Magyar Pangermanism as evinced during this war, with its catchword of Berlin-Bagdad, that induced Russia more directly to express nationalist views.
Russia being the greatest Slav nation has the same right as every other nation to claim national rights for herself and the Slavs generally on the principle of nationality; but all the Slav nations claim their independence on the same principle. Russia’s real interest in the Slav nations is to protect them, to have their sphere of political influence extended to the West; the Slavs make Russia a more European empire. The degree to which Panslavism, which has arisen as a counterpoise to Pangermanism, will actually be realised, will depend upon the extent to which the Allies, especially Great Britain. France and Italy, will support the claims of the smaller Slav nations.
8. The war was not provoked by Russian Panslavism, but by German and Magyar Pangermanism. The Germano-Austrian “Berlin–Vienna–Bagdad” and “Berlin–Vienna–Cairo“” met with the Russian “Moscow–Odessa–Constantinople” and with the British “London–Gibraltar–Suez–Bombay.” The war is an attempt to solve the secular Oriental question; the three great European Powers—Britain, Russia, France—which have great interests in Asia, have been stirred up by the attempt of Germany and Austria-Hungary to reach Asia through the Adriatic, the Balkans, and the Ægean Sea. This explains why Italy broke off the Triple Alliance, which had been devised by Bismarck in order to exploit Austria-Hungary and to check Italy’s national aspirations.
This world-situation explains why Great Britain abandoned her antagonism to Russia and joined in the war in spite of strong pro-German tendencies. Her future policy will be of decisive importance in the world.
Prussianised Germany united with Russia could divide the world to her heart’s content. Prussia and Russia were, for more than a century, on friendly terms, so that Bismarck could think that his policy was the natural continuation of Prussian and Russian traditions; Bismarck’s policy and the policy of the reactionaries in Russia suffered shipwreck because Austria-Hungary and her anti-Slav Balkan policy became the policy of the new German generation aiming at world-power. Prussian Germany aimed at the Far and the Farther
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