The World War and What was Behind It The Story of the Map of Europe Louis P. Benezet Project Gutenberg's The World War and What was Behind It, by Louis P. Benezet This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net Title: The World War and What was Behind It The Story of the Map of Europe Author: Louis P. Benezet Release Date: February 20, 2004 [EBook #11200] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WORLD WAR *** Produced by Distributed Proofreaders THE WORLD WAR AND WHAT WAS BEHIND IT or THE STORY OF THE MAP OF EUROPE By L. P. BENEZET SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, EVANSVILLE, INDIANA [Illustration: The Peace Palace at the Hague] PREFACE This little volume is the result of the interest shown by pupils, teachers, and the general public in a series of talks on the causes of the great European war which were given by the author in the fall of 1914. The audiences were widely different in character. They included pupils of the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades, students in high school and normal school, teachers in the public schools, an association of business men, and a convention of boards of education. Livros Grátis http://www.livrosgratis.com.br Milhares de livros grátis para download. In every case, the same sentiment was voiced: "If there were only some book which would give us these facts in simple language and illustrate them by maps and charts as you have done!" After searching the market for a book of this sort without success, the author determined to put the subject of his talks into manuscript form. It has been his aim to write in a style which is well within the comprehension of the children in the upper grades and yet is not too juvenile for adult readers. The book deals with the remarkable sequence of events in Europe which made the great war inevitable. Facts are revealed which, so far as the author knows, have not been published in any history to date; facts which had the strongest possible bearing on the outbreak of the war. The average American, whether child or adult, has little conception of conditions in Europe. In America all races mix. The children of the Polish Jew mingle with those of the Sicilian, and in the second generations both peoples have become Americans. Bohemians intermarry with Irish, Scotch with Norwegians. In Europe, on the other hand, Czech and Teuton, Bulgar and Serb may live side by side for centuries without mixing or losing their distinct racial characteristics. In order that the American reader may understand the complicated problem of European peace, a study of races and languages is given in the text, showing the relationship of Slav, Celt, Latin, and Teuton, and the various sub-divisions of these peoples. A knowledge of these facts is very essential to any understanding of the situation in Europe. The author has pointed out the fact that political boundaries are largely king-made, and that they have seldom been drawn with regard to the natural division of Europe by nationalities, or to the wishes of the mass of the population. The chapter, entitled "Europe as it Should Be," with its accompanying map, shows the boundaries of the various nations as they would look if the bulk of the people of each nationality were included in a single political division. In many places, it is, of course, impossible to draw sharp lines. Greek shades off into Bulgar on one side and into Skipetar and Serb on the other. Prague, the capital of the Czechs, is one-third German in its population. There are large islands of Germans and Magyars in the midst of the Roumanians of Transylvania. These are a few examples out of many which could be cited. However, the general aim of the chapter has been to divide the continent into nations, in each of which the leading race would vastly predominate in population. It is hoped that the study of this little work will not only throw light upon the causes of war in general, but will also reveal its cruelty and its needlessness. It is shown that the history of Europe from the time of the great invasions by the Germanic tribes has been a continuous story of government without the consent of the governed. A preventive for wars, such as statesmen and philanthropists in many countries have urged, is outlined in the closing chapter. It would seem as though after this terrible demonstration of the results of armed peace, the governments of the world would be ready to listen to some plan which would forever forbid the possibility of another war. Just as individuals in the majority of civilized countries discovered, a hundred years ago, that it was no longer necessary for them to carry weapons in order to insure their right to live and to enjoy protection, so nations may learn at last that peace and security are preferable to the fruits of brigandage and aggression. The colonies of America, after years of jealousy and small differences, followed by a tremendous war, at last learned this lesson. In the same way the states of Europe will have to learn it. The stumbling blocks in the way are the remains of feudal government in Europe and the ignorance and short-sightedness of the common people in many countries. Ignorance is rapidly waning with the advance of education, and we trust that feudalism will not long survive its last terrible crime, the world war of 1914. Now that the United States has become a belligerent, it is very essential that our people understand the events that led up to our participation in the war. So many of our citizens are of a peace-loving nature, we are so far removed from the militarism of continental Europe, and the whole war seems so needless and so profitless to those who have not studied carefully its causes, that there is danger of a want of harmony with the program of the government if all are not taught the simple truth of the matter. There is no quicker channel through which to reach all the people than the public schools. With this in mind, two entire chapters and part of a third are devoted to demonstrating why no other course was open to this country than to accept the war which was forced upon her. In the preparation of this little work, the author has received many helpful suggestions from co-workers. His thanks are especially due to Professor A. G. Terry of Northwestern University and Professor A. H. Sanford of the Wisconsin State Normal School at La Crosse, who were kind enough to read through and correct the manuscript before its final revision. The author is especially indebted to the Committee on Public Information at Washington, D. C., for furnishing to him authoritative data on many phases of the war. Acknowledgment is also made to Row, Peterson and Company for kind permission to use illustrations from History Stories of Other Lands; also to the International Film Service, Inc., of New York City for the use of many valuable copyright illustrations of scenes relating to the great war. L. P. BENEZET. Evansville, Indiana, January 2, 1918 CONTENTS Preface List of Maps List of Illustrations 1. The Great War 2. Rome and the Barbarian Tribes 3. From Chiefs to Kings 4. Master and Man 5. A Babel of Tongues 6. "The Terrible Turk" 7. The Rise of Modern Nations 8. The Fall of Two Kingdoms 9. The Little Man from the Common People 10. A King-Made Map and Its Trail of Wrongs 11. Italy a Nation at Last 12. The Man of Blood and Iron 13. The Balance of Power 14. The "Entente Cordiale" 15. The Sowing of the Dragon's Teeth 16. Who Profits? 17. The Spark that Exploded the Magazine 18. Why England Came In 19. Diplomacy and Kingly Ambition 20. Back to the Balkans 21. The War under the Sea 22. Another Crown Topples 23. The United States at War--Why? 24. Europe As It Should Be 25. The Cost of It All 26. What Germany Must Learn Pronouncing Glossary Index LIST OF MAPS 1. Distribution of Peoples According to Relationship 2. Distribution of Languages 3. Southeastern Europe in 600 B.C. 4. Southeastern Europe 975 A.D. 5. Southeastern Europe 1690 6. The Empire of Charlemagne 7. Europe in 1540 8. The Growth of Brandenburg-Prussia 1400-1806 9. Italy in 525 10. Italy in 650 11. Italy in 1175 12. Europe in 1796 13. Europe in 1810 14. Europe in 1815 15. Italy Made One Nation--1914-- 16. Formation of the German Empire 17. Southeastern and Central Europe 1796 18. Losses of Turkey During the Nineteenth Century 19. Turkey As the Balkan Allies Planned to Divide It 20. Changes Resulting from Balkan Wars 1912-1913 21. The Two Routes from Germany into France 22. The Roumanian Campaign as the Allies Wished It 23. The Roumanian Campaign as It Turned Out 24. Europe as It Should Be LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1. The Peace Palace at the Hague 2. Fleeing from Their Homes, Around which a Battle is Raging 3. A Drill Ground in Modern Europe 4. The Forum of Rome as It Was 1600 Years Ago 5. The Last Combat of the Gladiators 6.