The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-28
A GERMAN WAR MYTH.
Won MOItke Did Not Plan the Sedan
Campaign i'm Advance.
Boston Transcript.

That fine old lie about Won Moltke having
the defeat of France all arranged on paper
in his desk so completely worked out that
the German commanders had only to be
supplied with copies and Sedan and Metz
were the consequences, is going the rounds
of the press with brilliant variations The
latest variation is that Won Moltke was
awakened from a sound sleep to be told
that France had declared war. that he in
structed the aid TO go 10 Cabinet and take
from Drawer % a paper marked Schedule
and resumed his slumber. Inasmuch as
the Prussian ambassador left Paris several
days before the declaration of war by
went out from Berlin while public peace
was yet maintained there was no need to
break Won Moltkes slumber to tell him
what he knew in daylight.
France decided on war July 10, but the
formal notification to that effect was not
sent to the nearest Prussan outpOsts until
four days later. Neither Bismarck, Won
Room nor Won Moltke was caught mapping
either literally or metaphorically On the
contrary, they were arranging even before
France voted its fateful declaration to make
war inevitable. France declared war, but it
was Bismarck who forced her to do it. and
both Won Moltke and Won Room were in
the game from which the King of Prussia
was excluded, for he was not led into it
until it was too late for him to undo what
they had done Nor did Won Moltke issue
orders at the outset which made Sedan in
evitable. The most he did. as he tells us
himself, was to make plans in advance
against every conceivable hypothesis of
French invasion of Germany. The first posi-
ton he took up was that of observation in
order that France might not by sudden
rush separate north and south Germany.
When he found hecFrench were unequal
to invading Germany he turned the tables
on them. He could not foresee Sedan at
the outset of the war, for the simple reason
that he could not foresee that MacMahon
would let go his hold on the road to Paris
and start off on that attempt to relieve
Metz. which ended at Sedan Won Moltke
candidly admits in his books on the war
that he was puzzled by the French move
ments because they were so obviously wrong
as to awaken his suspicion, and that he was
at fault in not pushing straight through
the Vosges whose passes the French did
not even attempt to defend. He cid not
anticipate that these gateways would be
left unguarded, and lost time in working
around the mountains in consequence.
Won Moltke's books are those of a
frank mar who tells what he did. Posi-
bly, if they were read more some of those
who are forever comparing our opera
tons with those of Germany in 1870 would
know better than to set up the great STRAIT
egist as performing Representatives,. Won
Moltl<e himself found it hard to stamp out
all the absurd variations of his achieve
ments that became current in Germany. He
was once. as he told u.s. invited to private
view of picture representing the council
of war before Sadowa, in which ne was
grouped with other historical parsonages.
He complimented the painter on his skill
and dryly added that the picture was eff
fective despite the fact that no such council
held