TsarNicholas invited foreign governments to the first ofthose peace conferences which met at the Hague.Successive presidents of the United States, for theirpart, strove to obtain an immediate practical resultby means of treaties concluded with various nations.The object of these treaties was to submit to a courtof arbitration any disputes that might arise amongthe signatories. The two Hague Conferences failed,indeed, to realize the ideal aims which their promotershad in view.