People

War was still undeclared upon Napoleon Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:14:46 +0000
The sacrifice was deemed amost severe one by every Prussian politician, and was accepted only as aless evil than the loss of Russia's friendship, and a renewed submission toNapoleon. No single statesman, not even Stein himself, appears to haveunderstood that in exchanging its Polish conquests for German annexations,in turning to the German west instead of to the alien Slavonic east,Prussia was in fact taking the very step which made it the possible head ofa future united Germany.War was still undeclared upon Napoleon by King Frederick William, butthroughout the month of February the light cavalry of the Russians pushedforward unhindered through Prussian territory towards the Oder, and crowdsof volunteers, marching through Berlin on their way to the camps inSilesia, gave the French clear signs of the storm that was about to burstupon them.

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The Cossacks followed Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:25:04 +0000
[178] The remnant of Napoleon's army, now commanded by EugeneBeauharnais, had fallen back step by step to the Oder. Here, resting on thefortresses, it might probably have checked the Russian advance; but theheart of Eugene failed; the line of the Oder was abandoned, and the retreatcontinued to Berlin and the Elbe. The Cossacks followed.

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For some days they continued Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:37:19 +0000
On the 20th ofFebruary they actually entered Berlin and fought with the French in thestreets. The French garrison was far superior in force; but the appearanceof the Cossacks caused such a ferment that, although the alliance betweenFrance and Prussia was still in nominal existence, the French troopsexpected to be cut to pieces by the people. For some days they continued tobivouac in the streets, and as soon as it became known that a regularRussian force had reached the Oder, Eugene determined to evacuate Berlin.

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Some days later Witgenstein appeared Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 21:49:14 +0000
On the 4th of March the last French soldier quitted the Prussian capital.The Cossacks rode through the town as the French left it, and fought withtheir rear-guard. Some days later Witgenstein appeared with Russianinfantry.

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The proclamation was such Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 22:04:21 +0000
On March 17th York made his triumphal entry at the head of hiscorps, himself cold and rigid in the midst of tumultuous outbursts ofpatriotic joy.It was on this same day that King Frederick William issued his proclamationto the Prussian people, declaring that war had begun with France, andsummoning the nation to enter upon the struggle as one that must end eitherin victory or in total destruction. The proclamation was such as became amonarch conscious that his own faint-heartedness had been the principalcause of Prussia's humiliation.

Autor of the post: Undefined

But no exhortations were necessary Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 22:16:35 +0000
It was simple and unboastful, admittingthat the King had made every effort to preserve the French alliance, andascribing the necessity for war to the intolerable wrongs inflicted byNapoleon in spite of Prussia's fulfilment of its treaty-obligations. Theappeal to the great memories of Prussia's earlier sovereigns, and to theexample of Russia, Spain, and all countries which in present or in earliertimes had fought for their independence against a stronger foe, was worthyof the truthful and modest tone in which the King spoke of the misfortunesof Prussia under his own rule.But no exhortations were necessary to fire the spirit of the Prussianpeople.

Autor of the post: Undefined

If among the Court party Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 22:36:04 +0000
Seven years of suffering and humiliation had done their work. Theold apathy of all classes had vanished under the pressure of a bitter senseof wrong. If among the Court party of Berlin and the Conservativelandowners there existed a secret dread of the awakening of popular forces,the suspicion could not be now avowed.

Autor of the post: Undefined

But the passion Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 22:55:30 +0000
A movement as penetrating and asuniversal as that which France had experienced in 1792 swept through thePrussian State. It had required the experience of years of wretchedness,the intrusion of the French soldier upon the peace of the family, the sightof the homestead swept bare of its stock to supply the invaders of Russia,the memory of Schill's companions shot in cold blood for the cause of theFatherland, before the Prussian nation caught that flame which hadspontaneously burst out in France, in Spain, and in Russia at the firstshock of foreign aggression. But the passion of the Prussian people, if ithad taken long to kindle, was deep, steadfast, and rational.

Autor of the post: Undefined

The actual condition of Germany Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:09:28 +0000
It wasundisgraced by the frenzies of 1792, or by the religious fanaticism of theSpanish war of liberation; where religion entered into the struggle, itheightened the spirit of self-sacrifice rather than that of hatred to theenemy. Nor was it a thing of small moment to the future of Europe that inevery leading mind the cause of Prussia was identified with the cause ofthe whole German race. The actual condition of Germany warranted no suchconclusion, for Saxony, Bavaria, and the whole of the Rhenish Federationstill followed Napoleon: but the spirit and the ideas which became a livingforce when at length the contest with Napoleon broke out were those of menlike Stein, who in the depths of Germany's humiliation had created thebright and noble image of a common Fatherland.

Autor of the post: Undefined

But if the work Post Date: Sun, 3 Aug 2008 23:29:14 +0000
It was no more given toStein to see his hopes fulfilled than it was given to Mirabeau to establishconstitutional liberty in France, or to the Italian patriots of 1797 tocreate a united Italy. A group of States where kings like Frederick Williamand Francis, ministers like Hardenberg and Metternich, governed millions ofpeople totally destitute of political instincts and training, was not to besuddenly transformed into a free nation by the genius of an individual orthe patriotism of a single epoch. But if the work of German union was onewhich, even in the barren form of military empire, required the efforts oftwo more generations, the ideals of 1813 were no transient and ineffectivefancy.

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