existence; these fears led to the encircling policy of Edward VII., and thus was started the great drive against Germany.  It is well known that Edward VII. made an attempt to exercise a direct influence on the Emperor Francis Joseph to induce him to secede from the Alliance and join the Powers encircling Germany.  It is likewise known that the Emperor Francis Joseph rejected the proposal, and that this decided the fate of Austria-Hungary.  From that day we were no longer the independent masters of our destiny.  Our fate was linked to that of Germany; without being conscious of it, we were carried away by Germany through the Alliance.

I do not mean absolutely to deny that, during the years preceding war, it would still have been possible for Germany to avert it if she had eradicated from European public opinion all suspicion respecting her dream of world dominion, for far be it from me to assert that the Western Powers were eager for war.  On the contrary, it is my firm conviction that the leading statesmen of the Western Powers viewed the situation as such, that if they did not succeed in defeating Germany, the unavoidable result would be a German world domination.  I mention the Western Powers, for I believe that a strong military party in Russia, which had as chief the Grand Duke Nicholas, thought otherwise, and began this war with satisfaction.  The terrible tragedy of this, the greatest misfortune of all time—­and such is this war—­lies in the fact that nobody responsible willed it; it arose out of a situation created first by a Serbian assassin and then by some Russian generals keen on war, while the events that ensued took the monarchs and statesmen completely by surprise.  The Entente group of Powers is as much to blame as we are.  As regards this, however, a very considerable difference must be made between the enemy states.  In 1914 neither France nor England desired war.  France had always cherished the thought of revenge, but, judging from all indications, she had no intention of fighting in 1914; but, on the contrary—­as she did fifty years ago—­left the decisive moment for entering into war to the future.  The war came quite as a surprise to France.  England, in spite of her anti-German policy, wished to remain neutral and only changed her mind owing to the invasion of Belgium.  In Russia the Tsar did not know what he wanted, and the military party urged unceasingly for war.  As a matter of fact, Russia began military operations without a declaration of war.

The states that followed after—­Italy and Roumania—­entered into the war for purposes of conquest, Roumania in particular.  Italy also, of course, but owing to her geographical position, and being exposed to pressure from England, she was less able to remain neutral than Roumania.