CHAPTERIII

chapteriii

thecharacterofeuropeanpeoplesfailedincommonsenseandinchristiancharity.itdidnotfailincouragetoenduregreatagonies,tosufferdeathlargely,tobeobedienttotheoldtraditionofpatriotismandtothestoicspiritofoldfightingraces.

incourageidonotthinktherewasmuchdifferencebetweenthechiefcombatants.thegermans,asarace,werewonderfullybraveuntiltheirspiritwasbrokenbythesureknowledgeofdefeatandbylackoffood.manytimesthroughallthoseyearstheymarchedshouldertoshoulder,obedienttodiscipline,tocertaindeath,asisawthemonthesomme,likemartyrs.theymarchedfortheirfatherland,inspiredbythespiritofthegermanrace,asithadenteredtheirsoulsbythememoryofoldgermansongs,oldheroicballads,theirgermanhomelife,theirgermanwomen,theirloveoflittleoldtownsonhillsidesorinvalleys,byallthemeaningtothemofthatwordgermany,whichislikethenameofenglandtous—whoisfoolenoughtothinkotherwise?—andfoughtoften,athousandtimes,tothedeath,asisawtheirbodiesheapedinthefieldsofthesommeandroundtheirpill-boxesinflandersandinthelastphaseofthewarbehindthehindenburglineroundtheirbrokenbatteriesonthewayofmonsandlecateau.thegermanpeopleenduredyearsofsemi-starvationandadrainofbloodgreaterthananyotherfightingpeople—twomilliondead—beforetheylostallvitality,hope,andprideandmadetheirabjectsurrender.atthebeginningtheywereoutforconquest,inspiredbyarroganceandpride.beforetheendtheyfoughtdesperatelytodefendthefatherlandfromthedoomwhichcastitsblackshadowonthemasitdrewnear.theywerebrave,thosegermans,whateverthebrutalityofindividualmenandthecold-bloodedcrueltyoftheircommanders.

thecourageoffranceistomelikeanoldheroicsong,stirringtheheart.itwasmedievalinitscompleteadherencetothefaithofvaloranditsspiritofsacrificeforlapatrie.ifpatriotismwereenoughasthegospeloflife—nursecavelldidnotthinkso—franceasanationwasperfectinthatfaith.herpeoplehadnodoubtastotheirduty.itwastodefendtheirsacredsoilfromtheenemywhichhadinvadedit.itwastohurlthebrutesbackfromthefairfieldstheyhadravagedanddespoiled.itwastoliberatetheirbrothersandsistersfromtheoutrageoustyrannyofthegermanyokeinthecapturedcountry.itwastoseekvengeanceforbloody,foul,andabominabledeeds.

inthefirstdaysofthewarfrancewasstruckbyheavyblowswhichsentherarmiesreelingbackinretreat,butbeforethefirstbattleofthemarne,whenherperilwasgreatest,whenparisseemeddoomed,thespiritofthefrenchsoldiersrosetoasupremeactoffaith—whichwasfulfilledwhenfochattackedinthecenter,whenmanourystruckontheenemy'sflankandhundredsofthousandsofyoungfrenchmenhurledthemselves,recklessoflife,uponthemonsterwhichfalteredandthenfledbehindtheshelteroftheaisne.withbloodshoteyesandparchedthroatsandswollentongues,blindwithsweatandblood,madwiththeheatandfuryofattack,thefrenchsoldiersfoughtthroughthatfirstbattleofthemarneandsavedfrancefromdefeatanddespair.

afterthat,yearafteryear,theyflungthemselvesagainstthegermandefenseanddiedinheaps,orheldtheirlines,asatverdun,againstcolossalonslaught,untilthedeadlayinmasses.butthelivingsaid,“theyshallnotpass!”andkepttheirword.

thepeopleoffrance—aboveall,thewomenoffrance—behindthelines,weretheequalsofthefighting-meninvalor.theyfoughtwithdespair,throughmanyblackmonths,anddidnotyield.theydidtheworkoftheirmeninthefields,andknewthatmanyofthem—thesonsorbrothersorloversorhusbands—wouldneverreturnfortheharvest-time,butdidnotcrytohavethembackuntiltheenemyshouldbethrustoutoffrance.behindthegermanline,undergermanrule,thefrenchpeople,prisonersintheirownland,sufferedmostinspirit,butwereproudandpatientinendurance.

“whydon'tyourpeoplegivein?”askedagermanofficerofawomaninnesle.“franceisbleedingtodeath.”

“weshallgoonfortwoyears,orthreeyears,orfour,orfive,andintheendweshallsmashyou,”saidthewomanwhotoldmethis.

thegermanofficerstaredatherandsaid,“youpeoplearewonderful!”

yes,theywerewonderful,thefrench,andtheirhatredofthegermans,theirdesireforvengeance,completeandterrible,atallcostoflife,eventhoughfranceshouldbleedtodeathanddieaftervictory,istobeunderstoodintheheightsanddepthsofitshatredandinthepassionofitsloveforfranceandliberty.whenithinkoffranceiamtemptedtoseenogreaterthingthansuchpatriotismasthattojustifythegospelofhateagainstsuchanenemy,toupholdvengeanceasasweetvirtue.yetifididsoishoulddenythetruththathasbeenrevealedtomanymenandwomenbytheagonyofthewar—thatifcivilizationmaycontinuepatriotismis“notenough,”thatinternationalhatredwillproduceotherwarsworsethanthis,inwhichcivilizationwillbesubmerged,andthatvengeance,evenfordreadfulcrimes,cannotbetakenofanationwithoutpunishingtheinnocentmorethantheguilty,sothatoutofitscrueltyandinjusticenewfiresofhatredarelighted,thedemandforvengeancepassestotheotherside,andthedevilfindsanotherviciouscircleinwhichtotrapthesoulsofmenand“catch'emallaliveo!”

todenythatwouldalsobeadenialofthefaithwithwhichmillionsofyoungfrenchmenrushedtothecolorsinthefirstdaysofthewar.itwastheywhosaid,“thisisawartoendwar.”theytoldmeso.itwastheywhosaid:“germanmilitarismmustbekilledsothatallmilitarismshallbeabolished.thisisawarforliberty.”sosoldiersoffrancespoketomeonanightwhenpariswasmobilizedandthetragedybegan.itisafrenchman—henribarbusse—who,inspiteofthegermaninvasion,theoutragesagainsthispeople,theagonyoffrance,hasthecouragetosaythatallpeoplesineuropewereinvolvedintheguiltofthatwarbecauseoftheiradherencetothatoldbarbariccreedofbruteforceandthesuperstitiousservitudeoftheirsoulstosymbolsofnationalpridebaseduponmilitarytradition.heevendenouncesthesalutetotheflag,instinctiveandsacredintheheartofeveryfrenchman,asafetishworshipinwhichthenarrowbigotryofnationalarroganceisraisedabovetherightsofthecommonmassesofmen.hedrawsnodistinctionbetweenawarofdefenseandawarofaggression,becauseattackisthebestmeansofdefense,andallpeopleswhogotowardupethemselvesintothebeliefthattheydosoindefenseoftheirliberties,andrights,andpower,andproperty.germanyattackedfrancefirstbecauseshewasreadyfirstandsureofherstrength.francewouldhaveattackedgermanyfirsttogetbackalsace-lorraine,towipeout1870,ifshealsohadbeenreadyandsureofherstrength.thepoliticalphilosophyonbothsidesoftherhinewasthesame.itwasbasedonmilitarypowerandrivalryofsecretalliancesandimperialambitions.thelarge-heartedinternationalismofjeanjaures,whowithallhislimitationswasagreatfrenchman,patriot,andidealist,hadfailedamonghisownpeopleandingermany,andtheassassin'sbulletwashisrewardfortheadventureofhissoultoliftcivilizationabovetheleveloftheoldjunglelawandtosavefrancefromthemassacrewhichhappened.

inwarfrancewaswonderful,mostheroicinsacrifice,mostsplendidinvalor.inherdictatedpeace,whichwasoursalso,herleaderswerebetrayedbytheveryevilwhichmillionsofyoungfrenchmenhadgoneouttokillatthesacrificeoftheirownlives.militarismwasexaltedinfranceabovetheruinsofgermanmilitarism.itwasapeaceofvengeancewhichpunishedtheinnocentmorethantheguilty,thebabeatthebreastmorethanthejunkerinhisschloss,thepoorworking-womanmorethanthewarlord,thepeasantwhohadbeendriventotheshamblesmorethansixtvonarnimorrupprechtofbavaria,orludendorff,orhindenburg.itisapeacethatcanonlybemaintainedbythepowerofartilleryandbytheconscriptionofeveryfrenchboywhoshallbetrainedforthenext“warofdefense”(twentyyearshence,thirtyyearshence),whengermanyisstrongagain—strongerthanfrancebecauseofherpopulation,strongerthen,enormously,thanfrance,inrelativenumbersofable-bodiedmenthaninaugust,1914.soifthatphilosophycontinue—andidonotthinkitwill—theoldfearwillbere-established,theoldburdensofarmamentwillbepiledupanew,thepeopleoffrancewillbeweigheddownasbeforeunderamilitaryregimestiflingtheirlibertyofthoughtandaction,wastingthebestyearsoftheirboyhoodinbarracks,seekingprotectivealliances,buyingalliesatgreatcost,establishingtheoldspysystem,theolddiplomacy,theoldsqualidwaysofinter—nationalpolitics,basedasbeforeonfearandforce.marshalfochwasafinesoldier.clemenceauwasastrongministerofwar.therewasnomangreatenoughinfrancetoseebeyondthepassingtriumphofmilitaryvictoryandbysupremegenerosityofsoultolifttheirenemyoutofthedirtoftheirdespair,sothatthenewgermanrepublicshouldarisefromtheruinsoftheempire,remorsefuloftheirdeedsinfranceandbelgium,withalltheirragedirectedagainsttheirancienttyranny,andwithanew-bornspiritofdemocraticlibertyreachingacrosstheoldfrontiers.

isthatthefoolishdreamofthesentimentalist?no,morethanthat;forthegermanpeople,aftertheiragony,werereadytorespondtogenerousdealing,pitifulintheirneedofit,andthereisenoughsentimentingermanhearts—themostsentimentalpeopleineurope—torisewithasurgeofemotiontoanewgospelofatonementiftheiroldenemieshadofferedachanceofgrace.francehasnotwonthewarbyhertermsofpeacenorsafeguardedherfrontiersformorethanafewuncertainyears.byharkingbacktotheoldphilosophyofmilitarismshehasre-establishedperilamidapeopledrainedofbloodanddeeplyindebt.hersupportofreactionaryforcesinrussiaistoestablishagovernmentwhichwillguaranteetheinterestonfrenchloansandorganizeanewmilitaryregimeinalliancewithfranceandengland.meanwhilefrancelookstotheunitedstatesandbritishpeopletoprotectherfromthenextwar,whengermanyshallbestrongagain.sheisplayingthemilitaristrolewithoutthestrengthtosustainit.