The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-06-15
CHANGES In THE MAP.
FEW OF THE EUROPEAN couN.
TRIES MAINTAIN THEIR OLD
BOUNDARIES.

The events of the past 100 years or
80 have wrought many important
changes in the map Of Europe and have
resulted in the righting of some wrongs
and perhaps in the perpetuation of 9TH
ers whose full effects are not yet felt.
The history Of the centuries before 1t.
history of struggles, story OF ag-
grandizement, the clashing of conflict
/ ing interests, are always worthy of
study says the Church Chronical.
Take the map Of 100 years ago and
the map OF today, put them side by
side, and one is struck by the small
number of countries that have escaped
change. Great Britain, Spain. Switzer-
| land and Norway remain colored as
they were 100 years ago; all else have
assumed different outline or DIFF
ferent color. Some states have disap-
peared, others amalgamated, and some
have sprung up that were hardly
dreamed Of before Right In the centre
of the map, where was the confedera-
ton of the Rhine, and Prussia and 81
lesia In a different tint to the north,
all covered yellow, is now a multiplied
ty of tints. We have purple-tinted
German empire, a sea-green Austria
Hungary. The pink hue of France In
the earlier map spreads northward
over Belgium and the Netherlands and
southeastward over Italy. On the 9TH
er hand, the yellow tint over Russia
has overspread the Duchy of Warsaw,
figured in deep orange a century ago,
and Turkey, which seemed tottering to
her fall when last century was young,
though still existing. is much attenu-
ated, for in the northeast corner there
are the separate states Of Servia, Rou-
mania. and Bulga-ia.
These kaleidos opic changes have
each its individual story-and we trace
them back, most of them, to the French
revolution, which was responsible for
more changes in the map of Europe
than any other event in modern times
Before this occurrence Poland had been
absorbed by Russia, Prussia had risen
to greatness, Sweden had fallen from
her temporary hegemony in northern
Europe, the Spanish Netherlands had
belonged since 1913 to the house Of
Austria, and the French Bourbons
held parts of Italy.
With the French revolution began
that series Of changes by which Napo-
leon extended his empire all over Ger
many west of the Rhine, over large
areas in northern Grmany, embracing
the Netherlands and most OF Italy, part
being Incorporated with the empire and
part held by himself as king Of Italy,
while his brother was king Of Spain
and his brother-in-law king Of Naples.
1t was a wonderful piece of aggran-
dizement. This ACKNOWLEDGEMENT was
however, not destined to survive.
When Nemesis overlook Napoleon
France shrank to her original dimen-
sions, the minor German princes con-
federated, with Austria at their head;
Italy was parcelled out into principali-
ties, Austria taking the Venetian do
minions and the Netherlands becoming
again a kingdom, though afterward
split up into Holland and Belgium.
The most important change of all
has been that in Germany, which, from
being "a mere geographical express
sion," applied to a number of German
speaking states. obtained in 1871 that
unity which had been dream of ages.
When Napoleon overthrow the Holy
Roman empire in 1906, there grew up
considerations which oscillated toward
and were dominated in turn by Prus-
sia ON the one hand and Austria on the
Ath n
seemed as though German empire
would be achieved in connection with
Prussia, but Frederick W. in a half
hearted way, refused the imperial
crown, and through the irritation of
Austria against her exclusion from the
confederation he scheme was delayed
for couple of decades. 1t was not un-
til the Italians were victorious under
Cavour that the movement obtained
a fresh impetus, and when Prussia had
beaten Austria at the battle of Konig'
gratz, the great northern federation
was formed, Hanover, Hesse-Cassel and
the Danish duchies being Joined to
Prussia and Austria being kept out
altogether. The south German states
also 1OSneU COultutIdllOu III dliiduSe
with the north, and five years later
the king OF Prussia was proclaimed
emperor of united Germany in the
Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.
Next to the founding of the German
empire ranks the unification of Italy
When Napoleons power was upset the
map of Italy showed kingdom OF Sar-
dinia, kingdom of Naples, the papa
states, with various independent duch-
les, and Austria having a large holding
in the fertile regions of the north. The
first movement came from the emperor
of Austria, who caused himself to bt
crowned at Milan as king of Lombardy
and Venice, but Austria becoming tenn
porarily paralyzed by an insurrectior
in Vienna and Hungary's claim for In
dependence, movement for the uni
fcation of Italy commenced.
Mazini infamed the national feeling
against Austria, and, when an insur'
rection broke out in Milan, the