16 - Beacon Lights of History - European Leaders by John Lord

Join Dr. Lord in this captivating installment of the European Leaders series, where he delves into the lives and legacies of influential figures such as William IV, Sir Robert Peel, Cavour, Czar Nicholas, Louis Napoleon, Prince Bismarck, and William Ewart Gladstone. Discover the pivotal moments that shaped Europe through the stories of these remarkable leaders. (Summary by KHand)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Section sixteen of Beacon Lights of History, Volume ten, European
Leaders by John Lord. This LibriVox recording is in the
public domain recording by k Hand Prince Bismarck, Part three.
In the meantime, Austria fomented disaffection in the provinces which
Prussia had acquired, and Bismarck resolved to cut the knot

(00:21):
by the sword. Prussian troops marched to the frontier, and Austria,
on her part, also prepared for war. It is difficult
to see that a real casus belly existed. We only
know that both parties wanted to fight, whatever were their
excuses and pretensions, and both parties sought the friendship of
Russia and France, especially by holding out delusive hopes to

(00:43):
Napoleon of accession of territory. They succeeded in inducing both
Russia and France to remain neutral mere spectators of the
approaching contest, which was purely a German affair. It was
the first care of Prussia to prevent the military union
of her foes in the North Germany with her foes
in the South, which was effected in part by the
diplomatic genius of Bismarck, and in part by occupying the

(01:06):
capitals of Hanover, Saxony and Heshia Castle with Prussian troops
in a very summary way. The encounter now began in
earnest between Prussia and Austria for the prize of ascendancy.
Both parties were confident of success, Austria as a larger
state with proud traditions triumphant over rebellious Italy, and Prussia
with its enlarged military organization and the new breech loading

(01:29):
needle gun. Count von Moltke at this time came prominently
on the European stage as the greatest strategist since Napoleon.
He was chief of staff to the King, who was
commander in chief. He set his wonderful machinery in harmonious action,
and from his office in Berlin moved his military pawns
by touch of electric wire. Three great armies were soon

(01:50):
centralized in Bohemia. One of three corps comprising one hundred
thousand men, led by Prince Charles, the King's nephew. The
second of four corps of one hundred and sixteen thousand
men commanded by the Crown Prince the King's son. The
third of forty thousand, led by General van Bittenfield, march separately,

(02:11):
strike together were the orders of Moltki. Vainly did the
Austrians attempt to crush these armies in detail before they
should combine at the appointed place. On they came with
a mathematical accuracy until two of the armies reached Gitchkeen,
the objective point, where they were joined by the King,
by Moltke, by Bismarck, and by General von Ruhne, the
war Minister, on the second of June eighteen sixty six.

(02:34):
They were opposite Konigrats or Sadova, as the Austrians called it,
where the Austrians were marshaled. On the third of July.
The battle began and the scales hung pretty evenly until
at the expected hour the Crown Prince Our Fritz, as
the people affectionately called him. After this. Later the Emperor
Frederic William made his appearance on the field, with his

(02:56):
army assailed on both flanks and pressed in the center.
The Austrians first began to slacken fire, then to waver,
then to give way under the terrific concentrated fire of
the needle guns, then to retreat into ignominious flight. The
contending forces were about equal, but science and the needle
gun won the day and changed the whole aspect of

(03:16):
modern warfare. The Battle of Koenigratz settled this point that
success in war depends more on good powder and improved
weapon than on personal bravery or even masterly evolutions. Other
things being equal, victory is almost certain to be on
the side of the combatants who have the best weapons.
The Prussians won the day of Koonigratz by their breech

(03:37):
loading guns, although much was due to their superior organization
and superior strategy. That famous battle virtually ended the Austro
Prussian campaign, which lasted only about seven weeks. It was
one of those decisive battles that made Prussia the ascendants
power in Germany and destroyed the prestige of Austria. It
added territory to Prussia equal to one quarter of the

(03:58):
whole kingdom, and increased her population by f four and
a half millions of people at a single bound. Prussia
became a first class military state. The Prussian people were
almost frantic with joy, and Bismarck, from being the most
unpopular man in the nation, became instantly a national idol.
His marvelous diplomacy by which Austria was driven to the battlefield,

(04:19):
was now seen and universally acknowledged. He obtained fame, decorations,
and increased power. A grateful nation granted to him four
hundred thousand thalers, with which he bought the estate of Varzine.
General von Moltke received three hundred thousand thalers and immense
military prestige. The war minister von Ruhn also received three
hundred thousand thalers. These three stood out as the three

(04:42):
most prominent men of the nation, next to the royal family.
Never was so short a war so pregnant with important consequences.
It consolidated the German Confederation under Prussian dominance. By weakening Austria.
It led to the national unity of Italy as secured
free government to the whole dat Austrian Empire, since that
government could no longer refuse the demands of Hungary. Above all,

(05:05):
it shattered the fabric of Ultramontanism which had been built
up by the Corncordance of eighteen fifty three. It was
the expectation of Napoleon the Third that Austria would win
this war, but the loss of the Austrians was four
to one. Besides her humiliation condemned as she was to
pay a war indemnity with also the loss of the
provinces of Schleischwig, Holstein, Hanover, Heshikastel, Nassau and Frankfurt. But

(05:32):
Bismarck did not push Austria to the wall, since he
did not wish to make her an irreconcilable enemy. He
left a door for future and permanent peace. He did
not desire to ruin his foe, but simply to acquire
the lead in German politics and exclude Austria from the
Germanic Confederation. Napoleon, disappointed and furious, blustered and threatened war

(05:52):
unless he too could come in for a share of
the plunder to which he had no real claim. Bismarck
calmly replied, well, then let their be war. Knowing full
well that France was not prepared. Napoleon consulted his marshals,
are we prepared? Asked he to fight all Germany certainly not,
replied the marshals. Until our whole army, like that of Prussia,

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is supplied with a breech loader, until our drill is
modified to suit the new weapon until our fortresses are
in a perfect state of preparedness, and until we create
a mobile and efficient national reserve. When Carlyle heard the
news of the great victories of Prussia, he wrote to
a friend, Germany is to stand on her feet henceforth
and face all manner of Napoleon's and hungry sponging dogs,

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with clear steel in her hand and an honest purpose
in her heart. This seems to me the best news
we or Europe have had for the last forty years
or more. The triumphal return of the Prussian troops to
Berlin was followed on the twenty fourth of February eighteen
sixty seven by the opening of the first North German Parliament,
three hundred deputies chosen from the various Allied states by

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universal suffrage. Twenty two states north of the Main formed
themselves into a perpetual league for the protection of the
Union and its institutions. Legislative power was to be invested
in two bodies, the Reichstag representing the people, and the Bundesrath,
composed of delegates from the Allied governments, the perpetual presidency
of which was invested in the King of Prussia. He

(07:20):
was also acknowledged that the commander in chief of the
United Armies and the standing Army, on a peace footing,
was fixed at one percent of all the inhabitants. This
constitution was drawn by Bismarck himself, not unwilling under the
unquestioned supremacy of his monarch, to utilize the spirit of
the times and admit the people to a recognized support
of the crown. Thus Germany at last acquired a liberal constitution,

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though not so free and broad as that of England.
The absolute control of the army and navy, the power
to make treaties and declare peace and war, the appointment
of all the great officers of state, and the control
of education and other great interests still remained with the king.
The functions of the Lower House seemed to be mo
moly confined to furnishing the sinews of war and government,
the granting of money and the regulation of taxes. Meanwhile,

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secret treaties of alliance were concluded with the southern states
of Germany, offensive and defensive in case of war. Another
stroke of diplomatic ability on the part of Bismarck, for
the intrigues of Napoleon had been incessant to separate the
southern from the northern states, in other words, to divide Germany,
which the French emperor was sanguine he could do with
a divided Germany. He believed that he was more than

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a match for the King of Prussia. As soon as
his military preparations should be made, could he convert these
states into allies. He was ready for war. He was
intent upon securing for France territorial enlargements equal to those
of Prussia. He could no longer expect anything on the Rhine,
and he turned his eyes to Belgium. The war cloud
arose on the political horizon in eighteen sixty seven when

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Napoleon sought to purchase from the King of Holland the
Duchy of Luxembourg, which was a personal fife of his kingdom,
though it was inhabited by Germans, and which made him
a member of the Germanic Confederation if he chose to
join it. In the time of Napoleon, the first Luxembourg
was defended by one of the strongest fortresses in Europe,
garrisoned by Prussian troops. It was therefore a menace to

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France on her northeastern frontier, as Napoleon the Third promised
a very big sum of money for this duchy, with
a general protectorate of Holland in case of Prussian aggressions.
The King of Holland was disposed to listen to the
proposal of the French Emperor, But when it was discovered
that an alliance of the Southern states had been made
with the northern states of Germany, which made Prussia the

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mistress of Germany, the King of Holland became alarmed and
declined the French proposals. The chagrin of the Emperor and
the wrath of the French nation became unbounded again. They
had been followed by the arch diplomatist of Prussia. All
this was precisely what Bismarck wanted. Confident of the power
of Prussia, he did all he could to drive the
French nation to frenzy. He worked on a vainglorious, excitable

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and proud people at the height of their imperial power.
Napoleon was irresolute, although it appeared to him that war
with Prussia was the only way to recover his pristine
after the mistakes of the Mexican expedition. But Mexico had
absorbed the marrow of the French army, and the Emperor
was not quite ready for war. He must find some
pretense for abandoning his designs on Luxembourg, any attempt to

(10:12):
seize which would be a plain casus belli. Both parties
were anxious to avoid the initiative of a war which
might shake Europe to its center. Both parties pretended peace,
but both desired war. Napoleon, a man fertile in resources,
in order to avoid immediate hostilities, looked about for some
way to avoid what he knew was premature. So he

(10:34):
proposed submitting the case to arbitration, and the powers applied
themselves to extinguish the gathering flames. The conference composed of
representatives of England, France, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Holland and Belgium
met in London, and the result of it was that
Prussia agreed to withdraw her garrison from Luxembourg and to
dismantle the fortress, while the Duchy was to continue to

(10:54):
be a member of the German Zolverine or customs Union.
King William was willing to make this concession to the
cause of humanity, and his minister, rather than go against
the common sentiment of Europe reluctantly conceded this point, which
after all, was not of paramount importance. Thus war was
prevented for a time, although everybody knew that it was

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inevitable sooner or later. The next three years, Bismarck devoted
himself to diplomatic intrigues in order to cement the union
of the German States, for the Luxembourg Treaty was well
known to be a mere truce, and Napoleon did the
same to weaken the union. In the meantime, King William
accepted an invitation of Napoleon to visit Paris at the

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time of the Great Exposition, and thither he went, accompanied
by Counts Bismarck and Moltke. The party was soon after
joined by the Czar, accompanied by Prince Gorschtakoff, who had
the reputation of being the ablest diplomatist in Europe next
to Bismarck. The meeting was a sort of carnival of peace,
hollow and pretentious, with fetes and banquets and military displays innumerable.

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The Prussian minister amused himself by feeling the national pulse,
while Moltke took long walks to observe the fortifications of Paris.
When his royal guests had left, Napoleon traveled to Salzburg
to meet the Austrian Emperor, ostensibly to condole with him
for the unfortunate fate of Maximilian in Mexico, but really
to interchange political ideas. Bismarck was not deceived and openly

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maintained that the military commercial interests of North and South
Germany were identical. In April eighteen sixty eight, the Customs
Parliament assembled in Berlin as the first representative body of
the entire nation that had as yet met. Though convoked
to discuss tobacco and cotton, the real object was to
pave the way for the consummation of the national destinies.

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Bismarck meanwhile conciliated Hanover, whose sovereign King George had been dethroned,
by giving him a large personal indemnity and by granting
home rule to what was now a mere province of Prussia.
In Berlin, he resisted in the Reichstag the constitutional encroachments
which the Liberal Party aimed at. Ever, an autocrat rather
than a minister, having no faith in governmental responsibility to

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parliament only one master he served, and that was the king.
As Richelieu served Louis the thirteenth, nor would he hear
of a divided ministry. Affairs were too complicated to permit
him to be encumbered by colleagues. He maintained that public
affairs demanded quickness, energy and unity of action, and was
certainly fortunate for Germany and the present crisis that the
foreign policy was in the hands of a single man,

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and that man so able, decided and astute as Bismarck.
All the while, secret preparations for war went on in
both Prussia and France. French spies overran the Rhineland, and
German draftsmen were busy in the cities and plains of
Alsace Lorraine. France had at last armed her soldiers with
a breech loading chessapot gun, by many thought to be

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superior to the needle gun, and she had, in addition
secretly constructed a terrible and mysterious engine of war called Mitrieuss,
a combination of gun barrels fired by mechanisms. These were
to affect great results on paper. Four hundred and fifty
thousand men were ready to rush as an irresistible avalanche
on the Rhine provinces. To the distant observer, it seemed

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that France would gain an easy victory and once again
occupy ber Limb. Besides her supposed military forces, she still
had a great military prestige. Prussia had done nothing of
signal importance for forty years except to fight the duel
with Austria, but France had done the same and had
signally conquered at Sulfurino. Yet during forty years Prussia had

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been organizing her armies on the plan which Shamhors had furnished,
and had four hundred and forty thousand men under arms,
not on paper, but really ready for the field, including
a superb cavalry force. The combat was to be one
of material forces guided by science. I have said that
only a pretext was needed to begin hostilities. This pretext
on the part of the French was that their ambassador

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in Berlin, Benedetti, was reported to have been insulted by
the king. He was not insulted. The King simply refused
to have further parley with an arrogant ambassad and referred
him to his government, which was the proper thing to
do on this bit of scandal. The French politicians. The
people who led the masses lashed themselves into a fury
and demanded immediate war. Napoleon could not resist the popular pressure,

(15:14):
and war was proclaimed. The arrogant demand of Napoleon, through
his ambassador Benedetti, that the King of Prussia should agree
never to permit his relative, Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern to
accept the vacant throne of Spain to which he had
been elected by the provisional government of that country, was
the occasion of King William's curt reception of the French envoy,

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for this was an insulting demand not to be endured.
It was no affair of Napoleon, especially since the prince
had already declined the throne at the request of the
King of Prussia as the head of the Holanzarin family.
But the French nation, generally, the Catholic Church party, working
through the Empress Eugenie, and above all the excitable Parisians,
goaded by the orders and the press, saw the possibility

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of an extension of the Roman Empire of Charles the
Fifth under the control of Prussia, and Napoleon was driven
to the fatal course. First of making the absurd demand,
and then, in spite of a wholesome irresolution born of
his ignorance concerning his own military forces, of resenting its
declar nature with war. In two weeks the German forces

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were mobilized, and the colossal organization in three great armies,
all directed by Moltke as chief of staff to the
commander in chief, the still vigorous old man who ruled
and governed at Berlin, were on their way to the
seat of war. At my ends, the King in person,
on the second of August eighteen seventy assumed command of
the United German armies, and in one month from that

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date France was prostrate at his feast. It would be
interesting to detail the familiar story, but my limits will
not permit. I could only say that the three armies
of the German forces, each embracing several corps, were one
under the command of General Steinmentz, another under Prince Friederic Charles,
and the third under the Crown Prince at all under
the orders of Moltkey, who represented the King. The Crown

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Prince on the extreme left, struck the first blow at
Weissenberg on the fourth of August, and on the sixth
he assaulted mac mahon at Worth and drove back his
scattered forces parley partly on Chalons and partly on Strasbourg,
while Steinmetz, commanding the right wing, nearly annihilated Fassard's corps
at Spikeren. Now the aim of the French under Bazaine,

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who commanded two hundred and fifty thousand men near Metz
to join mac mahon's defeated forces. This was frustrated by
Moltke in the bloody Battle of Gravelotte, compelling Bazaine to
retire within the lines of Metz, the strongest fortress in France,
which was at once surrounded by Prince Charles. Meanwhile, the
crown Prince continued the pursuit of mc mahon, who had
found it impossible to effect a junction with Bazaine. At Sedan,

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the armies met, but as the Germans were more than
twice the number of the French and had completely surrounded them,
the struggle was useless and the French, with the Emperor himself,
were compelled to surrender as prisoners of war. Thus fell
Napoleon's Empire after the Battle of Sedan, one of the
decisive battles of history. The Germans advanced rapidly to Paris,
and King William took up his quarters at Versailles with

(18:08):
his staff and his councillor Bismarck, who had attended him
day by day through the whole campaign, and conducted the
negotiations of the surrender. Paris, defended by strong fortifications, resolved
to sustain a siege rather than yield, hoping that something
might yet turn up by which the besieged garrison should
be relieved. A forlorn hope, as Paris was surrounded, especially

(18:29):
on the fall of Metz, by nearly half a million
of the best soldiers in the world. Yet that memorable
siege lasted five months, and Paris did not yield until
reduced by extreme famine. And perhaps it might have held
out much longer if it had could have been provisioned.
But this was not to be. The Germans took the
city as Alaric had taken Rome, without much waste of blood.

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The conquerors were now inexorable and demanded a war indemnity
of five millions of francs and a session of Metz and
the two province of Alsace Lorraine, which Louis the fourteenth
had formerly rested away, including strasfort. Eloquently but vainly did
old tiers plead for better terms, but he pleaded with
men as hard as Iron, who exacted, however, no more

(19:13):
than Napoleon the third would have done, had the fortune
of war enabled him to reach Berlin as the conqueror.
War is hard under any circumstances, but never was national
humiliation more complete. When the Prussian flag floated over the
arch to triumph, and Prussian soldiers defiled beneath it. Nothing
was now left for the aged Prussian king but to

(19:34):
put upon his head the imperial crown of Germany, for
all the German states were finally united under him. The
scene took place at Versailles and the Hall of Mirrors,
in probably the proudest palace ever erected since the days
of Nebeka Nezzar, surrounded by princes and generals, Chancellor Bismarck
read aloud the proclamation of the Empire, and the new
German Emperor gave thanks to God. It was a fitting

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sequence to the greatest military success since Napoleon crushed the
German armies at Jenna and Austerlitz. The tables at last
were turned and the heavy, phlegmatic, intelligent Tutans triumphed over
the warlike and passionate Celts. So much for the genius
of the greatest general and the greatest diplomatist that Europe
had known for half a century. End of Section sixteen.