The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-26

Is, ana therefore dare not complain.
vow MOLrGE.
The death Of Count Won Molfks closes
the career Of one who win be ranked
among the foremost generals Of the Nine
tenth century. This means that he Il
entitled to . place among the greatest
soldiers Of modern times, for the military
annals Of this century are made illustrious
BY the deeds of such masters Of the art Of
war ~ Napoleon, Wellington and Grant
In the light Of the fame Of such ~ these,
however, the fame Of Noltke does not
pale. Through all time students Of the
art Of war will study his campaigns -
closely . those Of Cesar, Gustavus Adolf
plus, Marlborough and the great Fred
erick have been studied in the past.
Moltke's greatness was slow Of growth.
Or, rather, he was great long before the
world suspected his greatness. Though
his reputation was gained In the course Of
few short campaigns, his success was not
due to sudden outflaring Of genius. He
spent long years in careful planning and
persistent study, and, when the emer-
gency which he Was destined to meet
came, he was ready. Indeed, he Wa ever
ready.
When. in 1851, Bismarck became prime
minister Of Prussia . new epoch of Euro
pesn history began. He was bent upon
the creation Of great German empire with
Prussia at its head, and upon the elevation
Of the empire TO foremost place among the
nations Of the world. King William fully
shared the ambitious views Of his
mini ster, and together they set
about the task of preparing Prussia for
the course it was to run. That course
must be amid the din and carnage Of
battle. Bismarck fully realized that the
overthrow Of Austria Was an indispensable
preliminary TO the success of his plans,
and he doubtless realized also that the
humiliation Of France would be equally
essential It WAS necessary. therefore, for
him to place Prussia in a position to cope
on the field of battle with the foremost
military powers of Europe. Only . COM
piete reorganization Of the Prussian mill
itary system would render such thing
possible. A century had passed since the
campaigns Of Frederick the Great had
been fought, and Prussia had sunk to .
low place among the military powers
Of the world. The army organized by
the greatest Of the Hohenzollerns
had been brushed aside as thing Of cob
webs by the legions of Napoleon. Though
Prussia bore creditable part in the clos
ing scenes Of the Napoleonic military
drama, the shadows of Jena and Auerstadt
still dimmed the glory of Rossbach,
Leuthen and Zorndorf. The Prussian
army was an army without inspiring ira
ditions. Since Waterloo 1t had not fred .
gun against foreign foe, and even tho
small share Of glory which fell to the Prus-
SLAMS at Waterloo was rendered lustreless
by the previous defeat at Ligny. Prussia's
military prestige was slight, indeed, and
the dream of making its poorly organized,
poorly armed and little considered army
able to battle successfully with the armies
of France and Austria seemed to be q wild
one.
The task Of organizing the Prussian
army was entrusted to two officers of the
staff, Moltke and Room. The former of these,
who at once took the lead in the work, was
the SON Of a Danish officer. He had re-
ceived thorough military education, and
had entered the Prussian service at an
early age. He had also been in the Turkish
service and had taken prominent part in
the campaign in Syria between the Turks
and the Egyptians. In spite of his long
service, however, his reputation was little
more than local, and the world did not
suspect the transcendent abilities which
he possessed. 1t must be remem.
bered that when Moltke was called
to this task he was more than
sixty years of age-twice as old as Alex.
ander at his death, older than Caesar at
his death, twice as old As Napoleon when
he commanded the army of Italy, and
four years older than Napoleon at the
time of his death. At sixty a soldiers
| life-work is usually accomplished. 1t is
not strange. therefore, that the world did
not suspect the career which this modes,
| and almost unknown old man had before
| him.
Moltke was not slow in addressing him.
self to his task. The military system
of Prussia was completely reorganized
| King William and Bismarck held the sup
| port of the nation while their co-labore,
forged mighty thunderbolt of war which
was destined to shake the political system
of Europe to its center. Rapid progress.
was made. In less than three years the
reorganized army was ready for a trial
and the Danish war afforded an opportu
nifty. In this brief conflict the Prussiar
troops marched and fought we'll, and te
the surprise of Europe, they came out o.
the contest much more creditabiy thar
their Austrian allies.
| The Danish war, however, was but ar
experiment on a small scale. The rea
test came two years later. In 1866 Prussis
stood face to face with the German con
/ fs.yarat,ao The s,x,a ba1 I.