Page:The Russian Review Volume 1.djvu/301

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The significance of the present War, which must put an end to the constant danger that Germany's militaristic imperialism presents to the peaceful development of the world, lies in the fact that it must solve, once for all, the Balkan question. The substance of this question is as follows. The Balkan peninsula, except that portion of it which' is occupied by the Osmanli Turks and the handful of Albanians, is inhabited by nations related by bonds of religion and, in some cases, of racial descent with the Russian people. Now, Russia, as a state, has felt more and more acutely, with each decade of her political and economic development, the need of a free use of the Black Sea, which is navigable throughout the year. But the key to this passageway is in the hands of Turkey, and therefore the elimination of the Turkish power from Europe, which has ever been the aim of the Eastern Slavs, has become a question of prime importance for Russia.

The Dardanelles are for Russia the gateway to the West, to the highly cultured and civilized nations of Western Europe, with whom Russia is seeking more close and intimate relations. In this respect Russia's policies in her interest in Constantinople are exactly the reverse of the German policy, which is so well expressed by the phrase Drang Nach Osten. The face of Germany is turned towards the East; she aims to reach Asia Minor, to threaten Britain's age-long interests in India, Egypt, and the Levant. Thus Russia's foreign policy in the Near East conflicted not with British interests, but with those of Germany, which, in turn, were highly antagonistic to England and her position in Asia. It was a fortunate thing that England realized this in time, and the antagonism between her and Russia over the Balkan question became transformed into their united effort to bring about peace and order in the unfortunate Balkan peninsula. Here, again, Russia's attempts in this direction came into sharp antagonism with the policies of Germany. What Russia wanted was a state of cordial and friendly relations among the Balkan peoples, a peaceful settlement of the Macedonian question, a general cultural uplifting in the Balkans. In short, the Balkan policy of Russia, England and France was along the lines