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 CHAPTER II

THE GENERAL INTERNATIONAL FORCES LEADING UP TO THE WAR

The "Day"—The Powers at War—The Triple Alliance—The Triple Entente—Origin of the conflict—Britain maintains the liberty of peoples—General reasons for Britain's place in the fighting line—The principles for which Austria and Germany fight—The dominant European policies during the last forty years—Absolute dynastic monarchy —Bismarck creates the Triple Alliance—The balance of power—The conspiracy of Germany and Austria to disturb the balance of power—Every State entitled to economic expansion—Germany requires colonies—The diplomatic fight which preceded the war —Its non-success—The instruments used—Nationalism and Pan-Germanism—Peaceful penetration—Morocco, Manchuria—Treaties and their breach—Germany and the neutrality of Belgium and the independence of Morocco—Conclusions.

THE "Day" has come—the day which for so many years has been so ardently hoped and prepared for by the German army and the Pan-Germanist forces of the Empire. So to-day Britain and Germany are at war. It was always anticipated, and events have justified the anticipation, that the day that found Britain and Germany at war would also find Europe in a state of warlike conflagration, with all the nations of the earth, whose interests are bound up with western civilisation, keenly and anxiously watching events, ready, if necessary, at any moment themselves to act.

At the time of or shortly after the commencement of the war, we find not only Britain, Germany, Russia, France, Austria-Hungary, Servia, and Montenegro in the field of battle, but also Belgium, whose neutrality had been guaranteed by the Powers, including Britain and Germany; and even Japan, the Great Power of the Far East. Of these States, two of them, Germany and Austria, are bound to the same cause in the historic Triple Alliance, the third party to which, at the present day, is Italy. This latter Power, however, declared its neutrality in the conflict, taking up the position that its part in the Alliance is to assist in Germany's defence, not in her aggressions. As against this Alliance, particularly in the present case as against Germany and Austria, stand Britain, France, and Russia, who form together a group, known now for some years since, as the Triple Entente. Servia stands outside both the Alliance and the Entente, though, as it will be seen, she fights for and with the Entente. And