New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-04
The Battle of Koeniggraetz
Was on July 1866 That Prussia Conquered Austria and E'peea
Her Rule from Germany
Bu Historicus

members will not have been gwen the oPP0i
tunity TO impart to our own war Coilege
few practical lessons in the geography OF the
United States.
But while am lighting shy OF battle re-
ports / wish TO remind the reader that the
politica preliminaries Of KoeniggraeH can
in a certain sense be traced back 10 tne
American continent. 1t was Napoleon III
unfortunate venture in Mexico wnicn mace
a striking move on the European cnessooard
of foreign policy more necessary thsn ever
for the perfidous upstart ruler OF rance 80
as to wipe out his transcontinental defeat
The antagonism between Austria and PruS-
STA. dragging along since 1898, l. e. since
the days of the Frankfort Parliament hsd
lust entered an acute stage Napoleon, for
his playing the umpire. hoped to get good
slice of territory somewhere.
The Prussian Macchiavelli
Bismarck, who saw the French ruler al
Biarritz in the month of October, 1862 was
encouraged by him to proceed against AUS
tria promising to maintain a strict heu-
trality. The Prussian Macchiavelli was gem
erous enough 10 promise to Napoleon as MS
commission the kingdom of Belgium. Helped
by the French court, Prussia concluded, April
s. 1866, secret treaty with ltaly-Generai
Moltke was the ambassador according 10
which neither of the two high contracting
parties could conclude peace without the
consent of the other
In brief. Austria should be attacked stimuli
taneously from the north and the south.
The duration of the secret treaty being OF
three months only, Bismarck had 20 hurry
I'D mixing cards. June II the Austrian Am
bassador was recalled from Berlin and the
Prussian at Vienna received his papers. Ma
poleon played double. He, in his turn entered
! into a secret agreement with Francis Joseph,
and the latter, not TO remain behind his royal
colleagues, played an ugly trick on the
French Emperor by terrifying Venice, IN SPITE
of his having solemnly promised TO hand
over the province to Napoleon's protege, VIC
tor Emmanuel II, once Prusssn Silesia should
have been reconquered by Austria
The Austrian commander in chief, Field
Marshal Ludwig Won Benedek, to cover the
dynasty. was, against his urgent prayers, post
haste recalled from upper Italy, where he
knew every inch of the territory, to the to
him unknown battehelds of Bohemia.
Aristocratic Blunders
A subordinate general, Count Clam Gal las
strong from his influence at court, dlsooeyed
the direct orders of the bourgeois comman-
der in chief, on whom he looked down from
his aristocratic height with an air of con-
tempt Through this and several other stra-
tegical blunders it easy for the Prus-
sian Kronprnz (later Emperor Frederick
| HID, who arrived from the north in the NICK
| of time with his fresh army groups and found
Benedek's right flank unprotected, to strike
the decisive blow.
Austria was crushed and had TO sign a
humiiating peace; Clam-Gallas was court
martialled for formalitys sake, but almost
Immediately pardoned Poor Field Marshal
Benedek, whom Archduke Albrecht begged on
his knees not to reveal the true facts so as
to save the face of the imperial family, IN
voluntarily played the part of the scapegoat
and died in 1881 at Graz, the capital of Styrla
Even this dimnutive cross, cut through a
couple of years of old European policy, shows
us the rottenness Of the whole system, and
the srries of Uncle Sam will forever be
blessed by posterity if they could, as quickly
as possible, give the final knockout to a
situation which permits a handful of degen-
crate princes, princelings and court name
lukes TO exploit their peoples first and lead
them afterward 10 the shambles.
New York, July ., 1917.