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because I got my first artistic impressions in a country
where the rare sun beats down upon the rain…soaked land with
almost cruel brutality and throws everything into violent contrasts
of dark and light。
I state these few facts deliberately that you may know
the personal bias of the man who wrote this history and may
understand his point…of…view。 The bibliography at the end of
this book； which represents all sorts of opinions and views； will
allow you to compare my ideas with those of other people。
And in this way； you will be able to reach your own final
conclusions with a greater degree of fairness than would
otherwise be possible。
After this short but necessary excursion； we return to the
history of the last fifty years。 Many things happened during
this period but very little occurred which at the time seemed
to be of paramount importance。 The majority of the greater
powers ceased to be mere political agencies and became large
business enterprises。 They built railroads。 They founded and
subsidized steam…ship lines to all parts of the world。 They
connected their different possessions with telegraph wires。
And they steadily increased their holdings in other continents。
Every available bit of African or Asiatic territory was claimed
by one of the rival powers。 France became a colonial nation
with interests in Algiers and Madagascar and Annam and
Tonkin （in eastern Asia）。 Germany claimed parts of southwest
and east Africa； built settlements in Kameroon on the
west coast of Africa and in New Guinea and many of the
islands of the Pacific； and used the murder of a few missionaries
as a welcome excuse to take the harbour of Kisochau on the
Yellow Sea in China。 Italy tried her luck in Abyssinia； was
disastrously defeated by the soldiers of the Negus； and consoled
herself by occupying the Turkish possessions in Tripoli
in northern Africa。 Russia； having occupied all of Siberia；
took Port Arthur away from China。 Japan； having defeated
China in the war of 1895； occupied the island of Formosa and
in the year 1905 began to lay claim to the entire empire of
Corea。 In the year 1883 England； the largest colonial empire
the world has ever seen； undertook to ‘‘protect'' Egypt。 She
performed this task most efficiently and to the great material
benefit of that much neglected country； which ever since the
opening of the Suez canal in 1868 had been threatened with a
foreign invasion。 During the next thirty years she fought a
number of colonial wars in different parts of the world and in
1902 （after three years of bitter fighting） she conquered the
independent Boer republics of the Transvaal and the Orange
Free State。 Meanwhile she had encouraged Cecil Rhodes to
lay the foundations for a great African state； which reached
from the Cape almost to the mouth of the Nile； and had faithfully
picked up such islands or provinces as had been left without
a European owner。
The shrewd king of Belgium； by name Leopold； used
the discoveries of Henry Stanley to found the Congo Free
State in the year 1885。 Originally this gigantic tropical empire
was an ‘‘absolute monarchy。'' But after many years of
scandalous mismanagement； it was annexed by the Belgian
people who made it a colony （in the year 1908） and abolished
the terrible abuses which had been tolerated by this very
unscrupulous Majesty； who cared nothing for the fate of the
natives as long as he got his ivory and rubber。
As for the United States； they had so much land that they
desired no further territory。 But the terrible misrule of
Cuba； one of the last of the Spanish possessions in the western
hemisphere； practically forced the Washington government to
take action。 After a short and rather uneventful war； the
Spaniards were driven out of Cuba and Puerto Rico and the
Philippines； and the two latter became colonies of the United
States。
This economic development of the world was perfectly
natural。 The increasing number of factories in England and
France and Germany needed an ever increasing amount of raw
materials and the equally increasing number of European
workers needed an ever increasing amount of food。 Everywhere
the cry was for more and for richer markets； for more
easily accessible coal mines and iron mines and rubber plantations
and oil…wells； for greater supplies of wheat and grain。
The purely political events of the European continent
dwindled to mere insignificance in the eyes of men who were
making plans for steamboat lines on Victoria Nyanza or
for railroads through the interior of Shantung。 They knew
that many European questions still remained to be settled； but
they did not bother； and through sheer indifference and carelessness
they bestowed upon their descendants a terrible inheritance
of hate and misery。 For untold centuries the south…eastern
corner of Europe had been the scene of rebellion and bloodshed。
During the seventies of the last century the people of
Serbia and Bulgaria and Montenegro and Roumania were once
more trying to gain their freedom and the Turks （with the
support of many of the western powers）； were trying to prevent
this。
After a period of particularly atrocious massacres in Bulgaria
in the year 1876； the Russian people lost all patience。
The Government was forced to intervene just as President McKinley
was obliged to go to Cuba and stop the shooting…squads
of General Weyler in Havana。 In April of the year 1877 the
Russian armies crossed the Danube； stormed the Shipka pass；
and after the capture of Plevna； marched southward until they
reached the gates of Constantinople。 Turkey appealed for
help to England。 There were many English people who denounced
their government when it took the side of the Sultan。
But Disraeli （who had just made Queen Victoria Empress of
India and who loved the picturesque Turks while he hated the
Russians who were brutally cruel to the Jewish people within
their frontiers） decided to interfere。 Russia was forced to
conclude the peace of San Stefano （1878） and the question of
the Balkans was left to a Congress which convened at Berlin
in June and July of the same year。
This famous conference was entirely dominated by the personality
of Disraeli。 Even Bismarck feared the clever old
man with his well…oiled curly hair and his supreme arrogance；
tempered by a cynical sense of humor and a marvellous gift
for flattery。 At Berlin the British prime…minister carefully
watched over the fate of his friends the Turks。 Montenegro；
Serbia and Roumania were recognised as independent kingdoms。
The principality of Bulgaria was given a semi…independent
status under Prince Alexander of Battenberg； a
nephew of Tsar Alexander II。 But none of those countries
were given the chance to develop their powers and their resources
as they would have been able to do； had England been
less anxious about the fate of the Sultan； whose domains were
necessary to the safety of the British Empire as