Germany and the Next War

In discussing the duties which fall to the German nation from its history and its general as well as particular endowments, we attempted to prove that a consolidation and expans...

From the discussions in the previous chapter it directly follows that the political conduct of the State, while affecting the mental attitude of the people, exercises an indirec...

The social necessity of maintaining the power of the nation to defend itself, the political claims which the State puts forward, the strength of the probable hostile combination...

I now turn to the discussion of some questions of organization, but it is not my intention to ventilate all the needs and aims connected with this subject that occupy our milita...

Since 1795, when Immanuel Kant published in his old age his treatise on "Perpetual Peace," many have considered it an established fact that war is the destruction of all good an...

Our first object, then, must be to organize and transform the German army into the most effective tool of German policy, and into a school of health and strength for our nation....

The policy of peace and restraint has brought us to a position in which we can only assert our place among the Great Powers and secure the conditions of life for the future by t...

Prince Bismarck repeatedly declared before the German Reichstag that no one should ever take upon himself the immense responsibility of intentionally bringing about a war. It co...

I have examined the probable conditions of the next naval war in some detail, because I thought that our general political and military position can only be properly estimated b...

The life of the individual citizen is valuable only when it is consciously and actively employed for the attainment of great ends. The same holds good of nations and States. The...

"Germany's future lies on the sea." A proud saying, which contains a great truth. If the German people wish to attain a distinguished future and fulfil their mission of civiliza...

Germany has great national and historical duties of policy and culture to fulfil, and her path towards further progress is threatened by formidable enmities. If we realize this,...

Let us pass before our mind's eye the whole course of our historical development, and let us picture to ourselves the life-giving streams of human beings, that in every age have...

In the next European land war we shall probably face our foes with Austria at our side, and thus will be in a position to win the day against any opposing forces. In a naval war...

Duties of the State in regard to war preparations--The State and national credit--The financial capacity of Germany--Necessity of new sources of revenue--The imperial right of i...

Not criticism wanted of what is now in existence, but its further development--Fighting power and tactical efficiency--Strength of the peace establishment--Number of officers an...

The ways of Providence in history--Christianity and the Germans-- The Empire and the Papacy--Breach between the German World Empire and the revived spiritual power--Rise of the...

The spirit of training--Self-dependence and the employment of masses-- Education in self-dependence--Defects in our training for war on the grand scale--Need of giving a new cha...

Points of view for judging of the political situation--The States of the Triple Alliance--The political interests of France and Russia-- The Russo-French Alliance--The policy of...

Its necessity--Its twofold aspect--The educational importance of military efficiency--Different military systems--Change in the nature of military efficiency due to the advance...

Our opponents--The French army--The military power of Russia-- The land forces of England--The military power of Germany and Austria; of Italy--The Turkish army--The smaller Bal...

Reciprocal relations of land and sea power--The governing points of view in respect of war preparations--Carrying out of universal military service--The value of intellectual su...

The universal importance of national education--Its value for the army--Hurtful influences at work on it--Duties of the State with regard to national health--Work and sport--The...

The position of a World Power implies naval strength--Development of German naval ideals--The task of the German fleet; its strength --Importance of coast defences--Necessity of...

England's preparations for a naval war against Germany--Germany's first measures against England--England and the neutrality of the small neighbouring States--The importance of...

Pacific ideals and arbitration--The biological necessity of war--The duty of self-assertion--The right of conquest--The struggle for employment--War a moral obligation--Benefice...

Grounds of the intellectual supremacy of Germany--Germany's role as spiritual and intellectual leader--Conquest of religious and social obstacles--Inadequacy of our present poli...

Bismarck and the justification of war--The duty to fight--The teaching of history--War only justifiable on adequate grounds--The foundations of political morality--Political and...