News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-10-14
A Brief Review of Modern Eu-
rOpean HiStOry-Germany

as we have already seen, the dawn OF
European history begins. Three great
events marking the opening of this period
were the capture of Constantinople by
the Turks; the invention of printing and
the discovery of America. The second
of these was Germany's contribution to
the life of the world; it was fully as i'm
portant in its results as either of the
others.
During this opening period there was
both in Germany and in Italy great re-
vival of interest in learning and new at
tention was directed to the study of liter
airy classics. The most important results
to the world came from this revival in
Germany. There it was associated with
great moral earnestness. AS result
those who had part in it were not salts
fed with discussions concerning litera-
ture and art, but were led into an investi.
cation of accepted standards in religion,
and into attempts to solve the most i'm
portant questions concerning human des-
tiny. AS result the ground was pre-
pared for the great Reformation of the
10th century
Germany gave to the world strong
leader in this great movement, Martin
Luther. (14S3 1870 Any study of his
work and that of his associates and con-
temporaries, however brief, is beyond
the scope of this review. 1t is sufficient
20 La% tka oh do -,
thought of the world during the 10th
century makes that century one of the
most important in historic annals, and in
this change Germany led.
Then followed the breaking up of the
established ecclesiastical order hundred
Years of warfare, involving at one time
and another all the great powers of Eu-
rope. OF this. "The Thirty Years War"
in Germany was one of the terrible Incl
dents. 1t lasted from 1918 to 1913. At
it's close, the population of the country,
which had been thirty millions at the be-
ginning of the war, had shrunk to twelve
millions.
1t may be proper to note here that the
constant declarations that the present
war is the greatest in all history are made
either without knowledge of the past or
with lack of the sense of the perspec-
tive. Through centuries of human his
tory war has been the normal state of
human beings. Today we are suffering
an acute attack of the war fever and we !
forget or do not realize that what is I'M
usual with us was once part of the |
everyday life of nations.
One result of these long wars, as far as !
Germany was concerned, was preven-
ton of the growth of any sense of nationUa
al unity. The country was cluster of |
little kingdoms with small appreciation |
of relationship one to another 1t was |
net until the 10Th century that a strong
coalition on the part of these states was |
possible. During the seventeenth GEN.
fury Prussia obtained high pre-eminence,
through the energy and military ability
Il its King. Frederick the Great, who
made himself one of the dominating in
tluences in politics in Europe. AS re-
suit of his wars he annexed portion of
Poland to his dominions.
During the wars with Napoleon, the
German States were conquered and over.
run by the armies of France but their
spirit was unconquered, and it was the
army of Prussia that joined with that of
England to bring about the downfall of
Napoleon at Waterloo.
Germany. like all European nations,
went through period of revolutionary
excitement after the Napoleonic Wars
and previous to the middle of the nine
teenth century. Emigration to the
United States on the part of those of
revolutionary sympathies took place.
Some men who have had an important
part in the life of our nation came to us
in this way After this period of upheav-
al Prussia gained more and more power
in German affairs, contending success
fully in war against Austria. Finally in
1871, after the short and decisive war
with France, William, King of Prussia,
was crowned as German Emperor.
The contribution of Germany to mod
ern thought has been almost as great as
was its sixteenth century influence.
Through its universities and its virtues
it has affected the whole civilized world.
During the past thirty years, however,
there has been evident, on the part of
some very influential German writers,
materialistic tendency which has threat
ened evil results. Essentially it is the
simple philosophy of Rob Roy McGregor:
"They may take who have the power;
and they may keep who can"
To many observers it will appear that
the present position of Germany and the
over-development of its military system
have been foreshadowed and to some ex-
tent brought about by this malign infiu-
ence. The outcome remains to be seen.
JOHN ELLIOT BOWMAN.
l. T;,l W 1