The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-05-04
PERIODIC WAR IN EuROPE.


Isis not SO surprising that war Is again rag-
ing IL Ea.oee s-s il shat The recen. inter.
val Vi peace continued unbroken so long.
Europe has not enjoyed period Of tran
guilty for that length Of time for half
century. II the studious reader of history
will track back in his memory be will find
it Difficult, to recall period since 1927 when
five or six years elapsed withou. war 10
Europe, and there has certainly been none
since lS4S when some of the ''grest powers"
were not in conflict. Intervals Of peace
have prevailed for two, three or four years
but seldom or never for six years, as in the
instance now broken by the war between
Russia and Turkey. If we except the brief
and sporadic conflict between Servia and
Turkey last year, there have been no armed
hostilities Of any consequence 10 Europe
since the close Of the French German war
of 1901 which pade the names Of Woerth,
Metz and Sedan, and the long siege Of Paris
familiar to tie reading world. -Four years
had eIapsei q, that time since the last pre-
eeding struggle between great powers, in
which Prussia, IN alliance with Italy, made
battle with Austria. That was in 1866,
leaving in its train msny thousands of DESC
lated households and the memorable names
of Keniggratz ant, Sadowa. Next before
this, and with an interval Of but two years,
was the unequal war made by allied Prussia
and Austria against gallant little Denmark,
about the famous Schleswig- Holstein contro-
versy. Prior to that again, and leaving a
peaceful interval of about four years, was
the Austrian war against Sardinia, 10 which
the French Emperor, Louis Napoleon, took
up the quarrel on the side of Victor Em.
manuel and, on the celebrated fields of No
genta and Golferino-the first of which ma le
the present President of France Marshal
and Duke-brought into life the existing
Kingdom of Italy. That was in 1859, the
formal peace being concluded in 1860. Here
again there had been four years interval
of peace since the close of the Crimean war
in 1856. This had begun in 1853 between
Russia and Turkey alone, just as the present
war begins now, but it soon involved Great
Britain, France and Sardinia on the side of
Turkey, Although twenty years have gone
by, Alma, Balaklava, Inkerman and Sebasto-
pol, with the sanguinary and deadly assaults
upon the Redan and Malakoff forts, are
names and conflicts stih fresh in the public
memory. That war began in 1858, having
succeeded another interval of European,
peace, which bad lasted the usual period of
about four years. Its predecessor WAS the
gallant struggle made by Hungary for inde-
pendence against Austria, which, beginning
with most notable success in ls48, suddenly
collapsed BY the detection of Georgey from
Kossuth. after Russia had Joined Austria in
fS49. AT that period nearly the whole of
Continental Europe was shaken to its centre
by the simultaneous revolutionary outbreaks
in France, Austria. Prussia, Russia, aud
some other Kingdoms and States.
This was less than thirty years ago. and
within that period we have enumerated seven
great European wars. The average interval
of peace has been less than four years, and
this which is now terminated is by far the
longest time of tranquility the war damaged
peoples of Europe haye enjoyed. Prior to
l84s, and as far back as lS27-ffty years ago
the conflicts of arms were az frequent, but
not on so great scale. Turkey and Egypt
were trying to destroy the life of Greece in
lS2527, but were baffled by Russia, England
and France at the naval battle of Nayarino.