Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-03-14
THE FALL Of NATIONS !.

How Great World Powers Have
Passed Into History.
MOST HAVE DIED FIGHTING.
fhe Struggle Between the Empire Of
the East and the Empire Of the West.
Venice, Its Secret Three and It's Long
Reign of Terror.
Most countries which have died have
gone down fighting The Roman EN-
pire persisted like that, and BY the
irony of fate the power of the Caesars
came to an end far away from Rome.
After it had existed for centuries the
Roman empire became so vast and I'M
wieldy that 1t had to be divided into
two, the empire Of the west and the
empire Of the east. The capital Of the
former was Rome.
The empire Of the west became SO
weak at last that it could make no
stand against its enemies. Rome was
sacked by the barbarians and eventu-
ally became not the capital Of d vast
empire, but the city of the popes, over
which the pontiffs reigned as kings
The temporal power Of the popes last
ed till 1870, while the. capital Of Italy
was first Turin and then Milan. Final
" the city was taken without d real
aght by the soldiers of the king OF
Italy. " I'd
The empire Of the east had Its CAPT
tai at Censtantinople For centuries it
was the greatest power In the world.
But 1t became honey combed with vice
and eneryated with pride and luxury;
also 1t grew old and weak Then In
1422 the Turks made tigerish spring
on Constantinople and took it.by storm.
The last Of the Greek emperors died
sword in hand, and his descendants
are living in England today III very
humble situat lions. Z
Egypt, once SO powerful and SO. ia
nous under the pharaohs, was con-
quered by Rome and was afterward
swamped by the Moslems. The cres-
cent was supreme In the land of the
Nile, and the aforetime naughty Egyp-
tians were slaves for a thousand years.
The great moguls used to reign In
India. In the days Of Queen Elizabeth
the mogul-or emperor Of Delhi, al he
was sometimes called was SO power
full that he thought it a vast conde-
scension on his part to receive an en-
bassy from the maiden queen. But
as time went on the great rajahs, or
tributary kings, rebelled against the
moguls. India was rent asunder BY the
wars between rival rajahs. This gave
the Europeans a chance
France at first held the upper hand
and nearly conquered the land, but
| then England drove France back and
1 seized the empire of the great moguls
for herself The heir Of the moguIs, by
the way, still enjoys pension given
by the British government as a COM
pensation for the throne lost byshis am
cestors. ss4 Ne,
Poland used to occupy big place on
the map OF Europe At one time It
was much larger and stronger than
Russia The car Of Russia and the
emperor Of Austria were only too glad
| to be on good terms with the king OF
| Poland, and there was no king OF
Prussia in those days.
Noble adventures from all parts OF
the world focked to the Polish capital
| at Warsaw, eager to serve III the Pol
tsh armies. The Duke of Monmouth,
son Of King Charles II. Of England.
thought of doing this.
But Poland persisted through her
own faults and. follies. The mass Of
the common people were slaves In all
but name They were not allowed to
move from one part OF the country to
another without leave, they; could not
own foot Of land, and they could
never be sure that they might not be
4 sold by the great noble they served to
1 q new master; hence the mobiles and
the people never stood together In
times Of danger or disaster.
4 Poland was q big country, but it was
4 divided against itself. and Russia
Prussia and Austria combined were
more powerful. They all three Joined
hands, and each took a large share OF
/ Poland In 1772. That was the .sflrst
partition OF Poland. = The Poles sub.
nitted tamely, for they were still di
yided.
In 1898 the trio of robbers made d
second sWoop. Only the ghost of Pc
land was left. Another year saw the
end Of the tragedy. The last rem
nants Of Poland were swallowed up BY
Russia, Prussia and Austria. d
The fate Of the republic OF Venice Il
one Of the most dramatic In all history
4 For hundreds Of years the City Of the
Lagoons was one OF the most powerful
4 states Ii the world. Its doges ranked
as the equals Of the proudest kings
Its alliance was coveted by the great
est powers. It's government was one
fof sheer terrorism. The doge was
hardly more than splendid figure
head. All real power rested ID the
hands OF the dreaded council or ter
and the secret three The latter wers
4 q trio of living mysteries and were