Essays, speeches and memoirs of Helmuth von Moltke
Helmuth von Moltke
Harper & brothers
Letters of field-Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke to his Mother and his Brothers. Translated by Clara Bell and Henry W. Fischer. Portraits and illiustrations. 8vo. Cloth, $3 00.
The Franco-German war of 1870-71. By Field-Marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke. Tra.nslated by Clara Bell and Henry W. Fischer. With a Map and Portrait. 8vo, Cloth, $3 00.
Moltke; his life and character. Sketched in Journals, Letters, Memoirs, a Novel and Autobiographical Notes. Translated by Mary Herms. With Illustrations from water-colour and black and white Sketches by Moltke. Portraits and Fac-simile Letters. 8vo, Cloth extra, $3 00.
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Table of contents
Vol. 1.
Holland and Belgium in their: mutual relations with each other since their separation under Philip II., until their reunion under, Villiam I.
Philip II. of Spain (p. 6)-William of Orange (p. 9)Revolts of the Spanish troops (p. 10)-The pacification of Ghent, and its results (1576) (p. 12)-Union of Utrecht (1579) (p. 14)-The Reformation. Prosperity of Antwerp (p. 17)-Sacking of Antwerp, 1577 (p. 18)-Siege of Antwerp, 1584•5 (p. :31)-Voyages of the Dutch (p. 22)-The Spanish Netherlands laid waste (p. 24)-The florescence of the United Netherlands (p. 25)-Independence of the Netherlands (p. 28)-The House of Orange (p. 29)-Louis XIV. and John dc Witt (p. 32)-William III Stadtholder (p. 37)-The prosperity of the Netherlands, a result of the war (p. 37)-.Fall of the Netherlands. William IV., heir of the Stadtholder (p. 38)-The Prussian Expedition (1787) (p. 39)-The reforms of Joseph II. (p. 41)-State of fermentation in the Austrian Netherlands (p. 42)-Interference of: France. Death of Joseph II. (p. 47)-Popular riots in Brussels (p. 48)-Union of Belgium with France. The Batavian Republic (p. 51)-The kingdom of the Netherlands, 1815 (p. 52)-Dissatisfaction in Belgium (p. 54)Reasons for the separation of Belgium from Holland (p.56).
An account of the internal state of affairs and of tile social condition of Poland / 59
The Polish Constitution. The right of the lilJ(3'l'um veto (p. 65)-The Polish Constitution, the election of king, the senate (pp. G6, 67)-The Polish Constitution. The right of the Confederation (p. 69)-The Polish Constitution. The imperial diet (p. 70)-The army. Religious tolerance (pp. 71-73)-'1'he rise of great noble families (p. 75)-Fall of the lasser nobles (p. 78)-The diminution of the royal power (p. 78)-Increasing power of the nobles (p. 79)-The monarchy of the nobles. The pacta conventa (p. 83)-The election of provincial deputies to the diet (p. 84)-Stubbornness of the provincial deputies (p. 86)-The religious differences (p. 88)-The condition of the peasantry until the sixteenth century (p. 88)-The bondage of the peasants (p. 90)-No middle-class, no trade (pp. 93, 94)-Danzig, the only commercial city of Poland(p. 95)-Character of the Jewish people (p. 97)-The invasion of Poland by the Jews (p.102)-Wealth and power of the Jews (p. 102)-Stoppage of all activity of the government (p. 103)-Anarchy at home, defencelessness abroad (eighteenth century) (p. 105 )-Condition of Poland after the death of Augustus III. (p. 107)-The parties: the court (1764) (p. 109)-The parties: the Potocki (1764) (p. 111)-The parties: the Czartoriyiski (p. 111 )-The relation of Austria and Prussia to Poland. The Turks (p. 114)-A glance at the development of Russia (p. 116)-The Czartorijiski make overtures to Russia (p. 119)-Stanislaus Poniatowski, the candidate of the Russian party for the crown (p. 119)-Opposition of the republican party (p.122 )-The Convocations diet, 1764 (p. 123)-The diet increases the royal power (p. 126)-Stanislaus Poniatowski king (p. 127)-End of Poland (p. 128)-The Duchy of Warsaw (p. 130)-The war of 1812 (p. 134)-Results of the partitions for the inhabitants (p. 134)-Measures taken in the Austrian portion of Poland (p. 137)-The extension of the Jews in the Polish territories (p. 139)-Various business occupations of the Jews (p. 140)-Joseph II's care for the Jews (p. 143)-The Polish provinces of Prussia (p. 144)-The Prussian edict of September 14 th, 1811 (p 147)-Creation of a free peasantry in Prussian Poland (p.147)-Dissatisfactiol1 with the reforms (p. 149)-Great success of the Prussian government with the Polish possessions (p. 152)-The number of Poles in the territory of the three powers between which it was divided (p. 153)-The Russian kingdom of Poland (p. 155)-State of affairs in the .Russian kingdom of Poland (p. 156) Increasing dislike towards Russia (p. 160)-The revolution of 1830-31 (p. 160).
The western boundary / 165 Gaul under Roman rule; conquered by the Germans (pp. 169-171 )-Separation of France from Germany under the Carolingian dynasty (p. 173)-The language boundary between Germany and France (p. 174)-Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (p. 177)-Interference of France in the German Reformation (p. 178)-France, during the Thirty Years' War (p. 179)-Louis XIV.'s policy of conquest (p. 181) Louis XIV. and the German princes (p. IS4)-Treaty of Nimeguen. Sacking of Strasburg (p. 188)-Ammeister Dietrich of Strasburg, a German patriot (p. 188)-The desolation of the Palatinate, treaty of Ryswick (p. lS9)Review of the German territory seized by France (p. 192)Deterioration of German spirit by French influence (p. 193)-Rise of the German "citizenship of the world" (p 197)-Attitude of Frederick the Great towards France and French affairs (p. 198)-Supremacy of French culture at the beginning of the Revolution (p. 199)-The participation of the Germans in the French Revolution (p. 200)-The desire of conquest of the French republic (p. 203)-Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor (p. 206)-The Rhenish Confederation; Prussia's defeat (p. 208)-The union of Romanism with Slavicism (p. 209)-The war of emancipation and its results (p. 210)-Germany and France after 1815 (p.214)-The citizen•king. Desire of the French for the left hank of the Rhine (p. 217)-France ever meditating to attack Germany (p. 218)-Warning for national unanimity (p. 219).
Considerations in the choice of railway routes / 221
Roadways and railways (p. 227)-The track and the train (p. 229)-The locomotive (p. 231)-The friction between the wheels and rails and in the whole running gear (p. 233)-Rising and falling grades of the road (p. 235)-Horse-power of the locomotive (p. 235)-Speed of the train in motion (p. 235)-Consumption of time and power (p. 236)-Influence of' the weather (p. 243)-Advantages of the level road (p. 244)-Passenger and goods traffic (p. 247)Examples of grades (p. 249)-Tariff in disadvantageous territory (p 252)-Curves (p. 253)-Running of the wheels on curves (p. 254)-Running expenses (p. 256) -Direction of railway lines (p. 258)-Intermediate traffic; cost of construction (p. 2GO)-Inactivity of the state governments at the beginning (p. 261).
The eastern question / 265
Germany and Palestine
Inheritance in Eastern dynasties (p. 271 )-Difficulties of a division of the Turkish Empire (p. 272)-A Christian principality of Palestine (p. 273)-Fewer wars in modern times (p. 276).
Tile country and people of the Kurds.
The results of the battle of Nizitin for Kurdistan (p. 278)-The geographical position of Kurdistan (p. 280)-The dwelling-places of the Kurds (p. 281)-The people of the Kurds.(p. 283).
The military and political situation of the Ottoman Empire
The condition in Turkish Asia (p. 28i)-Results of the withdrawal of Reschid Pasha (p. 292)-The condition of the Turkish army (p. 293)-Austria's attitude towards the Ottoman Empire (p. 296).
Reschid, Izzet, and the Porte
Contrast between Izzet and Reschid (p. 298)-Reasons for the fall of Izzet Pasha (p. 300)-The future of Ottoman rule in Europe, Asia, and Africa (p. 301).
The Mouth of the Danube
Difficulties in the construction of a canal in the direction of Trajan's Wall (p. 303)-Possibility of a railway in the direction: of Trajan's Wall (p. 307).
PREFACE
THE five shorter essays that follow were published between the years 1841 and 1844 in the Augsburger Allgemeinen Zeitung. These are: "Germany and Palestine," 1841; The Country and People of the Kurds," 1841; "The Military and Political Situation of the Ottoman Empire," 1841; "Reshid, Izzet, and the Porte," 1842; "The Mouth of the Danube," 1844.
These essays, according to their contents, may be grouped together under the title" Essays upon the Eastern Question" and although the second discusses it from an ethnographical standpoint, and the fifth from a geographical one, yet all five treat primarily of the political and military events in the East, that have often greatly agitated Europe in the past and continue to do so at present.
Late in the autumn of 1839, :Moltke returned from Turkey where, during his four years' residence, he had acquired a thorough knowledge of the country and the people, and had collected various and valuable stores of information. He could thus be well regarded as one of the most authoritative, most efficient critics of the East.
After his return from the battlefield of Nisib, there was a momentary pause in the long years of contentions between the Sublime Porte and its rebellious vassal, Mehemed Ali of Egypt, when it seemed as if the decaying power of the Turks would be completely crushed. The Sultan, Mahmoud III, who had begun to reform his empire with an iron hand, but with little success, had died a short time before the terrible news of Nisib had reached Stamboul. His successor was Abdul Mejid, a weak lad of sixteen. He found his empire without army or navy, for the traitorous Kapudan Pascha had taken the latter to Alexandria to Mehemed Ali; he found all Syria in the hands of the Egyptians, to whom the way to the Bosphorus was open. But Mehemed Ali was not able to reap the benefits of the success he had won, and when Reschid Pasha, who had an European education and favoured progress, entered the ministry at Constantinople, those European powers that were inclined to support the integrity and temporal development of Turkey, began to lay hold upon stronger measures. The Hattischerif of Gulhane, which was executed by Reschid (2nd November, 1839), was most influential in producing a favourable impression on the powers. This decree of the Sultan insured to all his subjects, both the Faithful and the Rajah, security for their lives, honour and property, equal taxation, and a systematic collection of the taxes; he thus meant to take a far more important step on the road of reform. The ministry of Thiers in France alone still continued to support the bold demands of Mehemed Ali, so that the rest of the great European powers formed a quadruple alliance for the protection of the Porte (July 15th, 1840), and made military advancements against the rebellious vice-regent, who had relied upon the aid of France which had not been actually given. An Anglo-Austrian fleet and a Turkish land-force attacked the Egyptians in Syria, and after Beyrout, Akka, and other coast towns had fallen, and the inhabitants of Syria had taken up arms for the Sultan, Ibrahim Pasha, the son and general of Mehemed Ali, vacated the country and led his army back to Egypt in a manner that soon resembled flight. In the meantime an English squadron appeared before Alexandria, and Mehemed Ali was again forced to beg for peace, which was granted him upon acknowledgment of. the inheritance of his dynasty (in the beginning of 18+1).
But soon after these events Reschid Pasha left the ministry, and a short time after Izzet Mehemed Pasha was appointed his successor. Izzet was one of the most influential leaders of the old Turkish conservative party, and his entrance into office was the signal for a complete rupture in the endeavours for reform. But there were so many influences brought to bear upon the weak young Sultan that Izzet also remained a short time in the ministry, and the government at Constantinople continued to be agitated for a long time by opposing factions, nor was it able to become master of the internal difficulties during the time in which the following articles were written. Rebellions in Crete, complications in the government of the Lebanon, a serious quarrel with Persia, disturbances in the Danube principalities, all combined to make the condition of the Ottoman Empire insecure for years, and a menace to the peace of the world.
It seemed necessary to preface the following essays with this cursory historical review, for the purpose of informing the reader of to-day.
Essays upon the Eastern question
Germany and Palestine
A little company of Europeans has brought the Syrian question, which was long unsettled, to a speedy issue by means of a forcible and successful mode of action. Acre fell under the thunders of an Anglo-Austrian fleet, and the phantom of an Egyptian-Arabian power vanished of itself. Lovely Syria was conquered a second time for the Padishah, the bold vassal who had so long defied his authority till he was humbled in the dust--but is the Eastern conflict now settled by this means? Hardly anyone will answer this in the affirmative if he has travelled through the Turkish provinces and is able and willing to recognize the truth.
The complete extinction of military spirit among these races that were once so warlike is manifested on every new occasion. If it 'was in the interest of the English to lay stress upon the strength and boldness of the action of the Turkish army against Ibrahim, the peaceful and impartial witnesses and associates, on the other hand, declare that they saw just as little display of brilliant fighting as a year before at Nisib. The Europeans have done everything. From the moment ...
Helmuth von Moltke
Essays, speeches and memoirs of field-marshal Count Helmuth von Moltke
Harper & brothers
Harper & brothers The essays translated by Charles Flint McClumpha, Ph.D.; the speeches, by major C. Barter, D.A.A.G.; and the Memoirs. By Mary Herms
