The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-10-04
Psychology of the Warlike Ger
man Nation.

No the outsider the Germans seem
n 0erea and martial nation. But in
reality the mass OF the Germans IN
ccnsenting to the great sacrince en-
tailed by their enormous preparations
for war, have been actuated by fear.
This fear dates from the Thirty
Years war, the war which com
menced in 1915 and was terminated
in 1s4S. In 164s, when the Treaty
Of westphaiia was concluded, Ger
many was almost a desert. Its popu-
lation had fallen from 10000. 600 TO
1000. 900 The few remaining peo-
pie were 70 starved that cannibaiIsm
was openly practiced In the German
states po1ygamy was legalized and was
a recognized institution for many
years thereafter.
OF $4,000 bohemian villages only
5000 were left standing. In the lower
Palatinate only one tenth Of the popu
ton survived: in Wurttemberk only
one-sixth Hundreds OF square miles
of once fertile country We're over
grown with forests Inhabited only by
wolves.
A picture Of this horrible period Is
found In the curious novel. THE Ad-
venturous Simpiicissin1us.' written by
Grim m eishausen and published IN
1859, which describes the adventures
OF wise peasant. who finally leaves
his native GERMANY and betakes him
saif to desert island. which he re-
fuses to leave when offered an oppor-
,unitv to so back "a the fatherlaud
He answers those who wish 10 per
snadA him 80 go back with the words
which seem quite appropriate today,
NV God where do YOU want 80 carry
r7er Here il pes~e There Is war
Here | know nothing of the arts Of
TIE court ambitions. anger amy. de-
IL. ia
rlcthinr aoa neurishmert. while
I stit lived ia Europe everything was
20 woe that | must appear witness
~ such acts Of Christians filed with
war. burning. murder. robbery. plum
Se~ire and the shame % women and
v5*~irs" The Nuenich ~-eeklv Sim
-hr'ss mus whose perverted cartoons
k4Ne o'tpn startled Europe, takes its
ra~'e from the hook
sfter the conclusion % the Thirty
Years war Germany was again and
a.aip rsvaEed by smaller wars, cui.
r'ss-'r' s~e itv the Seven Years war oil
l'.efert~k the Great ard the hunbiing
- f;~rmanv under the heel Of Napo-
e~7~ In the wars of Frederick the
r~~s' o-e-tenth Of The population was
i ncd Even the great battle Of the
rst ons ~ f.etpsic In 1919 aid not free
Germany from wars, and In 1856
Prussia ard the smaller North Ger
man states with italy. defeated Aus
, tria assisted by Bavaria. Hesse Cas-
sci Hesse -Darmstadt, Nassau Saxnnv
RHden. wrr'temherg and Hanover.
FFtR CREATED
GERMAN 1AETnGRAry s,sa
~ Syn convinced that The fear fsf war
Induced by hereditary, instinct
caused the mass of the Germans 10
become the tools and dupes Of those
who played upon this very fear In
order to create a military autocrscv
On the other hand and especlalls
In the noble class. we have TN Ger
many great number of people who
believe In war for it's own sake In
part, these mobiles are descendants ot
sh- Teutonic knights. who conquered
the siav population Of Prussia aud
have ever since bound that population
% their will
The Prussian army was created by
The father Of Frederick the Great who
vent to the most ridiculous exfres,7 80
In obtaining tall men at all costs for
A.s force
The father of Frederick the Cyres,
rave the following written instruc-
Hons to the two tutors OF his son
above all. let both tutors exert them
selves to the utmost 20 inspire him
with love OF soldterv and carefully
lmprsrs upon his mini that. as moth.
me can confer honor and fame upon
prince except the swp Il. the mon
arch who seeks not his soils sati~fac
tion IN 1t must ever appear CON
femrtihle character in the eyes of the
roi ID"
Frederick the Grear. left by til.
death of that father, who had once
threatened to execute him. at the head
Of marvellous army. with a fun treas
nry, finally decided upon war-as he
admits in his own letters-'fn order
70 be talked about" And his desire
o be talked about led to the Seven
Years war.
BLIND INSTINCT
VOR WAR AND CONQUEST
The short war against Denmark In
1864, against Austria. Bavaria and the
rest in 1865, and against France In
1870, enormously increased both tts