The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-08-10
WAR AND WEAPONS OF WAR


leading public men that the great
ornaments Of Europe have brought
on the war The nations of Europe
have never been SO well prepared
for war as they have been for the
forty and more years succeeding the
Franco-Prussian war of 1870, yet
they have not had so lengthy a peace.
In all that time, there has not been
great war in Europe, for the Russo
Turkish war was more of an Asiatic
chan an European contest. The
causes Of war lie deeper than the de-
sire of nations to try their arma-
ments on each other
The NapoIeonic wars exhausted
Europe, and were followed by thirty
three years of comparative peace.
Then, q new generation having grown
mp the nations began to snarl at
each other The revolutionary out
breaks in almost every country in
Europe worked off some of the sur
plus steam; beside which, Austria,
Hungary, Russia and Italy were all
embroiled for the better part of two
years. Not counting the comparative
skirmishing between Denmark and
5IgsWig-Holstein the differences of
the nations resulted in 1858 in the
sCEimian war, in which Great Britain,
France and Sardinia very foolishly
sided with Turkey against Russia,
giving the destiny of that great ma
lion another of those irritating
checks for which the world of today
Es paying the bill. The smoke of
This great contest had not much
more than settled than France and
Amstria locked horns over Italy in
1859. In 1864, Prussia invaded
IlEnmark, and in 1866 Prussia and
Italy engaged Austria in short but
Samguinary struggle. In all these
years there were many wars in which
Europe was concerned if not actual
Iy engaged. There was the Indian
mutiny in 81 and 58; there was the
great American war between the
sands of Europeans took part, Great
Britain, France and Russia had a
succession of smaller contests in
nearly every part of the globe. In
fact, when peace was concluded at
Versailles between France and Ger
many IN 1871, there had been %
years in which every great nation OF
Europe had been involved in war
Previous to 1848, there had been
Chirty-three years, the longest and
most complete season of peace Eu-
rope had known prior to that time
In that third of a century, no two
bfg nations had come to blows. This
GI4irty-three years had been preceded
by quarter of a century of almos
constant fighting, beginning with tht
French revolution and ending will
Waterloo, in which every nation
not only of Europe but the world ha.
and ferceness.
Previous to the wars resultin.
from the French revolution, Europ
had enjoyed twenty-seven years o
comparative peace. In this time oc
cured the American revolution, whicl
caused a conflict between Grea
Britain on one side, France, Span
and Holland on the other, but tn
land lighting was almost entirely i
America, and none of the Europea
powers felt it severely. There wa
the first partition of Poland an
other troubles, but they were com
paratively local
Twenty odd years ending in 176
we're taken up with another set c
wars in which all Europe was engag
ed And preceding this was anothe
breathing spell that followed tn
war of the Spanish succession,
which nearly all Europe was engas
ed Before the war of the SPANS
succession was a few years foIlowin
The general conflict that foIIoWe
EEe second English revolution, an
before that was another long spe
following the utter exhaustion
the Thirty Years War, a spell how
eTer that was so much broken IN
BT The first English revolution, II
attacks of France on her neighboI
and the great conflict of all Euror
against the Turks, to be anythir
EEsge the peace that has reigned
europe for the last 431a years.
All history goes to prove that
she world grows older, it grows mo.