The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1918-04-18
Some Lessons from History
BiSmark-BI0od and Iron
WILLIAM T. FREELAND

Nhlle liberalism was being defeated
BY the inefficiency and selfshness oI
its leaders there appeared on the scene
man who was TO shepe the destiny oi
that country for over generation
This man was to do with the sword oi
Prussia what the talkative leaders Of the
the revelation had failed to accomplish.
While Bismark did not possess the
military genius genius Of Napoleon
Bonaparle he had frmer grasp on the
essential problems Of organization and
possessed a far greater insight into the
character and ability Of men. By this
insight he was able to choose efficient
men to carry out the details where he
was himself lacking He had the rare
capacity to discern his own limitatio, S
and was not so vain as to undertake Ia
do the things for which he knew he
was not fitted Cold, Unconditional,
without any visible sense OF humanity
or pity, no feeling of morality or Of eth
les hampered his acts. Such was the
man the king OF Prussia called to deal
with the aftermath OF the revolution.
Bsmark announced that the German
problem could not be solved by parlia'
mentry DEGREES or speeches but by
0lood and iron. For four years he
rulcd without a parliament, collecting
taxes as seemed to him best. This
was a daring scheme 10 undertake in
the latter half Of the nineteenth century.
Over two hundred years ago Charles
the First had tried the same plan in
England with disas'rou, results TO him
self. The English Parliament decid,d d
the king had committed treason agains'
the people and behesded him rs vel
as his ministers. The leader Of he
English liberals in that contest was
one OF the strong men Of the world
Oliver Cromwell could talk but he did
not undertake TO oppose the army cl
the king with the discussion "oIiunda
mental rights with imposing calm" "
Instead he acted with un,iriug energy
The stern army Of Ironsides" he
trained met the choice soldiers of the
king at Edgehi!l, Marston Moor and
Nasbey and crushed the power Of au.
rocracy. NJ English king has ever
had the temerity to repeat the expert
ment.
But in Germany no Cromwell came
to oppose the plans OF Bismark. He
was an autocrat and a Prussian educat
ed to the idea Of power. 1t was his
ambition to do what the liberty'loving
G rmans had dreamed weld all the
nation into one state, with this differ
ence, that whereas the liberals hn'
hoped tn form a virtual republic, Bis
mark planned to make it an empirr
under the controlling and directing in
fuence Of Prussia. This man suffered
no illusions. He knew his pathway
would be red with blood.
Knowing that war is one Of the suresi
means Of getting the people to submit
to the curtailment Of their liberties he
began to plot strife. Meanwhile he
organized the army and made the mill
tary machine even more efficient than
it had been in the days Of Frederick
the Great. He utterly destroyed any
opportunity for strong leadership among
the liberal element and left them help
less. Then he forced war.
Two provinces, Schleswig and Hol
stein, had ior centuries been a part o.
the Danish kingdom. There was de
mand in Germany that these become {
part OF the German Confederation
This did not suit Bismark. He want
ed them for Prussia in order to have
more material to add 10 the army o
the Hohenzollerns.
In 1852 Prussia had signed a com
pact with other powers agreeing t
leave these states as a part Of Denmark
While with true Prussian cynicism HI
he looked upon treaties as scraps 0
paper, he was not prepared at that tim,
to fly in the face Of Europe. To max,
the theft less dangerous he laid deel
scheme. Austria under the Hapsburg
was ready 10 follow any lead tha