Page:The Science of History and the Hope of Mankind.djvu/57



from its jurisdiction, and the consequent weakening of the Holy Roman Emperors, are the causes of that shifting of the centre of gravity in the oldest empire of the world, which is responsible for the new species of European polity, viz., the Dual Monarchy of Austro-Hungary. The expulsion of Austria from the German political system, and its co-ordination with Hungary, one of its foremost dependencies, are thus inextricably bound up with Prussian and Turkish politics.

The fact that Turkey, though infidel, is still an independent unit in modern European politics is not to be explained by the innate strength of the Moslem national character. It is rather due to the change in the viewpoint of European politics that dreads