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 smaller nations and states have not been able so far to offer an effective resistance to the greater states either economically or by force of arms. While in the West the Germans have always been faced by one nation only, a nation, moreover, which up to the 19th century was numerically stronger than Germany, in the East they have had several neighbours. They therefore took advantage of the weakness of the nations and states of the Central Zone. Early in history Charles the Great had already founded the Eastern and Pannonian March, while later on the marches of the Prussia of to-day were organised. The Holy Roman Empire was supplanted by the modern scheme of "Central Europe"; the German Empire pressed against the smaller nations in the East; Prussia in the north and Austria in the south assumed the rôle of the German conquerors and Germanisers. The tactics of Horatius Cocles and the principle of "divide et impera" rendered great services to the Germans.

It is not difficult to understand why the Germans have found allies among the small nations—the fear of a strong nation and the hope of a reward for services rendered brought the Magyars, the Bulgars, and the Turks to their side. The territories defended or occupied by the Central Powers, extending from Riga viâ Warsaw, Budapest and Belgrade to Salonika-Kavala-Constantinople, represent, in fact, the greater part of the Central Zone of the smaller nations.

It is none the less true that the nations of the Central Zone have resisted and still resist German, Austrian, Magyar and Turkish expansion, and they are fighting for their liberty. All these nations (with the exception of the Lapps) have their political aspirations, which are of two kinds. Some of the smaller among them would be content with national autonomy within a bigger state; this applies especially to the small nations of Russia. The Esthonians, Letts, Lithuanians, have not as yet demanded their independence, although the latter have adopted during the war a more radical policy, which has been partly fostered by the Germans. Even the Finns do not desire to be separated from Russia, for they know that they would only succumb again to the influence of Sweden, from which they are at present protected. Russia, indeed, has only one serious nationalist question—namely, Poland. On the other hand, the subject-nations of Austria-Hungary and Prussia do demand their independence.