The sun., 1907-12-01
VIE.


through the long chapter which covers
the period from Boulogne to Tilsit. but We
should not pass over what he has 20 say
about the treaty of Tilsit. the secret ar
ticles Of which were not accessible In an
authentic text until a short time ago. There
is no doubt that this treaty was Of enOr-
nous Importance; it formed the basis
Of Napoleon's policy till February. 1910.
Compared with il all other international
arrangements Of the epoch fall into a
secondary place. and can only be understood
in connection with IL. We have here
reached" says DIR. Lenz. the zenith Of our
hero's career. HenceTorth begins the ebb-
ing Of his power. II is true that there was
still. apparently. a strengthening OF the
mighty rulers power by fresh victories and
treaties and by the extension and intensi-
hcation OF his personal authority. which
became from day to day more despOtic
till the moment when, just as he dreamed
that he had reached his summit. the aveng-
ing lightning struck the giant down"
In connection with the Treaty OF Tilsit
our author recalls that Ranks felt tempted
10 criticise the attitude assumed by Napoleon
at this crisis. Why indeed did the Emperor
come 80 suddenly TO a halt in the full tide
Of victory? The alliance with the Poles and
Turks. to which he had reverted. belonged
to tho Oldest traditions of French policy.
Russia was for the moment disarmed:
for what was left on the far side Of the
Memel. a river about as wide as the Seine
at Paris. was a disordered crowd that could
no longer be called an army. and the re-
serve army was still far away. The officers
Of the Gar. angered by the alliance with
Prussia. were occupied with only one idea.
namely, that OF concluding peace. Through
his own brother. Constantine they had
threatened the Czar Alexander with dep
OsitiOn and indeed almost openly with
his fathers fate. How did il happen
then that suddenly. against all expectation.
in the midst Of this abyss Of despair. the
victor held out his hand to the Russian
SOY reign? Not only did he offer him
peace but friendship also and an alliance
which disappointed the hopes Of the Poles
hopes that Napoleon had just called forth
and to which their delegates az Tilsit we're
trying TO keep him true--whiie for the
Emperor's other coadjutOrs. the Turks.
there now came a prospect Of partition
between the new allies II il in his attitude
toward England that our author finds
the explanation of the unheard OF change
in Napoleon's plans. The Continent must
be at peace IL he meant to strike down the
one opponent that still stood erect. For
the sake Of this end. therefore. he must
bind Alexander to his policy, unless he
meant 70 attack him in his own territories
and bring him utterly to the dust.
DR. Lenz has no doubt that after Austria.
humbled at Wagram. had subscribed TO
the Peace Of Schonbrunn it would not have
been difficult for Napoleon to put an end
to the kingdom Of Frederick the Great.
King Frederick William was then left to
his own resources exactly a. he had been
in the days OF Jena three years before.
What could he hope FOR in a struggle against
an enemy who held nearly all the fOrtresses
and river crossings OF the land and had
half Europe at his back? As a matter Of
fact. however. nothing happened to the
Prussian sovereign. His Ambassador. to
be sure. met with a surly reception in Paris
and the French Emperor threatened TO go
himself TO Berlin and enforce order But he
declared that after all he would not make
war, however good might be his right to
take such a course. He poured out on the
Hohenzollern King the most outrageous
abuse. but he left him in peace. Our
author concurs with Ranke in thinking
that NapoleOn's intentions with regard to
Prussia we're not warlike but pacific. He
her in subsection, and though he all the
while worried and pressed the Berlin Gov
ernment on the subject Of the payment
Of the Prussian war indemnity he never
theless permitted II to be deferred again
and again.